This is a piece in the Forward defending the Israeli law that has so alarmed liberals in America, the law that punishes those who speak out for boycott. The piece is purportedly about how boycott is everywhere, even on the author Oren Safdie’s vacation in Mexico. The Forward doesn’t identify Safide’s nationality, just says he’s a playwright. Wikipedia says he’s Canadian-American-Israeli. Whenever I read pieces like this, I reflect on what tremendous freedom American Jews and Israeli Jews have–Mexican vacation– at a time when a Palestinian has to show a teenager with a gun his papers just to tie his shoes.
And note in the excerpts the implicit challenge to Jews not to speak out publicly in criticism of Israel, but do so privately. Excerpts:
it’s not as if… there’s any shortage of malcontented Jews and Israelis publicly attacking the policies of the present government.
With all the debate going back and forth regarding the passage of the new law in the Israeli Knesset, which penalizes those in Israel who call for the boycott of a fellow countryman’s products or specific region, it’s important to remember that the law does not take away one’s ability to choose what one buys or does not buy; it merely gives the boycottees some deserved protection.
