Rebecca Vilkomerson at Jewish Peace News reports that Naomi Klein's June visit to the West Bank and Israel had a "galvanizing effect" on the boycott movement, including the movement within Palestine. And that Klein called for "the
right of return for Palestinian refugees [to be] fully realized under
international law." More:
I attended her events in Ramallah and Jaffa, where hundreds of people
gathered, largely supportive, to participate in a conversation that
felt historic. Klein spoke clearly as a Jewish activist, though she
acknowledged that that was a new role for her. In Ramallah, apparently
near tears, she told us, "I come to you with humility that I didn't
heed the call sooner. It was purely because of cowardice."
This admission was complex and powerful, because it juxtaposed the
clarity and simplicity of her reasons for supporting BDS with an
acknowledgement that supporting boycott, perhaps especially for Jews
and Israelis, requires a psychological leap out of our comfort zones.
I realize we posted audio of Klein's Ramallah speech; I didn't listen to the whole thing. But here's the windup of the June 27 speech we posted:
We need to put really radical solutions out there [in the discourse]. What about a one-state solution? What about no settlements? Let’s get out there and make a lot of noise and build a mass movement that doesn’t cater to the racists, that doesn’t apologize for itself….
Beautiful. Then this:
In closing, I don’t think it’s brave that I supported the BDS [boycott, divestment, and sanctions] call in 2008 when Gaza was being attacked and children were dying. The call was made in 2005. I’m ashamed that it took me this long. I’m not being humble when I say that I'm sorry. That it was nothing but cowardice, it was nothing but cowardice. But I ask all of you out there who are on the fence–
Klein's last words were drowned by applause. She seemed to be urging those on the fence to join her.
