Stéphane Hessel, a diplomat, former ambassador, Holocaust survivor and participant in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, writing in support of BDS in the Huffington Post:
The absence of meaningful action from governments to hold Israel accountable to international law leaves open one path for citizens of conscience: to take this responsibility upon themselves, as done against apartheid South Africa. Non-violent citizen-led initiatives, exemplified by the Flotilla and the various boycott and divestment campaigns around the world, present the most promising way to overcome the failure of world governments to stand up to Israel's intransigence and lawless behavior. By flagrantly attacking the aid ship, Israel has inadvertently brought unprecedented awareness and condemnation not only of its fatal siege of Gaza but also of the wider context of Israel's occupation practices in the Palestinian Territories, its denial of Palestinian refugee rights, and its apartheid policies against the indigenous, "non-Jewish" citizens of Israel.
The Freedom Flotilla brings to mind the kind of civil society solidarity initiatives which brought an end to segregation laws in the US and apartheid in South Africa, an analogy impossible to ignore. Like the apartheid regime of South Africa, Israel's reaction has been to label this non-violent act an "intentional provocation." As in the case of South Africa, the call for international solidarity, in the form of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) came from an overwhelming majority of Palestinian civil society unions and organizations in 2005, and is being embraced by citizens of conscience and social movements worldwide. The BDS initiative calls for effectively isolating Israel, its complicit business, academic and cultural institutions, as well as companies profiting from its human rights violations and illegal policies, as long as these policies continue.
I believe that the BDS initiative is a moral strategy which has demonstrated its potential for success.
Indeed. Boycotts Divestments and Sanctions are the only remaining non-violent solution.
Israel MUST be pressured to make a cost benefit analysis.
If only we had a cure for the united states of permanent apathy…
Hey, it is on Huff post but really well-hidden. Shows absolutely nowhere on the main page or “Politics” overview page. Only if you go to “World” on purpose. Meaning, nothing to see if you are not a dedicated international news junkie! There you have it again, that nauseating Democrat of a Huffington.
Not logical that one would protest the collective punishment of Gazans, by promoting collective punishment for Israel.
Do we have a Witty protege here? “maximalist” narrative…
Gee, I don’t see BDS calling for its own OP Cast Lead–or do you mean BDS should stop imports of chocolate bars and wheel chairs to Israel?
>> Not logical that one would protest the collective punishment of Gazans, by promoting collective punishment for Israel.
“Collective punishment for Israel” would be the perfect opportunity for RW and other “liberal Zionists” to show that they are not hypocrites. They could admonish Israel and pro-Israeli activists for any “maximalist” and “destabilizing” behaviour, and they could insist that Israel and its supporters “nurture” and “listen to the narrative of ‘the other’” and “make the better argument” and “live and let live”.
:-)
Arianna Huffington literalally goes to and fro in a limo. If this was 1939 she’d be bragging about the rim job she gave Ribbentrop in ’24.
:D
I still remember her coulter acts of the 90′s. What happened? Ah…new party in power, hubby busted, time to switch. I had been wondering when she’d go back to playing republicrat, now that a demican is prez. But then I remembered, the demicans are republicrats now. No need.
Nice alliteration & internal rhyming, Debonnaire. Airy Puffington.
In what way is this even remotely relevant to Stéphane Hessel’s article?
A lecturer at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem on his way to a conference overseas was subjected to humiliating treatment at Ben Gurion airport.
Professor Nabil Khatab is a member of the prestigious academic journal Sociology. He was on official university business on his way to a conference in the UK.
The search was intrusive and included a stick with a sensor being placed down his crotch. All in the name of security.
(Meanwhile, the commenters on the Haaretz Hebrew page of the article are telling him to go to Arab countries while others are telling him to quit whining.)
Ironically, the conference Mr. Khatab will be attending, is on the subject of minority rights.
link to haaretz.com
The corollary is also true. “Governments must respond where global citizens (solidarity) have failed”.
And more importantly, “reform movements must respond where militant movements have failed.”
what a wonderful face in mr hessel, and quite an impressive bibliography on wiki. thanks for the report adam.
Its interesting but the world dont seem to give a dam about Kyrgyzstan.
182 people killed and thousands of uzbek refugees.
Both of these people are Turks.
Yet i didn’t see one demonstration in Turkey about whats going on in Kyrgyzstan. No Demonstrations also in England and South Korea.
We didn’t create the problems in Kyrgystan. We did create the problem for Palestinians, so we have a greater responsibility to try to remedy injustice there.
We not only contributed to the problem for the Palestinians, but we actively, to this day, make it possible for Israeli oppression of the Palestinians. The US is an active collaborator in their oppression. Thankfully we are not part of the Khyrghis-Uzbek dispute, or the civil war in Darfur, or the war in Eastern Congo, or the the Han Chinese oppression of the Tibetans or (which one did I miss) so in all of these terrible situations there is not much that we can do. But with the oppression of the Palestinians there is something we can do — ie pressure our government stop supporting their oppression. That should be simple enough.
So go and protest! Nobody here will stop you.
KenDavis, stop using the deaths and suffering of people you personally don’t give a rat’s ass about as human shields for your defense of Israels crimes.
Assuming you’re not just a vacuous hypocrite, I would assume you in fact are doing something about the aforementioned suffering and not just flapping your gums. Good for you! I’d be interested in reading about it. Care to provide us links?
Israel and the U.S. ruling on war crimes
A recent ruling effectively revokes immunity for foreign officials living in the United States for crimes committed in their home countries. It could put Israelis in the dock.
link to haaretz.com
“It could put Israelis in the dock.”
And a great many other nasties, as well.
It was a unanimous decision by the court. (Opinion of the Court written by retiring Justice Stevens.)
This is interesting:
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Psycho-biological basis for image leverage and the case of Israel
by Denis G. Rancourt
(excerpts)
Nation State Example – The case of Israel
Take the case of Israel [3][4]. It is the local super power in the Middle East and the uncontested military occupier of Gaza and Palestine. From the evidence available, the only thing keeping it from all out genocide of the Palestinians and nuclear extermination of Muslims in the region is public opinion in combination with Israel’s desire to be accepted as part of the broader community of nations.
This is why Israel considers its branding in the world a military priority, because its image limits its military options. This is why the recent flotilla fiasco [1] was a national emergency, because world opinion can tie Israel’s hands and cause the blockade on Gaza to be lifted. This is why jam and crackers are now allowed into Gaza, in order to alleviate public opinion leverage as the international community demands an impartial inquiry.
This is why Israel wants its ballet dancers to tour the world and its scientists to exchange with international laboratories and its perfumes to sell in supermarkets around the world, because positive image is a prerequisite for colonial occupation and indigenous genocide. Ask Canada. Ask the US. Ask Australia. Ask any First World nation that uses immigration labour and practices finance-corporate colonialism.
This is why Boycott-Divestments-and-Sanctions (BDS) for Palestine is such a big deal. BDS alone cannot hurt Israel’s economy. It hurts its image. This in turn produces real leverage regarding Israel’s treatment of Palestinians because it can affect Israel’s relationships even to its closest allies, thereby significantly putting its military economy at risk.
Israel’s image is so low that it is bringing down the credibility of its allies, the US and Canada. How far can this go before the allies want to distance themselves? This is why the Israel Lobby in the US and Canada is part of the real battle [5]. It must constantly fabricate domestic US and Canadian support for Israel and constantly battle infiltration of negative image and opinion from the rest of the world.
Damn it’s hard to practice a proper colonial genocide these days when the indigenous population does not collaborate and has friends in the broader world! It’s tough being Israel.
Our job is to make certain that all colonial exploiters and elite bosses get the image that they deserve. In the case of Israel the violations are flagrant and the leverage is real (thank God).
link to activistteacher.blogspot.com