Naomi Klein talks boycott in Bil’in

by on June 29, 2009 35
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Video from Naomi Klein's visit to Bil'in:

(h/t Palestine Video)

About Adam Horowitz

Adam Horowitz is Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net.
Posted in BDS, Israel/Palestine

{ 35 comments... read them below or add one }

  1. Ed says:
    June 29, 2009 at 8:57 pm

    Klein’s comment at the end there illustrates why a boycott of Israel won’t work. Apartheid S. Africa was from it’s beginnings a colonial enterprise driven by profit motive. Israel is an ideological enterprise driven by political Judaism and Zionist ideology. It is not a means to a profitable end, but an end in itself, and the headquarters of an ideological movement. Only the reduction of US “aid” to Israel will work, but Klein’s brand of left-liberalism won’t go there because it would mean bringing pressure on Diaspora Zionist Jews and politicians who are integral to the American left-liberal power base. The US Left just doesn’t get it: Zionism is the price of their Statist welfare ethos. The welfare-based Jewish state dependent upon “entitlements” from the US taxpayer is a microcosm of their entire ideology.

  2. Citizen says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:11 pm

    I agree with Ed. And Obama will buy which version of a settlement freeze to keep it going? BTW, Klein is singularly robotic in her video. If you don't hear Obama mention, however veiled, a threat to revisit aid to Israel over this summer, you know no change is coming.

  3. Jacqueline_Hyde says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    I'd agree with Ed too — if I knew what I was agreeing to.

  4. Citizen says:
    June 29, 2009 at 9:36 pm

    Well, on another note–here's the wrap up net on Madoff, sentenced today to 150 years: http://www.israelshamir.net/English/Madoff.htm I hope you don't have your understanding problem here too.

  5. thedhimmi says:
    June 29, 2009 at 10:49 pm

    Israel Shamir? Is it Joram Jermas or a host of other aliases. .From "Shamirs" website::"A native of Novosibirsk , Siberia, he moved to Israel in 1969, served as paratrooper in the army and fought in the 1973 war." Typical progressive crap. Israrel Shamir is a made up name. He didn't serve in the Israeli Paratroopers, he's not even Israeli. The closer I look at "progressives" the more they are exposed as frauds.__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Shamir

  6. lovelyisraelis says:
    June 29, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    Madoff? Any guy who steals money from the career criminal and freelance lout Eli Weisel can't be all bad.

  7. onlooker says:
    June 29, 2009 at 10:55 pm

    Who cares if he's an Israeli, or even a Jew? I suggest readers here read the url reference material. I have not seen anything better on the net impact of Mister Madoff.

  8. lovelyisraelis says:
    June 29, 2009 at 10:59 pm

    I like Israel Shamir. I think he's deliberately inflammatory to the point of antisemitism at times, but he's a very bright fellow and writes lively, engaging stuff. I think his head and heart are basically in the right place. There's a lot to admire about Jews but let's face it—there's a lot to detest about Jews as well. That's not antisemitic, it's realistic.

  9. Mythbuster says:
    June 29, 2009 at 11:10 pm

    He stole lots of money from lots of nice people too. Don't forget that.

  10. lovelyisraelis says:
    June 29, 2009 at 11:18 pm

    yes…quite true. He hurt a lot of innocent people.

  11. Laurie says:
    June 29, 2009 at 11:21 pm

    In and of itself the boycott may not work BUT it will hurt and coupled with an end to aid (meaning all aid including military) and you have a pretty strong incentive for change. If all of this still doesn't bring Israel into the 21st century than only her god will be able to save her – and there isn't enough money on earth for that.

  12. Laurie says:
    June 29, 2009 at 11:44 pm

    Not all leftist are Klein's brand, some really do care about people and they don't just elbow their way to the front of the parade. Vanessa Redgrave for one. She spoke out for Palestinian rights way back in 1977 and was boycotted for it. Much of her politics I don't agree with at all but she is a woman of character who make the little "also-rans" pale in comparison.

  13. David says:
    June 29, 2009 at 11:57 pm

    Ed, your talking points are a bit confused. Do your research. Klein isn't part of the "US left," for one thing–she's Canadian. For another thing, she is opposed to US aid to Israel, but not much you can do about it as a Canadian citizen. Colonialism was an ideological enterprise as well. Apartheid was ideological. But when that ideology led to economic and political isolation, its structural form began to crumble. That was the goal of the BDS movement. The U.S. supported S. African apartheid politically as well. It took the long struggle of the BDS movement to create the sort of civil society pressure that led the U.S. to consider sanctions on S. Africa.

  14. Jimbo says:
    June 30, 2009 at 12:13 am

    Well, this is off topic, but I just gotta add: Naomi Klein is so cute. Is that piggish of me to say? I totally have a crush on her.

  15. Ed says:
    June 30, 2009 at 2:18 am

    I have nothing against Klein who is smart and talented and seems to have a lot of integrity, and I agree with many of here critiques even though I disagree with her general left-wing politics. But she has been a columnist for The Nation which caters to the Left and has been a mainstay of US left-liberalism for decades, she has been silent on Zionism even as the The Nation has at times defended Zionism, and as it has housed any number of Jewish Zionist liberal writers over the years so righteously indignant about American conservatism but who could never quite see the Jewish fascism right under their noses. Also, Klein also doesn’t bother to mention political Judaism or its decisive relationship to Shock Doctrine Capitalism in her book in yet another example of a Jewish writer ignoring the elephant in the living room. But I guess to here credit, better late than never.

  16. Ed says:
    June 30, 2009 at 2:34 am

    Re Colonialism vs. Zionism as an ideology: I suppose an argument can be made that Christian manifest destiny and or racial white supremacism were components of colonialism as an ideology, and I have read that colonialism was never very profitable for the home countries, and in most cases was a loss-taking enterprise and done mostly for purposes of national prestige. But assuming America is a stand in for Israel’s colonial homeland (even though it’s not) no colonies had the equivalent of political Judaism’s wealthy and powerful Jewish Zionist Israel lobby in their corner bent on subjugating the homeland to the expansionist agenda of the colony, and willing to wring the homeland to collapse at the behest of the colony.

  17. Ishmail says:
    June 30, 2009 at 5:20 am

    Much more to detest about you, if anyone cared about you.

  18. thedhimmi says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:05 am

    Israel Shamir is a fraud. It's not a big secret. It's actually comical. Wikipedia: "Israel Shamir (born 11 June 1947)[1]is a controversial writer and journalist. He is a citizen of Sweden, where his legal name is Adam Ermash[2] (previously Jöran Jermas). Shamir's critics — including several pro-Palestinian activists — have accused Shamir of antisemitism, and of misrepresenting his background and career." Putting aside that "Shamir" lies about practically everything, he is actually a pretty typical progressive. Martillo uses his writings. I'm surprised Phil and Adam don't quote from him.

  19. thedhimmi says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:09 am

    I don't see it. She's very average. What she is is a self promoter. She will always hawk her books. Even in this interview she throws in a line about her publisher, as if anyone cares that she has a book to sell.

  20. Richard Witty says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:11 am

    For the first time I can remember, I agree with Ed, that BDS is unlikely to be effective relative to Israel and for the reasons stated. And, like other formulas of punitive approach in an effort that has little prospect of being effective, it harms more than it changes.

  21. Richard Witty says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:14 am

    Struggle for a proposal fundamentally, work FOR something. BDS becomes political fashion.

  22. Strahl says:
    June 30, 2009 at 11:29 am

    Oh you sure showed him, Ishmail. He'll think twice now before engaging anonymously in an online discussion on ME politics!

  23. Jake in Jerusalem says:
    June 30, 2009 at 4:16 pm

    Eli Wiesel reminds everyone of the dangers of antisemitism. Not surprisingly, you find Wiesel a direct threat to you personally. Very telling….

  24. lovelyisraelis says:
    June 30, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    DIM can't dispute anything Shamir says about the filth of israel—all a matter of public record, so he questions Shamir's origins, ethnicity, name and every unrelated issue he can find. Typical Judeo-Nazi vomit.

  25. Citizen says:
    June 30, 2009 at 5:50 pm

    I also thought of Vanessa Redgrave. Witty didn't.

  26. Citizen says:
    June 30, 2009 at 5:54 pm

    You always have to incorporate the virtual Jewish network; no other group has such a base to rely on, a base that makes a mockery of the concept of a bordered state; it's always the state within all states, always the 5th column–ask Abrams. Or just study world history.

  27. Joe in Kansas City says:
    June 30, 2009 at 5:57 pm

    No. He reminds me of a liar with a simple black and white view of the world. He is a threat to humanism. Put his books with your Stalags, Jake.

  28. Exploitation101 says:
    June 30, 2009 at 6:02 pm

    Gee, you object to anyone with a historical world view suggesting the net effect of the Jews on the world's non-jews over centuries might be a hard call? I'd say that reveals more objectivity than the usual Jewish narrative, you know, all goys are waiting for a chance to stab you in the back?

  29. thedummy says:
    June 30, 2009 at 6:04 pm

    Yeah, she's very plain I agree. thedhimmi has a book to sell where?

  30. Citizen says:
    June 30, 2009 at 6:22 pm

    The reasons stated are the international Zionist network, which no other organized group has as a total nation within a nation around the world, in partnership with a nation state singular, Israel, and with the goal of Israel uber alles, that is, as more important than the interests of any other state's people. For the first time I agree with Richard Witty–the Lobby is the decisive factor in the lone super power state. I disagree with Witty's conclusion: that the task to offset the world's Zionists is harmful; rather I see it as most needed, precisely because the Zionists are so powerful. Ed didn't say the BDS was wrong, just that it had a huge task, such a powerful enemy–this is due to the fact that white gentiles are more humanist than Zionists, and so more subject to divide and conquer. Ed never said or implied that the task of overcoming Zionist agenda harms more than it changes. Ed was just saying it's a harder role to play because whites are less racist than Zionists as a whole. Those who joined the boycott of apartheid S Africa never asked, "Is it good for white goy continuity?"

  31. Citizen says:
    June 30, 2009 at 6:25 pm

    Yes. Hopefully, for the better end, anti-Zionism or at least post-Zionism, will become political fashion. That helped to bring down apartheid S Africa. Now it's Israel's turn post Nuremberg and in the wider version of "Never Again."

  32. Jake in Jerusalem says:
    June 30, 2009 at 8:03 pm

    Joe, pay attention. I am ignoring your pornographic references and just plain stupid comments. You are real MondoBigot material.

  33. Jake in Jerusalem says:
    June 30, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    The man-of-man-names "Israel Shamir" is also on record as saying that Jews drink blood by custom. A more baseless accusation coming from a more unreliable source is hard to imagine. Nothing "Israel Shamir" says after that is of any real value at all…

  34. carnas says:
    July 1, 2009 at 12:45 pm

    "lovelyisraelis" can't provide any arguments to show that what Shamir says is true, so he chooses to disregard the fact that everything else he says is a lie. Lying is ok, as long as it works in your favor, right?

  35. lovelyisraelis says:
    July 1, 2009 at 11:51 pm

    This, from the dunce who cites a museum guard killed by a psychotic as proof of rampant anti-Semitism.

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