By Olivier Melnick, New AntiSemitism—
Over the years I have tried to expose the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement known as BDS. In its modern version, BDS is only 14 years old, but the concept is much older, and it could be argued that Kristallnacht, the November 1938 “Night of Broken Glass” in Germany, was an early, rather successful attempt at BDS against the Jewish people.
I have also repeatedly stated that there is nothing wrong with boycotting, in and of itself. The concept is actually very commendable as it is an expression of one’s deep convictions against a person, place, organization or any other entity that promotes ideas one cannot support. Many of us actually boycott without necessarily calling it by that name. Some will “boycott” R movies, others will boycott alcohol, while others will boycott a specific artist for the message they spread. We all do it. The challenge rests on the integrity we display as we boycott. We shouldn’t claim to boycott R movies or a specific brand and then watch some R movies or buy some items made by that brand. Boycott is only ethical when it is done with integrity. It’s all or nothing, so let’s be careful before we commit! That is the biggest problem with the BDS movement, and it is identifiable on two levels.
First, BDS proponents are very inconsistent with what Israeli products they boycott. If a product or technology comes from Israel but doesn’t really create a huge inconvenience, BDS people will denounce and boycott with a lot of fanfare. On the other hand, if the technology is a big part of their life, like cell phone, computers, thumb drives, etc, hypocritically, there’s no boycott. Case in point, Mahmoud Abbas recent case of severe pneumonia successfully treated by an Israeli doctor.
Secondly, the very people who choose to boycott Israel will then turn a blind eye on a myriad of countries and/or entities that are blatant human rights abusers and violators such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Gaza, and others. BDS proponents are not interested in facts. If they were, they would actually support Israel. This in no means is an attempt at exonerating Israel from any responsibilities in the Middle East crisis, but a genuine desire for balance and fairness and an unbiased approach to the issue. Instead, we see how pervasive the BDS movement has become in the last few years, and how widespread it has developed across all segments of the population, and particularly, how it has started to infuse the fabric of US government. Continue Reading…
