An Israeli Debate: Boycott - Yes or No?
from TOI--Billboard
http://www.geocities.com/toi_billboard/index.htm
The following is translated from the notes in Hebrew
which Adi Dagan of the Women's Coalition for Peace sent
out.
On July 19, 2005 took place at the Left Bank Club
(Hagada Hasmalit) in Tel Aviv an open discussion on the
issue of boycotts and sanctions against the Israeli
occupation policy. The idea was to have an initial
discussion of Israeli peace activists and peace groups
on this issue, which is already the subject of
sanctions campaigns held by various organizations
around the world (e.g. it came up in the UN-sponsored
Civil Society Conference at Paris and the World Social
Forum in Brazil, and there was the attempted academic
boycott in Britain etc).
Four speakers opened the discussion which was moderated
by Oren Medicks:
Yehudit Har'el expressed support for sanctions and for
the cooperation of Israeli academics with such
sanctions. Her main argument was that the various
protest activities of the Israeli peace camp have
failed in bringing about a concrete change - on the
contrary, the situation in the Territories is
constantly deteriorating - and therefore, something
else must be tried. Most Israelis have not become
convinced that the occupation is not worthwhile, and
evidently think that is is (for them). Until they are
made to pay a prohibitive price, they would not come to
the conclusion of giving it up. Israelis are very
sensitive to their international image and the attitude
of the world towards them. and therefore international
pressure would affect them.
Abir Kobty enumerated her own reasons for supporting
boycott. She pointed several questions which need to be
asked: Why did earlier boycotts not succeed? Should we
in Israel declare openly our support for a boycott or
act behind the scenes to help those who work abroad? A
boycott on whom and by whom? She pointed out that there
are many plausible reasons to boycott Israel, including
also the treatment the Palestinian citizens inside
Israel, and said that boycott must be built up slowly
so as to make it steady, carefully planned - and
effective. In her view, one should start with
addressing civil society rather then governments. There
should be a comprehensive umbrella organization
coordinating activities both inside the country and
abroad.
Dr. Ilan Pappe talked about the ineffectiveness of the
peace camp in bringing about a change inside Israel,
which "with a heavy heart" leads to the need to appeal
for outside pressure. He talked of academics and
workers in Apartheid South Africa calling upon the
International Community to boycott them -
simultaneously with confronting the Apartheid policies
of their own government. He said that the call for a
boycott against the Israeli policies came from the
Palestinian civil society rather than from the
Palestinian Authority. He expressed his certainty that
initiatives for boycott action will continue to spread,
in spite of failures such as in Britain, and spoke of
the need to be ready to pay the personal price of
speaking out in favour of a boycott.
Dr. Yoav Peled expressed opposition to a comprehensive
boycott on Israel, being against the kinds of boycott
which hurts Israelis who are opposed to the occupation.
He is apprehensive that outside pressure will cause
Israelis to feel that "the whole world is against us"
and will push the mainstream public closer to the
settlers with the feeling that "we are all together in
the same boat". It would be better to forge alliances
between Israeli groups and equivalent groups abroad,
and isolate the supporters of the occupation. He spoke
at length about the preferential treatment which Israel
enjoys in America and also in Europe, and which there
is no chance to change. He supports selective boycotts
- e.g. against the Ariel College, the Caterpilllar
Company etc.
There were many reactions from the audience. Here are
some:
- The boycott should hurt the Israeli elites rather
than the lower classes.
- Boycott should be combined with non-violent action
against the occupation.
- Many people throughout the world are outraged at
Israel and the US being effectively above International
Law.
- In order to effective, boycott action should be pin-
pointed.
- Even if it joins the boycott, the Israeli Peace Camp
will do it very belatedly. The issue is already on the
agenda, world-wide, and the only remaining question is
whether Israelis want to influence it. As Israelis we
must react, take a position: in favour or against, but
it would be difficult to remain uncommitted.
- It is very important for Israelis and Jews to join,
so as to ensure that it would be a boycott against the
occupation policy and not become an anti-Israeli and/or
antisemitic boycott (there are some groups which would
like it to be such).
- Boycott mobilization has started among trade unions.
In the case of South Africa it has taken some ten years
for it to come to fruitition.
- Our job as Israelis would be to establish a data base
about institutions which can be boycotted on different
levels - for example, companies involved in building
the Wall. There should be a centre of information and
coordination.
The above is far from a comprehensive report of all
that was said in the discussion.
Adi Dagan [log in to unmask]
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