Bed Bath and Beyond

Supporting BDS and Palestinian rights as a Jew

Supporting BDS and Palestinian rights as a Jew

by Antony Loewenstein

Sydney, AUSTRALIA:  The logic of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) didn’t appear to me immediately. When my first book, My Israel Question, was released in 2006, the issue was barely raised, despite Palestinian civil society launching its call in 2005 “against Israel until it complies with international law and universal principles of human rights.”

The vast majority of Israeli Jews claimed to be in constant fear of Palestinian terrorism despite living relatively free lives in a society that increasingly made Palestinians invisible. Palestinians under occupation were disillusioned with their leaders and after more than a decade of fruitless negotiations with Israel, the Oslo period, longed to be free.

But now, with Israel a state that even more brazenly boasts a fundamentalist Jewish minority as representing true Zionism, BDS is an essential tool to harm Israel’s economic and moral fibre. In the words of American Jewish dissident Philip Weiss, founder of the website Mondoweiss, “Israel isn’t good for the Jews anymore.” Most importantly, Palestinians under occupation are making this call, not a Diaspora attempting to impose a distorted vision onto them.

BDS is a key weapon to de-normalise the relationship between both the globalised economy and Israel and the constructed emotional ties that allegedly bond Israel and the West. Witness Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard recently tell an event sponsored by National Australia Bank that, “We are two countries separated by distance, but united by values. Liberal democracies that seek freedom and peace.”

An ever-expanding 44-year-old occupation is a strange way to crave freedom and peace.

It is the only the New South Wales Greens who are brave enough, despite a year of intense Murdoch media bullying and Jewish community pressure, to maintain in principle support for BDS and examine ways to “actively support the [Federal] Australian Greens position, including that the Australian government halt military cooperation and military trade with Israel.” This is a proudly BDS position, wherever the Greens call it this or not.

Israel/Palestine is not a balanced conflict, with two equal sides fighting over land, rights and dignity. It is, writes leading Israeli publisher of Haaretz, Amos Schocken, “a strategy of territorial seizure and apartheid. It ignores judicial aspects of territorial ownership and shuns human rights and the guarantees of equality enshrined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence.”

Although he doesn’t mention BDS, it is impossible to undermine daily, creeping oppression with yet more “negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinians while Washington remains Israel’s lawyer.

BDS is the non-violent weapon wielded to show Israel and its global backers that business as usual is unacceptable.

BDS makes many Jews distinctly uncomfortable, with wild claims that this is exactly the same tactics used by Nazis in Germany in the 1930s against Jewish businesses. It is nothing of the sort. Jews are not being targeted but businesses that directly support the Zionist state or receive funding from it. Israeli chocolate shop Max Brenner is a legitimate target because it proudly supports the IDF, an army complicit in daily human rights abuses.

Zionist cheapening of anti-Semitism has become endemic from seeing Nazis in inner Sydney protesting outside Max Brenner to American critics of neo-conservative plans to bomb Iran.

Despite these smears, BDS is growing globally because Israeli actions against Palestinians inside Israel proper and the occupied territories is becoming more repressive and outwardly racist. The litany of exclusionary legislation before the Israeli Knesset, some of which are being pushed by so-called “moderates”, rises weekly. BDS sends a message to these Israelis and Diaspora supporters who either remain silent or simply mouth platitudes about a two-state solution. It is designed to make blind backers uncomfortable and defensive.

It’s being grimly amusing to watch liberal Zionists in Australia and beyond express displeasure with BDS, arguing it is too inflammatory and extreme and ostracises potential allies inside Israel (namely Jews, as Palestinian allies are less important in their worldview). In fact, the opposite is true and BDS forces two-state advocates and fence-sitters to explain how their sclerotic process will do anything to advance peace in the Middle East.

BDS is the enemy of the status-quo and liberal Zionists in Australia, including Monash University’s Mark Baker and Philip Mendes, are paralysed in wishfully thinking the Israeli government will suddenly believe the Palestinians are worthy of being given a state. They recoil at BDS because they despise one part of an outcome that aims to bring true democracy for all citizens inside Israel and Palestine – the one-state solution – something a two-state result can never achieve. If not BDS to tell Israel that its Western-backed racism and occupation is illegal under international law, then what tactic? They have no answers, and desperately cling to an emotional claim as post-Holocaust children. This is no way to ensure rights in the 21st century, if it ever was.

BDS isn’t the answer to all the Palestinian needs. It is one part of a bigger struggle currently underway inside Palestine itself and the Palestinian Diaspora; a worldwide campaign that doesn’t rely on leaders to beg Israel for scraps or a state or rights. Popular, non-violent resistance, BDS and readdress for Palestinian refugees are key initiatives that must be supported to liberate both Palestinians and Israelis.

BDS is causing economic and sociological harm to the Zionist state, and this is something to celebrate. Were enlightened citizens of the world during South African apartheid asked to feel sorry for whites that ruled the blacks with an iron fist? Of course not, and BDS doesn’t aim to comfort the jarred nerves of Israelis or Diaspora Zionists.

It is about addressing a decades-old matrix of control that has only survived because of Diaspora Jewry funding and morally arming the Zionist state.

Antony Loewenstein is a Sydney-based independent journalist and author who has written for The Guardian, Haaretz, The Nation, Sydney Morning Herald and many others. His two best-selling books are My Israel Question and The Blogging Revolution. He is currently working on many projects, including a book about vulture capitalism, a book on the Left in contemporary politics and another title on Israel/Palestine.

Outside the CVS in Kingston, NY

Nine of us located ourselves outside the Kingston CVS. There was plenty of car traffic, but few on the sidewalks, so we decided to have some of us offer flyers to the stopped traffic.

The first car was a good omen. The driver, who looked like he was from the Middle East, thanked us profusely for what we were doing. To our surprise, most drivers accepted flyers, and some even thanked us. After an hour, we had passed out almost all our flyers, the 220 we had come with.

Cars stopped for the light, however, can be dangerous. We had to be especially careful not to go into the second lane of traffic if the first lane was still moving. It made watching the light and being aware of other cars very important.

One of us stood outside the door of the CVS and passed out flyers to those entering and leaving. We have never tried to do this before, but there was no objection to the person being there. We decided to do this at every future BDS action at CVS.

Our meeting with the assistant manager was cordial and informative. She had read the letter we had sent to the manager and seemed aware of our issue. She said that she would let the CVS management know about our rally and about the fact that we planned to do another in front of the store.

Were people generally more apt to accept flyers because of Occupy Wall Street? That might be what was going on, since several people we talked to naturally made the transition between how Palestinians were being treated and how they were being abused by employers and by the system. One talked about having to hold four jobs to pay for her house. Do people now think that all protests are a good thing? Or do they see the links between the suffering of the Palestinians and their own economic mistreatment? The latter would be an amazing leap in public awareness.

Second BDS action in front of the Rhinebeck CVS

Five of us went to Rhinebeck this Sunday, Oct. 2. We handed out 125 flyers, and over 50 cards. There were some who came up to argue the traditional Zionist line, but the discussions were not as heated as last time. The best talks were with people who didn't know what the settlements were. They were open to something that they had never heard before, and sometimes willing to do something about it. The women below went back into the store to exchange a settlement product she had just bought. Here she is giving a "thumbs up."

The CVS store manager came out at one point and we gave her a flyer. We had talked to her at the first action.

The sign got a lot of attention from cars passing by.

Lisa discussing the CVS boycott with two people across the street.

Ahava’s last day

Ahava’s last day
http://londonbds.org/2011/09/20/ahavas-last-day/

The above images are the end result of a successful campaign to cleanse London’s Monmouth Street of Ahava, a notorious retailer of Dead Sea beauty products made from natural resources plundered from the Palestinian people and manufactured on an illegal West Bank settlement.

Throughout this time, campaigners have engaged and distributed flyers to thousands of UK residents and international visitors informing them about Ahava’s unethical and illegal practices.

This, the UK component of CODEPINK’s international ‘Stolen Beauty’ campaign has used many tactics including fortnightly public demonstrations, legal challenges, occupations and other forms of direct action.

The Ahava Boycott Campaign proved successful due to the efforts, hard work and dedication of all the activists, truthtellers and human rights campaigners, some who made many sacrifices and all who gave so generously of their time.

Should Ahava relocate to other premises, activists vowed the campaign will continue.

Rhinebeck BDS Action Sept. 10

It was a hard sell in Rhinebeck. Most people took flyers and many asked questions. Most did not even know about the settlements in the West Bank. If they did, they tended to thank us for being there. As usual, a few foreigners took pictures. They hadn't expected to see something like this in America.

One wine merchant from Ithaca asked if it was still safe importing wines from the occupied West Bank. A few teenagers seem to know all about the West Bank. CVS is not popular, so many took flyers because of that.

We handed out about 120 flyers, below what we have been doing in Woodstock. Next time, we should probably come during the farmers' market on Sunday. There is a lot more foot traffic by CVS at that time.

Why the hard sell? Compared to Woodstock, more people came up to us angry that we were critical of Israel. We tried to be calm and answer their questions, and mostly that's just what we did. There were some, however, who were just furious and not open to any discussion at all. With those, it was better just turning away and talking to someone else.

Thanks to the group that came out to do the rally. We all agreed that Rhinebeck was fertile ground for BDS actions. People had obviously never seen anything like this before.

It was high time.

Second BDS action in front of the Woodstock CVS

We had a second CVS boycott event in Woodstock. Five held our banner outside the CVS store, and five handed out flyers. At the end of an hour, we walked with the banner to the Village Green, handing out flyers on both sides of the street.

We handed out about 270 flyers this time, bringing our total up to over 500. Another day at the CVS in Woodstock would probably get us close to a total of 800.

We had only minor objections this time. One older woman made a big show of throwing her flyer away. Another rather goofy old man told the group: "I would rather look at you through the cross hairs of a rifle," nasty words indeed. For his efforts, I have also posted his picture below.

Many people are willing to talk about Israel and the settlements, which is encouraging. The few hateful responses we got were troubling, but may also show a certain desperation. Israel's actions just won't be immune to criticism forever.

At least four people brought up the 3 billion we give to Israel each year, and contrasted this give-away with the cutting of services for the American Middle Class. Perhaps our flyer should say more about this.

"I would rather look at you through the cross hairs of a rifle."