There is, currently, a concerted campaign by War On Want, a British charity, to force BT to disconnect from its alliance with Bezeq, Israel’s largest telecommunications group.
According to a War On Want email “Thousands of you have already complained to BT over its complicity in Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people. Thank you.”
The War On Want website is more like a War On Israel one, which is fine if that is how they wish to spend their donor’s money but, as I have documented in the past, one of the biggest donors to War On Want is BBC’s Comic Relief (see the 2009 accounts).
One of War On Want’s favourite stunts is to invade British and American supermarkets, dump all Israeli produce into trolleys and run away when the police arrive.
The WOW website states: “War on Want supports the call from Palestinian civil society to build a global movement of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel until it complies with international law and meets the following three demands: an end to the Occupation; the right of return for Palestinian refugees; and equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel itself.”
I agree with the last requirement but the rest of this statement is simply a call for the total destruction of Israel.
Fortunately, the man at the helm of BT can see right through WOW’s campaign.
The WOW email states that “War on Want have yet to receive a formal response from BT, but supporters who have taken our e-action have received the following response.”
On Behalf Of michael.prescott@bt.com
Sent: 15 November 2010 17:43
To: Emma Stanforth
Subject: Hang up on the Occupation
Dear Emma
Many thanks for your email to Ian Livingston, who has asked me to respond.
BT has indeed admitted Bezeq International to the BT Alliance. We do not see an issue in dealing with what is, in effect, the national telecoms company for Israel.
We are not alone in this. I gather that PalTel, the Palestine Telecommunications Company, also has dealings with Bezeq. Their website carried an announcement on March 21 2010, detailing an arrangement enabling customers who use their prepaid phone cards to have direct access to the fixed line network of Bezeq International.
BT delivers services in 170 countries worldwide. Communication can be vital in helping to resolve conflict and disagreement. In that spirit, while respecting the strong views that you express, we feel unable to pursue the course of action you suggest.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Prescott
Group Director of Communications
BT Group
So although the Palestinians don’t wish to boycott Bezeq War On Want does, which reveals WOW’s true motive.
Unsurprisingly, War on Want doesn’t like seeing their hypocrisy exposed and, for once, their agenda hitting a brick wall.
More sinisterly, in the email to supporters War On Want says “Its time to communicate to BT through a medium they understand”.
War On Want’s motto is “Fighting Global Poverty”.
It should concentrate on that instead of wasting donations on puerile anti-Israel stunts.
If not then Comic Relief and the Charity Commissioners should really be hanging up on War On Want instead.
http://richardmillett.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/its-good-to-talk-so-recon...
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