Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Duncan On A Fair Dinkum Hate Fest

Be sure to shun these goodies, Duncan!
The Byron Bay BDS Conference about which I blogged earlier has taken place, and one of their own, a fella called Duncan (perhaps the double-barreled Duncan who co-administers this Facebook page), has provided a report of sorts.  Here's the lowdown from his keyboard:

"Do you remember acting against Apartheid? South Africa and Australia were politically and economically close but as the campaigns for international isolation of South Africa intensified in the 1970s and 80s, Australia placed itself firmly in the anti-apartheid camp, implementing oil, trade and arms embargo, as well as sport boycotts against South Africa.

Apartheid is still being imposed, as stated by the United Nations, but this time it’s by Israel against the people of Arab heritage whose soil the state of Israel now occupies. International trade boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) are now being called for to pressure Israel to cease this apartheid and to bring freedom, justice and equality for the Palestinian people.

The BDS Conference opened in Byron on a cold and windy Sunday night but what the participants had to say warmed the hearts and minds of those who had gathered at Ewingsdale Hall.

Samah Sabawi, Palestinian writer, political analyst, commentator, author and playwright, was the keynote speaker. Ms.Sabawi deconstructed many myths surrounding the historical narrative of a region troubled by conflict for more than six decades. She graphically detailed the dispossession of Palestinian people from their lands from 1948 onwards imperilled by the Zionist occupation of Palestine which led to the expulsion of over 250,000 Palestinian people and the ethnic cleansing of 425 villages. ‘Palestine was wiped off the map and our people were literally thrown into the sea’, said Samah.

More Palestinian lands were annexed during the six day war of 1967. Ms Sabawi pointed out that UN Resolution 242 requires Israel to withdraw from the annexed lands, but ‘Israel was not interested then and is not interested now. Indeed, Israel is the only state that refuses to declare where it’s borders are’, she said.

She went on to say that any talk of a two state solution is made complicated by the continuing illegal expansion of Israeli settlements. ‘Today, over half a million settlers live in the occupied lands, with a matrix of apartheid walls and 570 checkpoints.’

The main theme of her presentation centred around the human rights based approach manifest in Palestinian civil society’s call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against apartheid Israel. The three key demands of BDS were: an end to the 1967 occupation; an end to the system of apartheid; and a recognition of the right of return of refugees, as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.

Quoting from Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, Ms Sabawi presented a convincing argument for the moral validity of the BDS movement saying ‘moral right over military might’.

In addition, Omar Barghouti’s video presentation explored the international legal basis for the boycott call, its precedents and core elements of freedom, justice and equality. ‘Any self-respecting liberal should be able to support this’ said Mr Barghouti.

Mr Bargouti also said: ‘Palestinian peaceful resistance inspired the Arab Spring, which in turn inspired the Occupy Movement. That’s why we say: Occupy Wall St., Not Palestine’.

Both Ms Sabawi and Mr Bargouti applauded the decisions of the United Methodist Church and Presbyterian Church in the US to divest from American companies profiting from the occupation. Mr Bargouti also pointed out that the BDS movement was still young, that it took over 30 years for the anti-apartheid movement against South Africa to make an impact. He also mentioned that many Jewish groups, both within Israel and outside, supported BDS, including Jewish Voice for Peace, which has over 110,000 members.

While economic boycott was important, so were academic and cultural boycott of apartheid Israel, with a growing list of luminaries adding their support, including Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Naomi Klein, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Gill Scott Herron and Snoop Dog.

Byron Greens Councillor Tom Tabart was also present, promising to bring up the BDS issue for discussion with his party. So was Marika Kontellis, Greens Councillor from Marrickville City Council. Marrickville Council voted to support BDS, but had to recant after a firestorm of protest in the media, much of it orchestrated by the Murdoch press. Said Marika: ‘ There was no fuss when we boycotted Burma and raised the East Timor flag, but this was evidently different.’ She called for an awareness raising campaign in solidarity with Palestine.

The evening ended with some heart-wrenching verse by Ms Sabawi. Phil Monsour, Australian-Palestinian troubadour, sang ‘Our day is surely coming’, while on the screen we saw people who had the names of the villages they were displaced from written in the palm of their hands."

Show us yours, Duncan!

Duncan then provides a link to what products BDSers should avoid.

The poster I reproduce above should prove helpful to him and his cohorts.  For other tips, Duncan (should you see this) have a look at the BDS Starter Kit here

Hat tip: Aussie blogger geoffff, who has more about this here

14 comments:

  1. Shouldn’t the Byron hippies run a remedial English comprehension class first?

    “Ms Sabawi pointed out that UN Resolution 242 requires Israel to withdraw from the annexed lands,”

    UNSC 242
    (i) Withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict;
    http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/0/7D35E1F729DF491C85256EE700686136

    BDS = bigoted, dangerous and slanderous.

    Also only East Jerusalem is “annexed” the rest is disputed territory, their entire campaign is based on lies.

    Here’s some real discrimination!! It’s even against “palestinians”.

    No land for Syrians, coasts closed for Greeks
    “Citizens of Syria, Armenia and North Korea are not allowed to acquire any real property, including residential or business property or land, in Turkey, under a recently announced reciprocity regulation, which also prohibits Greek citizens from buying estate on coastal provinces including Istanbul. The code allows the citizens of 183 other countries to purchase Turkish real estate.”
    “Citizens of 16 other countries, including China, Palestine, India and the Seychelles, are obliged to obtain special permission from the Interior Ministry before buying property in Turkey.”
    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/no-land-for-syrians-coasts-closed-for-greeks.aspx?pageID=238&nID=27544&NewsCatID=344

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ian.

      I'm glad to see a positive development
      http://www.jwire.com.au/news/nsw-liberal-friends-of-israel/27330

      Delete
    2. Also in NSW, Honest Reporting
      http://honestreporting.com/nswjbd/
      http://honestreporting.com/hr-launches-first-ever-joint-mission-with-sydney-community/

      Delete
    3. Another win!
      Sacramento City Council unanimously names Ashkelon as sister city
      http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/sacramento-city-council-unanimously.html

      Also
      International Photography Federation Fights Against Anti-Israel Discrimination
      http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/08/08/international-photography-federation-fights-against-anti-israel-discrimination/

      Delete
  2. I think you have got it in one Sherlock Daphne.

    I can stretch the picture to a cowboy riding shotgun for the bandwagon but this bloke is riding both barrels.

    Duncan On A Fair Dinkum Hate Fest -- indeed!


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. btw, aren't there a number of Israelis in Byron Bay? They can't like these developments in their midst, surely!

      Delete
    2. So I understand and according to Shirl a lot of Jewish kids from Syd and Melb who used to go to Surfers or Broadbeach now go to Byron Bay.

      I make no assumptions about that Daphne. Scanning the list of members of Byron Friends of Palestine on that Facebook page you linked who knows ...?

      My guess is that Israelis are in this part of the world to get away from that. Byron Bay is a tune in switch on drop out kinda place.

      Delete
  3. To mark the 7th anniversary of the withdrawal from Gaza there's a full-length documentary here
    http://vimeo.com/46423843

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dunkin Donuts' report has now been picked up by the local greenie rag that started it all

    http://echonetdaily.echo.net.au/byron-hosts-boycott-disinvestment-sanctions-conference/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Daphne

    There been a development with Duncan

    http://israel-thrives.blogspot.com.au/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Geoff and Daph

    There is also a sizable Jewish Community in Byron Bay. I know people who retired there.

    Every school holiday the Sydney Jewish kids go there rather than the Gold Coast schoolies rubbish.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You reckon the Byron Bay schoolies rubbish is better than the Gold Coast schoolies rubbish?

    If there is a sizeable Jewish community then they are uncharacteristically quiet. Barely a murmur in the face if all the public antisemitism.

    Maybe that is characteristic of small communities in Australia come to think of it.

    ReplyDelete

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