Fayyad calls for economic boycott of Israel

[oberliner]

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Palestinian Authority prime minister Salam Fayyad on Sunday called for Palestinians to launch an economic boycott of Israel, Ma'an's correspondent said.

Speaking with journalists in Ramallah, the PA premier said Palestinians should boycott Israeli products in response to Israel withholding the PA's tax revenues.

Ex-Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that his government would withhold the funds, some $100 million a month, until at least March in response to Abbas' statehood campaign at the United Nations.

The boycott should apply to all Israeli products, not just those made in illegal settlements, Fayyad added.

http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=548465

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

1. I would ask you what your opinion is on this, but I believe that

we already know.

[oberliner]

2. I'm happy to share

I can understand boycotting goods made in Israeli settlements but not boycotting all Israeli goods.

What are your thoughts?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. Israel is responsible as a nation in both it sovereign territory and illegally colonized areas.

I would condone a boycott on Israel in its entirety just as South Africa had during apartheid.

[oberliner]

4. Until what happens?

What would need to happen for you to suggest ending such a boycott?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. Departure of all Israelis from illegally occupied Palestinian lands (i.e. West bank settlements),

the return of all West Bank land to Palestinian control with the removal of Israeli military buffer zones.


Since Israel ignores the UN they will continue to ignore the truth, and they're not going to give back what it has stolen.

[oberliner]

6. If Israel did that, you would no longer support a boycott?

If Israel dismantled all settlements, withdrew completely from the West Bank, removing all military buffer zones, and returned all West Bank and Gaza land to Palestinian control you would no longer support a boycott?

[azurnoir]

7. gasp how dare he suggest such a

violent tactic as a boycott of Israeli goods what nerve how dare he?

[oberliner]

8. You agree with the suggestion?

That sort of surprises me. I did not think you supported boycotting all Israeli goods.

[azurnoir]

9. at this juncture in time the Palestinians have very good reason to do this

no I do not support a general world wide boycott but for Fayyad to declare is mild compared to other things that could happen

[Scootaloo]

10. Do you agree with Israel withholding tax revenues?

[oberliner]

11. These funds do not belong to the State of Israel but to the residents of the Palestinian Authority

The finance minister and the prime minister have overstepped their authority in a most egregious manner.

[Scootaloo]

12. So what recourse should the Palestinains take in answer?

You seem unhappy with the idea of a Palestinian boycott of Israeli goods. So what answer would you recommend instead?

[oberliner]

13. You are happy with the idea of a Palestinian boycott of Israeli goods?

That is something you would support?

[Scootaloo]

14. So what recourse should the Palestinians take?

I'd like to have that question answered, Oberliner. You state that the withholding of revenue is an egregious overstep by the Israeli officials responsible. Okay, so how do you think the Palestinians should respond to that?

[oberliner]

15. Put diplomatic pressure on Israel until they release the funds

Seek support of the international community, most of whom will be willing to speak out on behalf of the Palestinians (including many Israeli allies).

This approach was successful in 2011 when this same government did this same thing.

I just don't support collective punishment of the Israeli people, most of whom have nothing to do with these sorts of decisions.

Do you?

[Scootaloo]

16. A boycott IS diplomatic pressure, Oberliner

Are you familiar with the swadeshi movement?

The Swadeshi movement, part of the Indian independence movement and the developing Indian nationalism, was an economic strategy aimed at removing the British Empire from power and improving economic conditions in India by following the principles of swadeshi (self-sufficiency; Hindi: स्वदेशी svadēśī , which had some success. Strategies of the Swadeshi movement involved boycotting British products and the revival of domestic products and production processes.

"Collective punishment?" Well, bear in mind that this is a Palestinian response to exactly that. I'm frequently told by khaki-shirted boosters how democratic Israel is. How representative and responsive it is. How its political system is so far beyond question because of how free and wonderful it is. Okay, sure. So what we have here are the people of Israel, through their duly-elected, highly representative and responsive government, collectively punishing Palestinians by withholding their money.

A boycott puts pressure on the people this ultra-democratic, highly responsive, totally representative government is most likely to listen to - Israeli businesses. Businesses made of the same people who want the Palestinians to not get the money they are owed. Economic pressure on those businesses results in political pressure on the government committing the offense, to end the offense and go back to business-as-usual.

Begging another nation to beg Israel just creates political debt held by Israel. Which is why those khaki-shirts want that, and fear the idea of a direct boycott by the Palestinians. The former just creates leverage for Israel somewhere else, while the latter might actually get what the Palestinians want.

Not being an authoritarian fuckface myself - it sounds like it's uncomfortable - I support this thing called "freedom of conscience." That is, if the Palestinians decide a general boycott is the best response to take, then more power to 'em. If they decide to go hat-in-hand to someone else, more power to them. If they decide to act like any other nation would, and just impound Israeli property as collateral until payment is made plus interest, well, more power to them.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

17. Diplomatic pressure? Seek support of the international community?

What do you believe UN resolutions are?

If Israel is going to ignore the UN then what makes you believe that they will bend to Diplomatic pressure?

Do you believe that the are waiting for somebody to say "please?"


"I just don't support collective punishment of the Israeli people, most of whom have nothing to do with these sorts of decisions."

Do you support it against Iran?

[LeftishBrit]

18. I don't believe in such a boycott...

but let's note that the Israeli government is conducting what amounts in practice to an economic boycott of Palestine by withholding tax revenues to punish them for their statehood declaration. I don't believe in that either.