[R-G] Israel: Power of BDS Movement starting to be felt

[Steven L. Robinson]

Israelis Are Beginning to See the Power of BDS

by Shir Hever
Alternative Information Center (AIC)
Sunday, 01 March 2009

In recent years, there has been a gradual growth in the BDS (boycott,
divestment and sanctions) movement, calling to put economic pressure on
Israel until it recognizes the rights of the occupied Palestinian people and
puts an end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Israeli
attack on the Gaza Strip, starting on 27 December 2008, which lasted for
nearly a month, has given this movement a powerful reason to redouble its
efforts. Dozens of BDS campaigns have gained momentum and publicity; dozens
of new ones were launched during or immediately after Israel's attack on the
Gaza Strip.

These campaigns range from calls to boycott goods from the illegal Israeli
settlements in the West Bank, to calls to stop all economic contacts with
Israel altogether. They include protests at sporting events, two countries
cutting diplomatic ties with Israel (Bolivia and Venezuela), and many
demonstrations around the world, attended by hundreds of thousands of
protestors.

The growing protest against the atrocities committed by the Israeli military
in the Gaza Strip have begun to change something in the Israeli political
discourse, and the first indication of this can already be seen in the
Israeli economic media.

Although the Israeli economic media doesn't concern itself with the moral
dimension of the attacks on Gaza, the economic dimension of recent events
have created a rising level of concern. In order to demonstrate this trend,
here are summaries of four articles that appeared in the Israeli The Marker
magazine for economic news:

1. On 2 February, Guy Grimland warned about a growing phenomenon of boycott
of Israeli high-tech companies, and several Israeli companies received
letters from European and U.S. companies explaining that they cannot invest
in Israel for moral reasons.

2. In 3 February, Nehemia Strassler, one of Israel's most famous economic
correspondents, attacked the Israeli Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor,
Eli Yishai, for calling on the Israeli military to "destroy one hundred
homes in Gaza for every rocket that falls in Israel." Strassler had nothing
to say about the Palestinians living in these homes or about the loss of
life, but he warned:

"[the minister] doesn't even understand how the operation in Gaza hurts the
economy. The horror sights on television and the words of politicians in
Europe and Turkey change the behavior of consumers, businessmen and
potential investors. Many European consumers boycott Israeli products in
practice. Intellectuals call for an economic war against us and to enforce
an official and full consumer boycott.

Calls are heard in board meetings of economic corporations to boycott trade
relations with Israel. So far deals were cancelled with Turkey, the UK,
Egypt and the Gulf States, and visits by economic delegations were
cancelled. It's much easier now to switch providers while abandoning Israeli
providers. Many company boards are required to take wide considerations into
account with regards to the good of society and the environment, and they
put political considerations in that slot as well.

Of course there is an economic cost to severing diplomatic ties. Qatar cut
its trade relations with Israel, Venezuela and Bolivia cut diplomatic
relations. Mauritania recalled its ambassador and the relations with Turkey
worsened considerably-and this bad ambience seeps into the business sector
decisions. Here, just yesterday Dudi Ovshitz, who grows peppers for export,
said that 'there is a concealed boycott of Israeli products in Europe.'"

3. On 6 February, Shuki Sadeh wrote about even more companies that have
decided to boycott relations with Israel. A Turkish company demanded that
Israeli companies sign a document condemning the Israeli massacre in Gaza
before they can offer their services for it. Sadeh quoted Naomi Klein's
recent call for boycott, the 2005 Palestinian civil society call for boycott
and Israeli organizations that support the boycott and provide information
for the global BDS movement. Sadeh's article also had concerned quotes by
Israeli businessmen who demanded government intervention to protect them
from the growing boycott.

4. In 11 February, Ora Koren reported that the Israeli business sectors feel
the effects of the attack on Gaza. She reported that Israeli businessmen in
Turkey are hiding their names so that the local BDS organizations won't
learn about their activities, and that the situation is even worse in the
UK.

These four articles are a sign that there is a shift in the effectiveness of
the BDS movement against Israel, and that if the momentum is maintained and
strengthened, Israeli businessmen may decide to move their headquarters away
from Israel, or to begin to put pressure on the Israeli government to begin
respecting international law, and ending the occupation.

http://www.alternativenews.org/content/view/1605/381/

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