Irish Newspaper: How to Boycott Israel
December 3, 2012 15:00 by Simon Plosker
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has issued a call to ban imports from what it calls “illegal Israeli settlements”.
The Irish Times reports on the story, stating that the head of the ICTU is calling for an “urgent meeting” with the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs “to seek an immediate and effective intervention by the Irish Government in light of the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip.”
With an accompanying article expressing the objections of Israel’s ambassador to Dublin, perhaps the Irish Times sought the veneer of balance and objectivity.
Except the Irish Times didn’t express a properly stated opinion on whether it supports a boycott or not.
Instead of an editorial or a public statement supporting a boycott, the paper includes what is effectively a guide on how readers can boycott Israeli goods, including a slideshow of images such as the iconic Ahava cosmetic brand.
It lists items such as carpets, garden furniture and cosmetics that are manufactured or produced in “illegal settlements” or in the “illegally occupied West Bank,” making sure to include not only the Israeli manufacturers but also where their goods are sold in Irish stores.
But the Irish Times goes further than the call for a boycott of goods manufactured in the West Bank.
This article is continued on Page 2
Barry Williams
7:55 pm
Dec 03, 2012
For those of you who are interested in Ireland and it’s pro Israel movement check out
https://www.facebook.com/irish4israel
We had a pro Israel rally last sunday. The first big rally ever for Israel in Ireland,
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Michael T
8:07 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Thank you Barry and to all who support Israel. It can be a hard road to travel when so much knee-jerk anti-Israeli propaganda is flooding the media. The islamic publicity machine is very effective and I wish Israel spent more effort in counteracting these biased media campaigns.
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Michael T
8:03 pm
Dec 03, 2012
I agree with those writers who ask that we not boycott all things Irish as not all Irish people are anti-semitic and understand Israel’s plight with the arab/islamic nations. Obviously the is considerable support for Israel amongst the ordinary Irish population. I only wish that those supporting Israel would be more vocal about this support and write the politcians and newspapers that voice anti-semitic bias as routine part of their publication strategy.
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Donal Buckley
8:07 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Well take a look at Barry Williams’ site. Also take a look at http://www.israelireland.org.
There is so much support for Israel in Ireland. We are dealing with a biased press though and that is a major problem. God Bless Israel!
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Blue
8:04 pm
Dec 03, 2012
I’m a pro-Israel Canadian. I’ve always seen Israel as the only democracy in the Middle East and hope that other countries in that part of the world also have the opportunity to become enlightened democracies. This latest boycott on Israeli goods is in response to the Israelis building homes in E1 development area.
I don’t understand why Israel is building there and I’m hoping someone can explain it to me. It seems to me, from my limited understanding, that each group should have their own turf. What’s going on in that regard? Would more trade between the West Bank and Israel help eliminate the tunnels? Looking forward to reading some replies!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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m
8:46 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Allow me to explain, that is JEWISH land, taken from the Jews and given to arabs by the Brits. The arabs then attacked the Jews FROM that land. The Jews kicked the arab asses and took back their land and have seine been trying to appease the world by pandering to the left, Jews haters and Israel deniers.
Even if it was never Jewish heartland, have you never before heard of a country taking another countries land? The Jewish nation need to BUILD EVERYWHERE on that land and send a message that this is theirs! Under international law it is THEIR. What the hell is all the fuss about.
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Blue
9:02 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Thanks for your response. I understand the true history and know that we (Jewish people) have every right to live in Israel. I don’t understand where today’s Israel stands in regards to the people now called Palestinians. I read the newspapers, Israeli as well, but as you know
there is a lot of hype in any newspaper, so I thought I’d ask the people who read this blog. I’m reading in your post that you feel that they lost the war (that they started) and they have no right to be there at all – correct? Is that the popular opinion in Israel? Thanks again for your feedback – it’s good to know what others think.
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adam
9:44 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Try Israelnationalnews.com it is 100% accurate and usually ahead of the other news sources on Israel. AP (associated Press) is indeed raidly anti-Israel and frequently distorts reporting (as does the BBC, NY Times and CNN).
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Blue
10:08 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Thank you! Will do!
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m
9:03 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Blue
PS
I am also a pro Israel Canadian as most of us are. I am also a Zionist. HUGE Zionist. Not on religious grounds though, but rather on the simple basis that Israel is in the right both legally and morally.
We have Israel deniers in this country too but most Canadians are pro Israel and fully support Israel. The problem we have is massive immigration from islamic shit holes and that can well change out politics as it has in Europe.
We need to nip this in the bud but I’m not sure if the weed has already begun to blossom. I’m in the west; we do not have the big issue here YET, but I see what has happened in the east and it is a concern. Let us learn from Europe’s mistakes.
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Blue
9:20 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Hello Fellow Cannuck!
I agree that most Canadians support Israel, and thank goodness for that. I read the National Post and they are generally quite supportive of Israel – it’s comforting to know that we can pick up a paper and read an unbiased report. The other stuff makes me crazy. Recently there was an article talking about the radical Islamists that are about to be released from prison, and how little their ideologies changed while incarcerated. Charming. Let’s hope we learned something from Europe.
Blue
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simon
10:04 pm
Dec 03, 2012
As a non Canadian (N. Ireland) I’ve got to agree with your warning to your fellow Canadians. The radicals you speak of don’t just come out of prison just holding similar views to before, those views have been honed and intensified to a truly horrific degree. Whats more as in the case of the UK, every non radical in the prison population gets exposed to their poison especially younger less grounded types who in turn catch the ‘virus’ of Islamic radicalism and become carriers themselves.
The UK has boxed itself into a corner on this and is reaping the consequences. Radical Islamists neither respect or even acknowledges liberalism which they interpret as weakness.
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Blue
10:24 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Thank you. I read about that problem. In Canada, all the Islamic radicals are kept apart from the rest of the prison population. They’re all kept together in one place, which probably doesn’t help to rehabilitate them. They’re still messed up young men, and they will be released soon.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/11/30/as-convicted-terrorists-face-possible-release-canada-faced-with-growing-problem-how-do-you-rehabilitate-them/
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Eyal Hartogs
10:18 pm
Dec 03, 2012
They are not building in E1. They have not even been given building permits. They have only been given prelimenary planning permissions. Surely more horrendous than the 11.000 Syrians that have been killed the last couple of months in Damascus…
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Les
8:10 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Much of this due to the long standing anti-Semetism of the roman catholic church, which is
still a major influence in Ireland. 1500 years of telling their parishioners the lie of deicide
by the Jews. A truly evil and corrupt organization, as the Irish are beginning to see.
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Richard M
8:20 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Does this mean that Israel gets to boycott Irish products because they haven’t settled several centuries worth of “troubles”?
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Shira
8:40 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Rubbish!
Does the the Irish Congress of Trade Unions having nothing better to do? It would seem that the ICTU’s inability to offer any true leadership and economic stimulus domestically is instead resorted to a pseudo-political maneuver to deflect it’s ineptitude by slandering Israel. What a pathetic excuse for a trade organization.
The boycott smells of the Limerick Pogrom and the intolerance of David Begg. The fact that the Irish Times would publish such trash, reflects poorly on the paper.
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Stephen
8:48 pm
Dec 03, 2012
The BBC used to use what seemed to be almost exclusively Irish reporters in Israel in the 1970s/80s. It wasn’t pretty. No matter what, there was always something wrong that Israel did. An example that comes to mind was an Arab village that refused to pay for water or electricity – so Israel cut them off. It was reported as if it was a crime against humanity.
Israel was attacked by Egypt and Jordan. Israel won. Egypt and Jordan quit all claims to the WB and Gaza. In the UN tradition, these lands can be taken by Israel. Israel wants to play nice. I say, Israel fix the borders taking 4 to 5% of the WB without transfers. Period.
And since Ireland has so little to export, boycott.
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m
8:52 pm
Dec 03, 2012
News flash to the Irish media, the ones to get hurt in their boycott are not only themselves but the arabs that work for the Israeli farmers or even have farms of their own.
How the hell is anybody to know if a grape came from a Jewish farm or an arab 1. The left is more dense than a sack of doorknobs.
Think of all the nice, useful or critical things that we all enjoy from Israeli ingenuity. Who wants to go with out that?
Israel will remain the perpetual winner in this ridiculous battle.
BTW, you can find out where boycotts are to be held in your area & then simply do as we do, have yourself a BUYcott. It’s un, it drives the left nuts, help the stores, and we get cool Israeli stuff
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Devorah
9:19 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Ireland imports POTATOES?!?! Hmmm. Anyway, notice how selective the boycott list is. No lifesaving pharmaceutical products are listed, and there are dozens. No high tech products either. Cowards!
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Eithne Lalor
9:37 pm
Dec 03, 2012
This paper does NOT represent the Irish people. Most people I know are fully supportive of Israel
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Hannah kleinfeld
9:43 pm
Dec 03, 2012
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=MhtJxC6NwFw&desktop_uri=/watch?v=MhtJxC6NwFw&gl=GB
I thought I would help you out.
Regards
H.kleinfeld
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simon
9:49 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Yes a bit of perspective…
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mike Hayes
9:54 pm
Dec 03, 2012
Up to now I trusted the Irish Times, especially when I lived in Ireland many years ago. Now I am removing it from my scroll bar. Disgusted with tolerated anti-semitism in Ireland.
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Leonard Kahn
9:58 pm
Dec 03, 2012
The uninformed poor Irish need to come to Israel and see how the Arabs in Israel have a far better way of life than in most Arab countries. There are many Arab lawyers and many of them become Judges, in fact an Arab Judge was one of the Judges that sentenced Katzir the former Israeli Prime Minister to serve time in jail. There are many Arab Doctors and some of them help in saving the lives of children from the West Bank and Gaza though open heart surgery with the
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