Why we must cut ties to Israel

[IndianaGreen]

Why we must cut ties to Israel

January 6, 2010

LABOR FOR Palestine's December 14 "Open Letter from U.S. Trade Unionists to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: Boycott Apartheid Israel" has met with an overwhelmingly positive response.

The open letter, posted on the Labor for Palestine (LPF) Web site, supports the growing international campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel, by calling on trade unionists in the U.S. to divest from State of Israel Bonds, support workers' refusal to handle Israeli cargo, break ties with the racist Histadrut, and oppose U.S. military and economic aid for Israel.

In just a few short days, the letter has been published by Electronic Intifada, Dissident Voice, Global BDS Movement, Indymedia, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, MRZine, Palestinian World, Socialist Worker (U.S.), the Tehran Times, the U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. It has also been endorsed by nearly 64 additional U.S. labor signers, for a total of 94, and the number continues to grow.

The letter comes in response to the Palestinian call, adopted around the world and supported by all Palestinian trade unions, for BDS as an essential international action to support Palestinian rights.

http://socialistworker.org/2010/01/06/we-must-cut-ties-to-israel

[Warpy]

1. Cutting all ties is silly

but we need to start weaning them off the taxpayer tit, a multi billion dollar a year giveaway that is mostly recirculated back to arms dealers in the US. We need to withdraw the support that makes their fight against the indigenous Arabs so lopsided.

That will help more than just going off in a snit, cutting all ties, and having no effect at all in trying to broker a peace.

[Ken Burch]

2. All I've gotta say about THIS thread is

:popcorn:

[madrchsod]

3. even obama/rahm are getting tried of the spat between abraham`s kids

[mplo]

13. Oh, really??

This is ironic, because Obama and his Administration haven't even so much as opened their mouths about what Israel's been doing in Gaza, which is beyond disgusting, and because, the minute Obama took office, he began parroting the typical old AIPAC lines, and backpedaled on the settlement freeze proposal.

[classysassy]

4. Justice

We pride ourselves on being a just nation,but to some that is the height of hypocrisy.As long as we continue to support Israel without conditions,we are lying to ourselves.The bought and paid for congress,you notice I didn't say our congress,thats because its not ours,they belong to the highest bidder.The congressmen and women are no better that high price whores,they will sell their vote regardless of the effect it has on the common person.Next november when they(congress) come begging and lying to get your vote,ask them if they believe in justice,yes they'll all say but check their voting records,lies flow out of Washington like an unending stream your reps lies will be in that stream.

[Vegasaurus]

6. Justice?

What does that even mean?

THe US supports rogue dictatorships, throws billions of dollars at countries that flog and stone their women.

Would you like to discuss justice for those people, or do we not care about their injustices, because it is all cultural relativism.

[aranthus]

5. Sign up for the war on the Jewish state. n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

7. Just what some want.

There are those trolls that would love this! They could still blame it on Israel as "bringing it on themselves," and insert "facts," which are anything but, and pretend they too are victims. I am sure could even "justify" a war on Israel.

[azurnoir]

8. Really who here would do that?

war on Israel makes absolutely no sense what so ever, IMO we should use our "influence" in a manor more constructive to the peace process, which could eventually include sanctions, is that sort of thing what you would consider war?

[Violet_Crumble]

9. How is supporting boycotts and cuts to funding signing up for war?

While I think international sanctions and cuts to ties are the big stick threats to be left till everything else has been tried and failed, I find that comment of yrs to be just a bit hyperbolic...

[aranthus]

10. War is politics by other means and vice versa.

In this case, the cause to which the boycotts and sanctions are being put to use is to support one side of a war. There are two issues:

1. The Palestinians and the Israelis have been involved in a war for many years. This isn't the same case as existed in South Africa, which involved mere civil and political disenfranchisement. So the boycotters are involving themselves in a war.

2. The purpose of the boycott is to support the Palestinian maximalist goals. Read the actual letter. It wants the boycott to achieve full withdrawal from the West Bank and Jerusalem and full right of return. Full right of return means the end of the Jewish state. So their "peace" goal" is the elimination of one side in the war. That's the same as supporting total victory for the Palestinian side. Also, right of return is not anything that Israel, or any sane state, would ever agree to without being defeated in a war.

I understand that there are people who want to pretend that the Right of Return demand doesn't actually mean the end of the Jewish state, but I'm not one of them; I live in the real world. Boycotting Israel until it agrees to the right of return is co-equal with boycotting Israel until it ceases to exist, and that is very much an act of supporting the war to destroy Israel. Not hyperbole at all.

[Violet_Crumble]

11. Then just about everything's a war if we want to be that sloppy...

1. No, there's no state of war between Israel and the Palestinians...

2. No, the purpose of boycotting is to try to force Israel to remove its illegal settlements and allow a Palestinian state to be established. Nothing maximalist about that, except to 'supporters' of Israel who actually support the maximalist Greater Israel themselves...

I understand that there are people who are utterly ignorant of what's expected of Israel and prefer to use scare tactics to try to cover their desire not to give an inch when it comes to compromising. I find them just as sickening as the likes of Hamas...

So, yes, what you said was absolute hyperbole meant to appeal to trolls...

[aranthus]

12. We're talking about this particular boycott in this context.

Not ever thing is a war, and not every boycott of Israel would necessarily be part of a war. This one is.

1. Of course there's a war between the Palestinians and the Israelis. They've been fighting each other for years. Why do you think they are trying to reach a "peace agreement?" Why do you think it's called the search for Middle East Peace? We have two nations engaged in armed conflict between more or less organized forces. That's a war.

2. No, the purpose of the "boycott" that we are discussing is not merely to force Israel to remove settlements and allow a Palestinian state to be created. That's your purpose. That isn't the purpose stated in the letter referenced in the article, which is why I asked you to read it. Have you? You have to go to the link for the Socialist Worker in post 1, and then click the link for the actual letter embedded in the article. The letter specifically demands the Right of Return. In case you haven't read the letter, this is the relevant passage:

"As labor and anti-apartheid activists, we strongly disagree with your October 27 speech denouncing the movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

The BDS campaign was initiated in 2005 by Palestinian civil society — including its entire labor movement. Inspired by the international boycott that helped topple apartheid South Africa, it demands Palestinian self-determination, including an end to Israeli military occupation, the right of refugees to return to the land from which they have been ethnically cleansed since the Nakba of 1947-1948, and equal rights for all throughout historic Palestine."