The Israel Boycott is Biting

[ProgressiveMuslim]

by Nadia Hijab Released: 30 Apr 2009

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On May 4, protesters will greet Motorola shareholders, already disgruntled by the company’s losses, as they arrive for their annual meeting at the Rosemont Theater in Chicago, Illinois.

The protest, organized by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, is part of a drive to “Hang Up On Motorola” until it ends sales of communications and other products that support Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian land.

Inside the meeting, the Presbyterian, United Methodist and other churches will urge shareholders to support their resolution, which calls for corporate standards grounded in international law. Doing the right thing could also reduce the risk of “consumer boycotts, divestment campaigns and lawsuits.”

Although Motorola executives deny it, such risks must have played a part in their decision to sell the department making bomb fuses shortly after Human Rights Watch teams found shrapnel with Motorola serial numbers at some of the civilian sites bombed by Israel in its December-January assault on Gaza.

Edited to conform to DU's fair use policy of copyrighted material - Lithos, DU Moderator

more...
http://www.agenceglobal.com/Article.asp?Id=1986

[backwoodsbob]

1. maybe there is a drop in demand because

the world is in a recession?

[Dick Dastardly]

3. Their theft of the Israeli products at Tesco just helped demand.

Tesco now has to order more products and the the courts will require those arrested to pay restitution for theft and vandalism to Tesco.

The ladies over the top ranting accusations such as Israel is breaking all UN conventions and Geneva laws shows what a clueless tool she is. What kind of daft idiot claims someone is breaking every law and expects to be taken as credible. Its clear that any accurate criticism isn't enough to demonize Israel so they resort to over the top lies and distortion. Even if I agreed with the boycott nonsense I would never throw in with these guys and seeing it would actually make me think twice about giving support to a boycott. Their actions are a turn off to most people especially those who are generally not politically involved but would support something like this.

[shaayecanaan]

2. Link to the youtube video...

most of the punters looked reasonably sympathetic, didnt see many knocking back the flyers...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f729KqURQc4&feature=fvst

[Dick Dastardly]

4. I dont think its really making much of a dent at all

Aside from the fact most Israeli products are not readily identifiable consumer products most people dont support a boycott and many of us like myself now go out of our way and buy Israeli products as a show of support. I never went out of my way in the past to buy Israeli products but this BDS call has changed that.

I constantly read articles where someone or some group tries to puh a boycott but it fails miserably.
Just recently here is a case in point

Getting one's knickers in a twist over Israel
The offending articles of Zionist aggression are 79-per-cent recycled polyester, 17-per-cent virgin polyester and four-per-cent spandex.

They are underwear. They wick sweat, which makes them ideal for hiking, skiing or jogging. They are extremely comfortable. I happen to know this because I own several pair.

I bought them at Mountain Equipment Co-op, of which I am a member. MEC buys the underwear from a factory in Israel.

In the eyes of some, this makes MEC, not to mention me, an accomplice to the Israeli oppression of Palestinians. If clothes make the man, I'm a war criminal.

clip
At first, it was thought the motion was being proposed by a group called B.C. Teachers for Peace and Global Education. In February, the group posted on its web page a press release entitled "MEC and Israel."

An odd thing about that posting, though:

It confined itself to Israel. Among its list of contractors, however, MEC buys goods from 23 Chinese firms, one Sri Lankan firm, three Thai firms and four Vietnamese firms -- firms whose countries are hardly paragons of democracy.

China's and Vietnam's human rights records are abysmal, Thailand is under military law and Sri Lanka is engaged in a bloody civil war.

If the teachers wanted to go gunning for bad guys, there were plenty from which to choose.

But Israel, the Middle East's lone democracy and fighting for its very existence, deserves a wedgie?

If this were Wal-Mart, the reaction would be a stifled yawn. But MEC, as painfully sensitive to these kinds of issues that it feels it must be, will hear the motion at its AGM.

Not that it will be sympathetic. As MEC states in its website:

"Just as creed and country are not barriers to being an MEC member, we do not divide our supply chain along political lines. In short, we will not take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our human rights efforts are squarely focused on our supply chain -- on working to improve the factory conditions and treatment of the workers that make MEC-brand products."

Since the news about the boycott spread, said MEC spokesman Tim Southam, MEC has received about 750 e-mails on the issue. Of those, about 700, he said, have threatened to tear up their co-op memberships ... if MEC considers boycotting Israeli goods.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Getting+knickers+twist+over+Israel/1540738/story.html





Well the vote occured, it wasnt even close


Co-op members vote down ban of Israeli-made goods

Members of the outdoor goods retailer Mountain Equipment Co-Op voted down a controversial resolution to boycott Israeli-made products at the chain’s annual general meeting Wednesday night.

Jubilant participants leaving the meeting said the motion wasn’t even close to being passed. MEC spokesman Tim Southam was more restrained, saying that while he couldn’t release the exact margin by which the motion was defeated, it was definitely “by more than half.”

The motion was proposed by BC Teachers for Peace and Global Action (PAGE), a group affiliated with the B.C. Teachers’ Federation.

clip
Hanna Kawas, chair of the Canada Palestine Association, said the vote doesn’t extinguish his group’s resolve to publicize the chain’s sale of Israeli-made goods, and called for a boycott of all Mountain Equipment Co-op outlets.

“ is supporting war crimes and apartheid,” he said.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/members+vote+down+Israeli+made+goods/1551059/story.html

[breakaleg]

5. Thanks for the heads up

Like you, I've never gone out of my way to buy or avoid Israeli-made products. But now that you've given me this little bit of information, not I can avoid them, without going out of my way.

[grassfed]

6. Israeli barcode starts with 729 > see photo

http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/9