They Say, We Say: "A boycott of settlements is not only politically misguided but also pointless."
We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.
You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.
Go HERE for all installments of APN's "They Say, We Say"
Is Peace Possible?
A boycott of settlements is not only politically misguided but it is also pointless, practically speaking, since it won't have any real economic impact on settlements.
The Israeli right's reaction to settlement boycott efforts demonstrates that settlement supporters, at least, fear boycotts can have a real impact. Indeed, the pro-settler lobby and its Knesset partisans appear terrified of settlement boycotts - so much so that they pushed through a flagrantly undemocratic law against them.
The settlers and their supporters know that boycotting settlements is a big deal. They've spent decades trying to erase the Green Line. They want you to enjoy your wine and your homemade orange soda courtesy of that nifty gizmo that lets you carbonate water in your own kitchen. Pay no attention to the fact that in doing so, you're supporting an ideologically rooted political enterprise with an explicit goal to block a two-state solution. Drink up, and for the love of Greater Israel, don't worry about where it came from.