Referring to fruit and vegetables, it states:
Much agricultural produce, labelled simply as coming from Israel, is likely to have been produced in settlement farms.
This is effectively a call for a boycott of all Israeli agricultural produce, irrespective of its geographical origin, on the pretext that it “is likely to have been produced in settlement farms.”
In addition, in reference to weapons, the guide states:
Aeronautic Defence Systems, based in Yavne, Centre District has sold armaments to the Irish Defence Forces as well as being a supplier to the Israeli Defence Forces.
Yavne is located in Israel’s central area, south of Tel Aviv and is certainly not in the West Bank. This can only lead to the conclusion that the Irish Times is promoting a general boycott of Israeli goods and services and not a “targeted” boycott of settlement goods.
About BDS
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a comprehensive, international strategy that seeks to present Israel as a pariah state analogous to Apartheid South Africa. Designed to isolate Israel politically, economically, militarily, academically and culturally, many of its member organizations aim to delegitimize the Two-State Solution and promote one state for both people, effectively replacing Israel with an Arab-majority state in all the territories of Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. BDS has become the central organizing principle around which almost all anti-Israel activity now revolves.
Here are some resources on BDS:
- BDS – An Introduction (PDF)
- BDS Cookbook
- BDS – A Hostile Campaign, StandWithUs
- BDS and Non-Governmental Organizations, NGO Monitor
- The BDS Movement Promotes Delegitimization of the State of Israel, ReViews, June 10, 2010, Reut Institute (PDF)
Take Action Now!
BDS is a movement that singles out Israel while ignoring other nations where there are genuine concerns about human rights. Note the numbers of Syrians currently dying at the hands of their own government while the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has linked its call for a boycott to the recent Israeli action in Gaza – an operation designed to end Hamas rocket attacks against Israel’s civilian population.
That the Irish Times has sought to turn a call for a boycott into a practical action is beyond the bounds of ethical journalism.
You can send your letters to the Irish Times both admonishing the paper for its thinly disguised stance and stating your opposition to the ICTU’s boycott call – [email protected]
Image: CC BY-NC HonestReporting.com, Fir0002/Flagstaffotos.
