BDS updates


By yankeeuxb
November 26, 2010
Share

It is with sadness that Tindersticks announce the cancellation of their forthcoming concerts in Tel Aviv.

When agreeing to play our music in Israel we, perhaps naively, believed that the music we make is beyond political considerations.

Over the past weeks, the pressure exerted on us by people and organisations, some close to us, has shown us that this is not the case. It is difficult to defy a rapidly growing movement with whose aims we agree, even if we are not wholly convinced by their methods.

Also:

OSLO (EJP)---One hundred famous Norwegians, led by the country’s national football coach, have signed a petition demanding a cultural and academic boycott of Israel, accusing its educational institutions of “playing a key role in the occupation” and equating it with apartheid.

Egil Drillo Olsen, coach for the national Norwegian football team, recently wrote in Aftenposten, the country’s second largest paper, that the call to boycott Israel was "in line with what 90 percent of the world’s population believes. There cannot be many other opinions."

The petition is the last item in a string of similar and high-profile initiatives to have taken place in Norway over the past two years. It was signed by coach Olsen and 99 other public figures from the arts and culture, who stated that a boycott is "necessary" not only to help Palestinians, but also to "support Israelis opposing the occupation."

COMMENTS

telegramsam

26 November, 2010 - 10:23

Rate this:

1 point

Yankee, with all due respect, BDS isn't exactly working, is it? I mean, empirically, Israel's economy and industry are thriving. Cultural boycotts are all well and good, but the only ones that it harms are those Israelis who actually are working to rid the country of the burden of the territories. The far right isn't affected because they are not consumers of that kind of culture.


mattpryor

26 November, 2010 - 10:29

Rate this:

-1 points

"Cultural boycotts are all well and good"

No, they are not. They are discriminatory and offensive.

You also imply that the only "good" Israelis are those that are working to oppose the occupation, and the rest are "far right" who don't go to concerts or listen to music.

What a twisted view of the world you have.


jose (not verified)

26 November, 2010 - 10:31

Rate this:

-1 points

Cultural boycotts are all well and good

No Tspam, they are neither well nor good, except that they achieve exactly the contrary of what they are suppose to do.
The money not spent by Israelis does not go abroad and serves Israel's investments.

Where do you and your alter ego yankeeuxb appeal to boycott Chinese products ? Saudi oil ? Iran pistachios ?

Double standards are a sure sign of antisemitism.


telegramsam

26 November, 2010 - 10:33

Rate this:

0 points

Matt, maybe I wasn't clear, and for that I apologise. But what I wrote was that the far right isn't affected because they are not consumers of that kind of culture. Of course they consume culture, go to concerts and listen to music, but not of the Tindersticks, Elvis Costello, Pixies and Gil-Heron kind.
But I do believe that cultural boycotts are all well and good. The point is, they do not affect the people they are aimed at.


telegramsam

26 November, 2010 - 10:35

Rate this:

1 point

Of course, Matt and Jose, those on the far right who do listen to and enjoy Tindersticks, Elvis Costello, Pixies and Gil Scott-Heron would no doubt launch their own cultural boycott and delete them from their iPods, tapes etc.


telegramsam

26 November, 2010 - 10:37

Rate this:

1 point

By the way, I personally do not buy Iranian pistacios. The American ones are far better. I try to avoid Chinese products, but there are so damn many of them, and most of the oil products in this country are from Nigeria and the Mexican Gulf, but that's two different issues.


zair

26 November, 2010 - 10:43

Rate this:

-2 points

It was 30 years after the BDS movement started that apartheid in South Africa finally fell, I hope the Palestinians don't have to wait so long. The BDS movement is gaining critical mass and before long it will be 'the thing' to be part of. People don't like being last on the band wagon.


jose (not verified)

26 November, 2010 - 10:50

Rate this:

1 point

It was 30 years after the BDS movement started that apartheid in South Africa finally fell

So maybe there is no relationship at all. 30 years is a very long time. LOL !

The problem is that it strikes the 'Palestinians' harder than Israel, whose economy is thriving. Remember that 'Palestinian' economy is totally dependant on Israel. And if Israel divest from 'Palestinian' economy, there will be a revolution there in less than 30 years.

So please culturally boycott Israel: that is the best thing that the world can do to help Israel to save money for important purposes.


amber

26 November, 2010 - 11:11

Rate this:

1 point

Zair's comparison of Israel with apartheid South Africa is further evidence of this individual's moral degeneracy.

zair, go find a neo-Nazi webiste - you'd be much happier there.


amber

26 November, 2010 - 11:13

Rate this:

1 point

the Jew hater yankeeuxb is rather old with his "news" - Matt posted this yesterday.

uxb, you are antisemitic scum.


Yvetta

26 November, 2010 - 11:15

Rate this:

1 point

When the immoral and discriminatory anti-Israel BDS movement targets the true rogue states of this world, then it will really be an "update".


jose (not verified)

26 November, 2010 - 11:36

Rate this:

1 point

No, Tspam, don't try to dodge the bullet: where did you call for boycott of any other country than Israle. Who cares what you do as an individual?
To be fair and not being criticized for double standards (ie antisemitism), you must show us where you called for Chinese boycott (they invaded and occupy Tibet in a most brutal way), for Turkey boycott (they invaded and occupy Cyprus in a most brutal way, did not recognize Armenian genocide and still persecute Kurds), for Saudi oil boycott (who cares what you put in your car tank, tspam?).

Nowhere? So you are really applying double standards: one for Israel and the other for the rest of the world.

Double standards are a sure sign of antisemitism.


telegramsam

26 November, 2010 - 11:51

Rate this:

1 point

Jose, many thanks again. I haven't called for a boycott of any country, including Israel. It would be a bit silly of me to do so when on many occasions here and elsewhere I have stated that boycotts are useless, kneejerk student political gimmicks.
Also, it would be hard for me to justify a boycott of Israel when my oldest kid last year finished her GCSEs on a diet made up almost exclusively of Bamba. A feat no doubt to be repeated with her A levels.
With all due respect, the wine holder at home has two bottles of Golan wines, three Sasloves, a Dalton, a Segal and a Rechasim. No Palwins, I'm afraid.
The spices I use for making omelettes and use in stews are by Dorot, while I have some Za'atar (Goodness knows why they call it the Holy Hyssop) for flavouring steaks.
I find that roasting chicken with a can of beer up its jacksie (open, of course, and after having drunk about a third) works best with Goldstar.
And you don't have to tell me that my Sky box and mobile phone works on Israeli technology.


zair

26 November, 2010 - 12:12

Rate this:

-1 points

amby change the record, you're becoming tiresome in your knee jerk reactions


Robert Snodgrass

26 November, 2010 - 14:25

Rate this:

2 points

Sorry, am i missing something here? i have absolutely no idea who the Tindersticks are. I'm not just saying this, i havent a clue. The same goes for this Norwegian fella. I know Norway isn't renowned for too much, but John Carew is half decent i suppose.

Anyway, to sum up, i'm sure the people of Israel really arent all that bothered that these people have chosen to boycott us, we will just have to do with Lauren Hill, Bon Jovi, the Black Eyed Peas, Elton John, David Guetta...need i go on?


mattpryor

26 November, 2010 - 14:28

Rate this:

1 point

Yeah but... Bon Jovi... seriously?!


jose (not verified)

26 November, 2010 - 14:45

Rate this:

-1 points

I haven't called for a boycott of any country, including Israel. It would be a bit silly of me to do so when on many occasions here and elsewhere I have stated that boycotts are useless, kneejerk student political gimmicks.

You dirty Zionist! ;)

Show me where you criticized China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc., at least half as violently as you criticized Israel.

Remember that double standards are a sure sign of antisemitism.


yankeeuxb

26 November, 2010 - 14:49

Rate this:

-1 points

telegramsam:

We don't know if the cultural boycott is 'working'yet. The argument that boycott does not work was levelled at the anti apartheid movement until it gained such international currency that it begun to have effect. It's not necessarily a question of GDP or tourism - S Africa and Iran (which is under huge international sanctions) still function (ed) It is no longer unusual for Boycott + Israel to be mentioned in the same breath. The idea of a cultural boycott is gaining currency. That is the important point.

It must also be mentioned that it was Palestinian civil society that called for the boycott as a means of expressing non violent resistance to the occupation.


jose (not verified)

26 November, 2010 - 15:09

Rate this:

-1 points

We don't know if the cultural boycott is 'working'yet.

But it is working: Israelis will not spend stupidly their money paying foreign groups. This means more money for Israel to invest. It is just working in the opposite direction as antisemites expect. Cultural boycott is the opposite of divestment. And I am in favour of it!

It must also be mentioned that it was Palestinian civil society that called for the boycott as a means of expressing non violent resistance to the occupation.

"Palestinian" and "non-violence" are two terms that should not come in the same sentence. In fact "Palestinian" is now mentioned in the same breath as "terrorism". Not too unjustified, alas!


amber

26 November, 2010 - 15:16

Rate this:

-1 points

Nonsense uxb - the BDS is about isolating and delegitimizing Israel, with the intent of destroying it. Hence you see cries from BDS haters of "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" - meaning no Israel.

You are simply being dishonest.


amber

26 November, 2010 - 15:17

Rate this:

-1 points

zair, it is unfortunately your record which needs changing - the hatred and antisemitism of your sad existence. It's hardly knee jerk when you have an ongoing record dating back months of demonising Israel and its Jews.


jose (not verified)

27 November, 2010 - 15:51

Rate this:

-1 points

Zair! Where are those boycott calls you made on the Electronic Intifada, VivaPalestine, EuroPalestine websites? Please show us anything ressembling a condemnation of China, North Korea, Iran, Hezbollah, HAMAS, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, etc. Your choice is immense. When you'll have finish, we'll talk about Israel...

POST A COMMENT

You must be logged in to post a comment.