Netanyahu derails debate on boycott, occupation

[Israeli]

SUMMARY
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views the boycott campaign against Israel through a prism of anti-Semitism and is avoiding public debate over the BDS movement's motives, namely the occupation.

AUTHOR
Mazal Mualem

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with visiting Canadian Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson on June 3 and used the photo op at the start of the meeting as an opportunity to attack the United Kingdom’s National Union of Students. On the evening before the meeting, that group decided to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and adopt the principles of the wide economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israel. In the position paper it issued, the organization explained, among other things, that the decision stemmed from "Israel’s ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine."

Thus, standing alongside the senior representative of one of the world’s friendliest countries to Israel, buoyed by his sympathetic presence, Netanyahu used his usual arguments to attack the decision by the British student organization and wondered how it was possible that just a year ago, it had refused to condemn the Islamic State organization.

A few days earlier, Netanyahu was asked about the failed Palestinian attempt to suspend Israel from FIFA, and he attacked the unilateral Palestinian initiatives that he said hurt the prospects of promoting an arrangement in the region.

To add to it all, that night, the Orange storm erupted, after the CEO of the telecommunications giant, Stéphane Richard, declared that he would be willing to cut ties with Israel “tomorrow morning.” The next day it turned out this was no bluff, and Orange issued a statement backing his declaration. Despite Israel’s demand that the French government, part owner of the company, condemn his words, it did not. The French Foreign Ministry issued a short declaration on the issue.

Continued @ :
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/06/israel-netanyahu-bds-boycott-anti-semitism-occupation.html