Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumNetanyahu: France must condemn Orange pullout from Israel
Israeli affiliate threatens lawsuit as telecoms giant cuts ties; Regev demands Richard's dismissal; employees protest outside Orange HQ, cover logo with Israeli flag.
Israeli leaders voiced their anger on Thursday following telecommunications giant Orange's decision to end its brand licensing deal with the Israeli firm Partner Communication and quit its operations in the country.
"The absurd play in which Israeli democracy defends itself against rocket attacks and terror tunnels and takes automatic condemnation and boycott attempts will not be forgiven," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"I call on the French government to publicly renounce the unfortunate remarks and actions of a company partly owned by the French government. At the same time, I call on our closest friends to say out loud that they oppose every kind of boycott against the Jewish state."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4665023,00.html
oberliner
(58,724 posts)They are pretty much the only game in town there now.
Israeli
(4,148 posts)Also on Thursday, Israel asked the French government to distance itself from Richards remarks.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)freaking out. So which is it, threat or no threat?
Israeli
(4,148 posts)see : http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134105145
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Look the other way, that happens here, talk about anything but the OP, as
demonstrated in your link.
Israeli
(4,148 posts)For those that did not ....it was from my post #6 to you here : http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134105008
ref : http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4664614,00.html
Want the good news now ??..........
Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence meets Obama aides in Washington
Left-wing nonprofit met with White House National Security Council and State Department's human-rights bureau to discuss Israeli soldiers' testimonies from last summer's war in Gaza.
By Barak Ravid
Senior White House officials met this week with members of the left-wing NGO Breaking the Silence. The meeting, the first of its kind, dealt with testimonies that the organization had collected on alleged human-rights violations by the Israel Defense Forces during last summers war in Gaza. The meetings were held a few days after Israels Foreign Ministry tried to get a Breaking the Silence exhibition to be held in Switzerland canceled.
Matt Duss, president of the Washington-based Foundation for Middle East Peace, organized the meeting between Breaking the Silence representatives and members of the White House National Security Council.
The meeting did not take place at the White House but at the offices of an American nonprofit in the capital.
A Breaking the Silence representative also held a separate meeting at the State Department with senior officials in its human rights bureau.
Duss told Haaretz that during the meetings, Breaking the Silence presented its recent report last summers Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip. Obama administration officials reacted with a great deal of interest, Duss said, asking many questions about the vetting process of the witnesses, the testimonies and the fact-checking.
The briefing provided them with many details on what occurred during the Gaza operation, Duss added, especially about the rules of engagement.
According to Duss, the fact that both White House staff and the State Department held meetings with Breaking the Silence shows that the organization has an open door to the administration.
It is in line with what Obama said recently. These are the shared values between Israel and the United States wanting to improve our society, said Duss. This is Washington recognizing they are young Israeli patriots who are trying to improve their society, he added.
An Obama Administration official said: U.S. Government officials met with Breaking the Silence, as we routinely meet with a range of actors from official and non-official international groups, including from civil society.
The State Department also responded, Officers from the State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor met with a representative from the Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence. The State Department regularly meets with a broad array of political and civil society organizations from various countries worldwide.
Founded in 2004, Breaking the Silence is a veterans organization that has often aroused controversy in Israel over the testimonies it collects from IDF soldiers serving in the occupied territories.
The meetings with representatives of the NGO came during a week in which the organization attracted harsh criticism from the Israeli government because of its exhibition in Zurich, partially funded by the Swiss government. Israels ambassador to Switzerland, Yigal Caspi, lodged a protest with the Swiss Foreign Ministry over it, and asked that donations and support for a group that deals with the defamation of Israel be halted.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, who this week called for action against the Breaking the Silence exhibition, said the organization is working against Israel from within, adding, We will not ignore it when an organization whose whole purpose is to defame IDF soldiers works in the international arena to seriously damage Israels image.
This is not the first time the Foreign Ministry has taken action against Breaking the Silence. In July 2009, following publication of the organizations report on Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, the Foreign Ministry lodged protests with the Netherlands, Spain and Britain over their support for the group.
Source: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.659781
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)King_David
(14,851 posts)It was a business decision.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134105314
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)King_David
(14,851 posts)Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)You can tell who the violent thuggish morons are, when they whine in outrage over the idea of a company not ignoring brutality and oppression.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Little Tich
(6,171 posts)It's not about Israel, it's not about Jews. It's about the settlements and nothing else.
I think Netanyahu and his racist supporters ought to shut up.
Israeli
(4,148 posts)ref: I think Netanyahu and his racist supporters ought to shut up.
I think the opposite ....shine a light on our Right wing ....for the whole world to see .
Not so sure its " what morally upright BDS looks like " ......if you can read here do so @ :
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.659774
If you can you would see why ..would post it all ...but ...dont want to break any rules
shira
(30,109 posts)Here's Omar Barghouti:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=105288
As for Orange being "morally upright":
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-to-France-Renounce-the-miserable-actions-of-Orange-405082
Try again.