This will be a short one as I only choose to make one point. I make it as someone who absolutely supports the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement (BDS) as applied to the West Bank. Even if I deeply desired a seltzer machine, I would not buy the one manufactured in occupied territory.
However, I do not support boycotting Israel itself because, although I have no problem at all about applying collective economic punishment on settlers and the loathsome settlement enterprise, I do not feel that way about Israelis in general. I am not anti-Zionist. I am, for lack of a better term, a liberal Zionist. I want the Jewish state to survive and prosper which is impossible so long as it maintains its colonial and oppressive regime in the West Bank and its blockade of Gaza.
But all that is beside the one point I need to make today.
Where do Americans come by the sheer gall of demanding sanctions on all Israelis when they themselves have never been subjected to sanctions for the crimes of our government? After all, if every Israeli including old socialist kibbutzniks, school kids, and opponents of the occupation, deserve to pay a personal price for an occupation they may not support, shouldn’t all Americans pay a price for American crimes that Israel could not match in a hundred years?
Start with the Iraq war, a war engineered by American politicians and their neocon cheerleaders that killed (in addition to almost 5,000 Americans) at least 500,000 Iraqis. Then there is Afghanistan which, thanks to our glorious efforts (read Charlie Wilson’s War) fell to the mujaheddin and ultimately the Taliban and which is now a killing field where American drones kill whoever we suspect is allied with the crazed religious extremists we helped install there. And, of course, there was Vietnam. where the U.S. was responsible for millions of dead. And the coups we engineered in Iran, Chile and Guatemala and the death squads we supported in El Salvador. There was the Nixon administration’s enthusiastic support for the Pakistani slaughter of hundreds of thousands in, what is now, Bangla Desh.
I could go on and on. But I won’t because you get the point.
And the point is this: who are we to support punishing all Israelis for the crimes of their government when we ourselves are equally complicit in the crimes of ours?
Nonetheless, I do not believe that all Americans should be punished for those crimes although I would love to see the perpetrators in the dock. Just not the ordinary people I know who had nothing to do with any of this.
In short, Americans who get so self-righteous about Israel should look in the mirror. Or move to Denmark or any of those other countries whose crimes do not dwarf anything Israel has ever done.
Physician, heal thyself.
And, Israel, end the damn occupation because, whether I like it or not, the boycott movement against Israel itself is getting stronger every day. What kind of lunacy would jeopardize Tel Aviv to preserve the right of a bunch of lunatics to live in Hebron?
I think you are making an argument in general about sanctions. In order to punish a government, they unnessarily punish people of the sanctioned country. That in its self is barbaric. I just wonder why you haven’t made that point before with regard to the countless times sanctions have been used? I wonder why Iran is different from Israel in regard to sanctions?
Just to add to that Bruce, why all the 1.6 Million Palestinians in Gaza, 60% under the age of 18 are incarcerated, sieged and deprived of the human basic necessities to punish the democratically elected Hamas? The hypocrisy, and double standards are not at short supplies here, when it comes to the Western mentality ( including American Jews )toward the Middle East ,Palestine ,or other third world developing countries that happen to have Muslim majorities .
Jeff Halper is right, the Government of Israel is the guilty party of the occupation of the Palestinians, and not just the crazed settlers and their products! Honesty and the truth, should not be selectively told.
I have written about Iran sanctions many times. I have always opposed them because they punish ordinary people and not the government.
Thanks! This country is quick to oppose others doing anything they have done in the past, sometimes when parts of the country are still doing the very thing. We should do more looking inward. Now it seems we oppose other countries doing things which we are actively doing ourselves and, as you say, usually “Even more so.”
I agree with you, MJ Rosenberg, that the USA has no moral right to oppose sanctions on other people. Who are we? Well, I don’t know. We are who we are. Somehow, the world seems to give us a lot of power. We (I speak for all American’s here, so sue me) have to respond to it. How could we not?
The reasons for general BDS against Israel are very sound. BDS is a tactic to put pressure on a country or institution to change its behavior, it doesn’t need to be a value judgement on the existence of that country or institution or the people.
– Palestinian civil society is calling for a boycott, no similar civil society movement is demanding a boycott of the U.S.
– Other methods of pressure on Israel are unavailable, primarily because of US providing diplomatic and economic cover for Israel and because of the widespread institutional support for Israel in the United States
– Focusing on the settlements makes a lot of sense, but unfortunately, I doubt very much that a boycott of settlements only will be SUFFICIENT to make change in Israel. The reason to embark on BDS is not to be simply symbolic but to create actual change, therefore the pressure applied will need to be sufficient
– Israel’s government and many of Israel’s institutions, corporate, military, academic, are completely complicit with the the settlement enterprise and benefit from, for example, the plunder of West Bank resources like water
– All of Israeli society is complicit, for one thing even folks in Tel Aviv take part in the military occupation of Palestinian land and defend the settlers while in the military.
– Israel society already feels the effects of BDS, meaning the likelihood of effecting some kind of change through the use of BDS is very great
– BDS can have a huge impact politically, socially, psychologically before it begins to have an actual impact economically. Meaning people will feel the pain before they are actually hurt!
Jordan just signedcan agreement making Israel it natural gas suppler. BDS is a great success
Israel is the proper target of BDS because it is the authority responsible for the Occupation and the policies supporting it. Settlement products are only a small piece of the puzzle and settlements themselves are not independent policy-making bodies; they cannot retain or end the Occupation. The state and government of Israel represent the offending and legal authority; it runs the settlements and the Occupation. You boycott the responsible party, in this case the the state of Israel, not merely the minor players like the ssettlers. We boycotted South Africa, not only Afrikaaner businesses. A boycott of the US is completely appropriate, but its another matter that deserves debate on its own merits. It has nothing to do with boycotting Israel.
Jeff, you need to be honest here. You want Israel targeted for boycott because your objective is a one-state solution that ends Israel as a Jewish state. This lack of honesty fools no one. If you think your cause and your objective are virtuous, then you shouldn’t avoid the transparency. The lack of honesty demonstrates a lack of integrity, and that is clear to anyone paying attention.
BDS is not about punishing but bringing about change and achieving justice.Pressure has to be applied to Israel for them to change and end the occupation. What else is there? Talks have brought no results and as I oppose violence would strongly support BDS. It certainly helped end apartheid in South Africa and civil society in Palestine is calling for it. Yes America is guilty of many things but so are most governments if you look at history. The British government helped create this mess in the Middle East as did other European countries. Lets end this now. 65 plus years is too long for all people in the region. BDS will kick start the change.
Peter Miller has made a strong argument as to why the BDS movement is essential to achieving necessary change in Israel (others have also so argued), while offering evidence as to the complicit involvement of numerous elements within the society MJ Rosenberg wishes to defend. Also, to offer as an excuse that because there is no BDS movement targeting the U.S. then there shouldn’t be one targeting Israel does not hold up. It’s similar to the one Israel, and those supporting it, often make, which is, to point the finger at other peoples or nations and the evils they perpetrate, thus trying to deflect blame for the evil it does. I certainly would like to see MJ Rosenberg respond to P. Miller’s comments.
The pressure on all is how Apartheid was done away with in South Africa. Sorry it had to come to this.
Unfortunately, we know from our own experience. The negativity of the right-wing extremists in politics pushes people of ethics and morality out of politics and into denial and complacency.
We are way past it now. Things are very fascist now in the American Sphere of influence. The drone strikes and all the other murders and human rights violated all over the American Sphere including Israel while never reported to us will come back to us.
The “good” people have to be compelled to get themselves organized to act, or forever face their own bad karma!
MJ Rosenberg raises the point that we should look to our own faults first, as America is guilty of far more egregious behavior than Israel. And it’s true, the country has a lot to answer for. But I’m still for BDS. It will take more than the Kerry mission to bring Israel to sign the peace treaty with Palestine. It will take everything the Obama administration can bring to bear PLUS the boycott pressure. Neither will suffice alone, that’s how it’s looking to me.
As far as America’s crimes go, we get into enough trouble on our own without Israel egging us on to war on its behalf — on Iran for now, who knows what it will be next. I think the resolution of the I-P “conflict” will take the wind out of AIPAC sails, along with detente with Iran. When Israel is at peace, enjoys normal diplomatic and trade relationships with her Middle East neighbors, becomes a “normal” country instead of some kind of protected species — that is when we can expect AIPAC to be registered as a foreign lobby.
One bad deed does not wash other bad or worst deeds! Because they did it, i am going to do it !That applies to the attempt of any one trying to white wash crimes committed by any country or person against humanity and innocent people what ever their creed maybe be. Our biased would be at least modified if not eliminated when it comes to what we have learned as humanitarians and civilized people. Crimes, are crimes, No matter who committed them against whom. What I see here, with much due respect to Mr.Rosenberg, is selective application of judgement, about what we all know is wrong, yet because we don’t want to sound anti American or Anti Israel, we become selective of what will be a civil non violent way of helping to correct what we see as a disastrous crimes against humanity. Committed by America, or by Israel , it does not matter. One has to stick to being human, before being Jewish, American, Palestinian, or what ever. Use the same measuring stick of humanity ,justice, and equality in your judgement and you would not be wrong. Use your sectarian , ethnic, or nationalistic labels and other loyalties, and you will be as guilty as those who committed the crimes.
I am sad to say, in this defense and clarification of the Mr. Rosenberg on where he stands on the BDS ,you sound like you are falling victim to the Israel firsters pressure, and blackmailing . Right or wrong ,one can’t criticize Israel or express his or her dismay about what Israel is doing wrong, to the Palestinians for 65 years, and subsequently will harm Israel, and the world Jews in the long run. The BDS, does not mean -as most Zionists / Israel firsters want us to believe- the destruction of Israel and the catastrophe for the Jews. Its a peaceful ,nonviolent attempt ,by the Palestinians, and their supporters, Jews and others,to bring Israeli and Jewish leaders to the realization that the world is very clear about their false attempt toward peace, and their crimes of ethnic cleansing and the theft of Palestinians land !
You any many other Humanitarian people, who happen to have been Jewish, have done a great job in speaking out, and resisting the tribal mentality that most Jews felt the need in spite of their consciousness to adhere to,because of the catastrophes that fell upon the Jewish people in the past. The Holocaust is over and we need to rise from its ashes! Is a great book!
I think the point of boycotting a whole country (or, as in Colorado’s case, a whole state) is to get voters to write their legislators saying, e.g., “I’ve lost half my market for chewing gum. Make those shmuks in the military stop pouring napalm over the faces of toddlers.”
I wrote a comment on this article, is there any particular reason why it was not posted? There was no insults nor offensive language ! The top” Reply” was immediately posted, why not the comment? I would appreciate if it gets posted .
Let me quote a former assistant naval attache, then a US Marine, on South Africa circa 1970’s. “Their mistake was they wrote their racism into their laws.”