Boycotting Israel

[luke]

Farmers claim UK, Jordan boycotting Israeli fruit
Fruit growers disappointed by canceled orders from abroad, leaving produce to rot in warehouses

Fruit growers in Israel have reported delays and reductions in orders from abroad since the military operation in Gaza was launched, due to various boycotts against Israeli produce.

Farmers say much of their produce is being held in warehouses due to canceled orders, and fear a sharp decrease in fruit exports to countries such as Jordan, Britain, and the Scandinavian countries.

"We export persimmons, and because of the fighting a number of countries and distributors are canceling orders," Giora Almagor, of the southern town of Bitzaron, told Ynet. He said some of the produce had already been shipped while some was awaiting shipment in warehouses.

Almagor said a large number of cancellations came from Jordan. "The produce stays packed in warehouses, and this is causing us massive losses," he said.

"The longer the fruit waits in storage after sorting, the more its quality decreases. We also have to pay for cooling the merchandise that should have already left, and the cost in considerable," he added.

Ilan Eshel, director of the Organization of Fruit Growers in Israel, said Scandinavian countries have also been canceling orders. "It's mostly Sweden, Norway, and Denmark," he said. "In Scandinavia the tendency is general, and it may come to include all of the chains."

Eshel says the boycott did not exist before the Gaza offensive was launched. "It's getting worse, and more voices can be heard calling to boycott Israeli merchandise," he said. "Until the operation began we had excellent business, though the economic recession in Europe was causing a slight fall in the market."

He added that winter was an especially difficult season to be unable to export fruit, because the avocado, persimmon, and citrus markets are at their height.

from http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3656454,00.html

[faceless]

It's a shame to know that food is going to waste, but I didn't think things would begin having an effect so quickly. That's great.

[luke]

Dockers boycott Israel

SOUTH African dock workers have refused to unload ships carrying goods from Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians.

South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) general secretary Randall Howard said that if any Israeli ship docks its cargo in Durban, union workers won't unload it.

"We will make that contribution," he said. "The historic and heroic struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination is a struggle that SATAWU supports."

Mr Howard said that it did not matter whether they were weapons or vegetables. "If it's an Israeli product, we're going to boycott it, plain and simple," he said.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said: "If these people think that by refusing to unload shipments from Israel they are promoting peace they should go back to school because they have misread the situation in the Middle East big time."

Protests will take pace on Friday outside the Zionist Federation office in Raedene Estate, Johannesburg, and the Picket in Cape Town.

[major.tom]

Both the dockworkers in Greece (who, I believe, refused to process an arms shipment to Israel) and South Africa deserve a pat on the back for their stance. This is precisely the kind of activism that can make a difference.

It's a shame the food is going to waste, but (presumably) people in the west won't starve without Israeli avacados or citrus. If it takes a world-wide boycott for Israelis to realize they must regain their sense of humanity, so much the better.

[faceless]

Israeli Tennis Player Is Banned From Dubai
February 18, 2009

Controversy is escalating over the United Arab Emirates' decision to ban at least one Israeli player from the Dubai Tennis Championships. Sponsor of the event, the Wall Street Journal's European edition, has withdrawn its support over the refusal to grant a visa to Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer. 'The Wall Street Journal's editorial philosophy is free markets and free people, and this action runs counter to the Journal's editorial direction,' the paper said in a statement.

Fellow Israeli player Andy Ram has yet to hear whether he will be granted permission to travel to the gulf state for the tournament. The tournament's organisers say their decision is security related. "We do not wish to politicise sports, but we have to be sensitive to recent events in the region." - Tournament spokesman. In a statement they claim: "Public sentiment remains high in the Middle East and it is believed that Ms Peer's presence would have antagonised our fans who have watched live television coverage of recent attacks in Gaza."

Israel's offensive in Gaza in January killed over a thousand Palestinians and has provoked intense anti Israeli feeling across the Arab world. The tournament's organisers have been widely condemned for the decision, accused of mixing politics with sport. The Women's Tennis Association is considering dropping Dubai from its calendar.

But organisers deny their motives were political in nature. 'We do not wish to politicize sports, but we have to be sensitive to recent events in the region and not alienate or put at risk the players and the many tennis fans of different nationalities that we have here in the UAE,' continued their statement.

Israeli doubles player Andy Ram hopes to be in the draw on Sunday and is ranked No 7 in the world in doubles. He is currently in southern France and awaiting word on whether he will be treated the same way as Ms Peer.

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Good stuff.

[faceless]

This is a fine report.

[luke]

theres been quite a few student protests this year, and now we have one in plymouth

Israel protest students continue room vigil

STUDENTS occupying a lecture theatre at the University of Plymouth have vowed to stay put until their demands are met.

The group entrenched themselves in a lecture building on Monday evening after accusing the university of allegedly investing in an arms firm that sold warplanes to Israel.

And despite a meeting early yesterday morning with the Dean of Students, Dr Anita Jellings, to try to break the stalemate, a compromise had not been found last night.

The group have said they are not trying to disrupt lectures but would maintain a silent protest during lessons.

Commenting on the protest, Dr Anita Jellings, for the university, said: "In common with students at over 20 other universities across the UK, a small group of students at the University of Plymouth have staged a peaceful protest about this national issue.
Click here!

"The university upholds the values of freedom of speech and understands the students' feelings about this legitimate cause, but has a duty of care to the student body as a whole and is working with the protesters to resolve the situation calmly and amicably."

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Israel-protest-students-continue-room-vigil/article-724444-detail/article.html

Please see info re students occupying Room 202 in the Smeaton building.
Please go along and show your solidarity and support, they will be happy
to see you all. We need to lend some support to them so please make every
effort to go along and sign the petition. Any food/drinks would also be
welcome to help out with their supplies.
Here also are some web links for further info:

http://plymouthunioccupation.blogspot.com/

[modern]

Maybe time to boycott Microsoft now as well:

http://www.teletext.co.uk/gamecentral/news/ed15c8f5105f93efd132d87aea35871d/Microsofts+new+waggle.aspx

[faceless]

I've never given Microsoft a penny, so it won't be hard!

[luke]

Israeli exports hit by European boycotts after attacks on Gaza
A fifth of Israeli exporters report drop in demand as footage of Gaza attacks changes behaviour of consumers and investors

Israeli companies are feeling the impact of boycott moves in Europe, according to surveys, amid growing concern within the Israeli business sector over organised campaigns following the recent attack on Gaza.

Last week, the Israel Manufacturers Association reported that 21% of 90 local exporters who were questioned had felt a drop in demand due to boycotts, mostly from the UK and Scandinavian countries. Last month, a report from the Israel Export Institute reported that 10% of 400 polled exporters received order cancellation notices this year, because of Israel's assault on Gaza.

"There is no doubt that a red light has been switched on," Dan Katrivas, head of the foreign trade department at the Israel Manufacturers Association, told Maariv newspaper this week. "We are closely following what's happening with exporters who are running into problems with boycotts." He added that in Britain there exists "a special problem regarding the export of agricultural produce from Israel".

The problem, said Katrivas, is in part the discussion in the UK over how to label goods that come from Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Last week British government officials met with food industry representatives to discuss the issue.

In recent months, the Israeli financial press has reported the impact of mounting calls to boycott goods from the Jewish state. Writing in the daily finance paper, the Marker, economics journalist Nehemia Stressler berated then trade and industry minister Eli Yishai for telling the Israeli army to "destroy one hundred homes" in Gaza for every rocket fired into Israel.

The minister, wrote Stressler, did not understand "how much the operation in Gaza is hurting the economy".

Stressler added: "The horrific images on TV and the statements of politicians in Europe and Turkey are changing the behaviour of consumers, businessmen and potential investors. Many European consumers boycott Israeli products in practice."

He quoted a pepper grower who spoke of "a concealed boycott of Israeli products in Europe".

In February, another article in the Marker, titled "Now heads are lowered as we wait for the storm to blow over", reported that Israelis with major business interests in Turkey hoped to remain anonymous to avoid arousing the attention of pro-boycott groups.

The paper said that, while trade difficulties with Turkey during the Gaza assault received more media attention, Britain was in reality of greater concern.

Gil Erez, Israel's commercial attache in London, told the paper: "Organisations are bombarding [British] retailers with letters, asking that they remove Israeli merchandise from the shelves."

Finance journalists have reported that Israeli hi-tech, food and agribusiness companies suffered adverse consequences following Israel's three-week assault on Gaza, and called for government intervention to protect businesses from a growing boycott.

However, analysts stressed that the impact of a boycott on local exporters was difficult to discern amidst a global economic crisis and that such effects could be exaggerated.

"If there was something serious, I would have heard about it," said Avi Tempkin, from Globes, the Israeli business daily.

Israeli companies are thought to be wary of giving credence to boycott efforts by talking openly about their effect, preferring to resolve problems through diplomatic channels.

Consumer boycotts in Europe have targeted food produce such as Israeli oranges, avocados and herbs, while in Turkey the focus has been on agribusiness products such as pesticides and fertilisers.

The bulk of Israeli export is in components, especially hi-tech products such as Intel chips and flashcards for mobile phones. It is thought that the consumer goods targeted by boycott campaigns represent around 3% to 5% of the Israeli export economy.

from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/03/israel-gaza-attacks-boycotts-food-industry

[modern]

Hi,

I am currently looking to open up a new current account which has ethical policies and preferably has no relation or investments with Israel.

Are there any such banks that provide this and that anyone can recommend?

Many thanks,

[luke]

as ethical banks go you could try the co-op bank, i'm not sure if they deal with israel but you could check

[luke]

[VivaGalloway]

[nekokate]

But why does nobody boycott North America? Surely they are just as responsible, if not more so, as Israel for what's going on? Doesn't anyone see this as a double standard?