Today Peter Beinart, the author of a new and much anticipated book, The Crisis of Zionism, (available on March 27th) published a blockbuster op-ed in the New York Times entitled, "To Save Israel, Boycott the Settlements". We strongly encourage people to read Peter's piece. His suggestion - that people who love Israel and care about Israel as a Jewish state and democracy should boycott settlements - is completely consistent with a call APN made in July 2011. Our call came in the context of the Israeli Knesset passing a disgraceful piece of legislation effectively criminalizing such a boycott - a boycott law that is unlike anything that exists in the U.S. or other progressive, democratic countries.
APN's call to boycott settlements and settlement products also came in solidarity with the Israeli Peace Now movement's courageous campaign against that same anti-democratic law: "So sue me, I boycott products of the settlements." You can still get APN's "I boycott settlement products" twibbon here. With this law still in force, Peter's article can be viewed as act of Zionist civil disobedience - just as our call for a boycott was. APN has consistently opposed boycotts, divestment, and sanctions aimed at Israel proper, and we still do so today. At the same time, we believe it is absolutely appropriate to boycott settlements and settlement products, since we believe that settlements are a major and ever-growing obstacle to peace. Finally, we encourage you to read APN Vice Chair Jo-Ann Mort's recent article on the boycott controversy related to the Park Slope Co-Op, "The Dishonesty of Park Slope Coop's BDS Debate."
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The settlements are proof that Isreal is not really interested in peace.
Since Jordan invited Israel into the disputed territories in 1967, life expectancy among the Arabs living there rose from 48 years to 72 (compared with an average of 68 years for all the countries of the Middle East and North Africa), and Israeli medical programs reduced the infant-mortality rate of 60 per 1,000 live births in 1967 to 15 per 1,000 in 2000 (in Iraq the rate was 64, in Egypt 40, in Jordan 23, in Syria 22) In addition, under Israel’s systematic program of inoculation, childhood diseases like polio, whooping cough, tetanus, and measles were eradicated.
Let's all get together and celebrate the wonderful contributions that Israel has brought to the Arab residents of the disputed territories.
When you encourage bocotting Jews in the settlements you are engaging in anti-Semitism. These are communities much like are found in Southern California. The Boycott was started by the Arab LEague to starve the Jews out;. The campaign you support is a continuation of this.
You are just a bunch of radicals self-impressed with yourselves. Such a boycott starves Jewish children and is inexcusable. Either you are an anarchist-communist hiding among Jews as a subversive or a mentally ill Jew attacking his own people.