22 June 2012

Boycott and the ‘Failure’ of Success

If there’s no success like failure, as Dylan once wrote, then equally there’s no failure quite like success!  Speak to any Zionist and they are eager to profess how ineffective BDS is.  On the other hand the Israeli government has been going to extraordinary lengths to combat Boycott, culminating in a law passed last year that virtually made support for Boycott illegal in Israel
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Israel and its apologists have a vested interested in playing down the success of Boycott.  Just as people used to say that however evil Hitler was, at least he built the autobahns and made the trains run on time, so Israel makes play of how computer chips are made in Israel.  What they omit is that American firms like Intel, who are the ones subcontracting firms in Israel, will do no different from their counterparts in South Africa when they realise the game is up.  And of course South Africa also used to trumpet its scientific successes like the first heart transplant of Dr Christian Barnard.

But the success of BDS will not be economic primarily, although that will of course be important, but in the crucial area of culture and prestige.  That is why the cultural boycott produces such ire and why Israel reacted with such vehemence to the academic boycott.

The reason that the Israel Embassy organises high powered conferences about a subject they profess so little concern about is that their real concern is what they call ‘deligitimisation’.  Once it is accepted that a Jewish state is an inherently racist state that confers privilege on those identified as Jewish, in just the same way as Whites were privileged in South Africa, then the days of Israel are truly numbered.  That in part explains the paranoia  that Israel’s supports evince towards anything to do with Boycott.

Faced with boycott campaigns, Israel organizes legal seminar in London

 Over a hundred European lawyers set to discuss various legal aspects of pro-Israel advocacy and universal jurisdiction law amid attempts by Israel's critics to engage in so-called 'lawfare.'

A demonstrator displays a sign reading "Boycott Israel, racist state" outside the Belgian foreign affairs building during a protest in Brussels, May 31, 2010. Photo by Reuters
By Anshel Pfeffer | Jun.17, 2012 
       
LONDON - One hundred and fifty lawyers from around Europe have gathered in London on Sunday for a two-day seminar, organized by the Israeli embassy in Britain, to discuss the various legal aspects of pro-Israel advocacy.

The seminar is taking place amid growing concern regarding boycott campaigns and as part of the emphasis Israel's foreign service is recently putting on legal activism and the attempt of Israel's critics to employ what is dubbed as "lawfare."

The seminar is the initiative of Ambassador Daniel Taub, who before his appointment to the Court of St. James a year ago served as the deputy legal adviser at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.

In addition to lectures and workshops by the embassy's diplomatic staff and other experts, the participants will be addressed by Israel's Supreme Court Judge Elyakim Rubinstein and Colonel (res.) Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, a lecturer at Tel Aviv University and former commander of the International Law Department in the IDF's Military Attorney General Corps.

"The lawyers hail from Britain and around Europe, mainly Jewish but not only, who are active or want to be active in various legal and public-affairs fields in support of Israel," explained one of the seminar's participants."This is an important opportunity for them to network, connect with the foreign ministry and receive useful background information."

The seminar, taking place in a London hotel, was closed to the media by the embassy.

The subjects of discussion include the universal jurisdiction laws that permit the arrest of high-ranking Israeli officers and officials in some European countries over allegations of war-crimes.
Last year, Britain altered its universal jurisdiction law, allowing only the Director of Public Prosecution to issue universal jurisdiction arrest warrants, but the Israeli government is still concerned that this is insufficient. Other issues include facing the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement, lobbying and legal action against Iran's financial system, tackling anti-Semitism and the de-legitimization of Israel.

The Embassy in London would not comment on the seminar.

8 comments:

  1. Thank you, Tony. I am new to your blogging, and blogging in general, but what you write is like an oasis of sanity in a desert of hatred and despair. You are correct that there isn't a difference between Israel and Nazi Germany, except that there isn't genocide here yet. Instead Israel and the West try to but the valor of the Palestinian People with Smart Phones and "standard of living". Abu Mazen and Fayyad, as you know, are Zionists puppets who Israeli game of negotiating about when to negotiate. It is a sham and gives them time to get rich on European money. They do not want a state as then they would have to call elections and watch Hamas win and perhaps put them on trial as traitors.

    It is time to extend the boycott to all Palestinians who do business with the Zionist State or the US which is controlled by the Jews too. I thank you again and would be honored if you found time to visit my blog.

    http://almanisleiman.blogspot.co.il

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  2. thank you Almani for your kind comments. Please feel free to comment on other posts. I went to your blog and I agree, both Hamas and Abbas are content with the situation as it is.

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  3. Almani writes
    "The US which is controlled by the Jews too......."
    Oh thank you says Greenstein.......
    DO the Jews controll the world Mr. Greenstein......
    Sounds familiar "The Protocols.....
    Oh Yes thank you Almani for reminding us who Greenstein Is.

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  4. Almani writes......
    "Many of them only dream of marrying a Palestinian Israeli and living in the Zionist entity."
    mmmm I wonder why.....
    To live in the Nazi Land....
    Are your friends nuts.....
    Or are you nuts.....
    move over to the UK Greenstien will take care of you......

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  5. "almanisleiman.blogspot.co.il"

    .co.il

    That's fun is she been paid by the mossad................

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  6. Roger asks if I think the world is controlled by Jews? No. Almani didn't say the world, she said the USA. Given Aipac claims to speak for all Jews and boasts of its dominance of Congress, it's not much wonder that people taken them at their word. And given Palestinians and Arab Israelis suffer attacks and worse from those who do it as 'Jews' in the name of the 'Jewish State' it's not much wonder they identify Jewish idiots like Roger.

    Most Arab 'anti-Semitism has nothing to do with the Protocols and everything to do with t he actualite of oppression. Unlike in Europe.

    But maybe Roger can tell me why verbal confusion and 'anti-Semitism' is worse than actual discrimination and racist oppression?

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  7. O/T:

    Have a look at this JC blog by Mike Melchett:

    http://www.thejc.com/blogs/melchett-mike/shavuos-caption-competition

    This kind of sexist crap is allowed to stand there???

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  8. The United States Government is run buy the Military Industrial Complex: the people who murdered JFK, RFK and MLK JR. During the 60s they used the mafia, and some members of the CIA and the FBI to carry out and conceal their actions. Since that time they have been willing to use the Mossad in place of the mafia, as much of the dirty work they need done -- except for 9/11 -- is now in the middle east. Middle Eastern hydrocarbon reserves are necessary to keep the Military Industrial Complex floating, and Israel needs the US Military Industrial Complex to keep its boat floating.

    To say that it is all a Jewish plot, is to be highly naive. There are many Jews involved in the machinations of the Military Industrial Complex, but they are outnumbered 1000 to 1 by non Jews who have more to gain. Blaming Jews is a distraction -- by bigots who cannot get past their desire to scapegoat a people, and are unable to take a long-view of world affairs. If the interests of the Military Industrial Complex were not served by their association with Israeli interests, then it would not be happening. There will come a time when the American Military Industrial's influence will wane, and their ability to dominate Middle East affairs will end. At that point Israeli influence in American affairs will become a non-issue.

    Bigots have in their thought process a stumbling block when they try and blame mankind's woes on a few Jews. Mankind's woes are due to the bad aspects of human nature. Jews did not invent human nature.

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