Buy Israeli Day ... March 30th, 2011!!

1938 Germany 'boycotts' Jewish Shops!

On March 30th, 2011, Leftists, Socialists, and Islamists all around the world are demanding boycotts, divestment initiatives, and sanctions against the state of Israel.   NOT because they oppose the so-called ‘occupation’ but because they are seeking the total annihilation of Israel.   These dangerous idiots of  the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanctions) campaign have planned a global boycott of Israeli products for the same day. Anti-Israel Protestors will stand outside stores, asking shoppers not to buy Israeli products.  So I am asking you to make this date   BUY ISRAELI DAY .... Use the opportunity to fill your 'fridge & freezer for Pesach.  Incidentally the Jewish holiday of Vengence!!!!

Of course,  I am not the only one!  Celebrating Israel and purchasing everything with a “Made in Israel” label on it can serve as an antidote to this international boycott campaign being pushed by a coalition of anti-Israel organizations, said StandWithUs,  a 10-year-old pro-Israel NGO. The group, which has chapters in several American cities, the United Kingdom and Israel, is urging schools, synagogues, community organizations and individuals to participate in its BIG (Buy Israeli Goods) Day.  I will join them .... will you???

 “We need to show the boycotters that their efforts are doomed. Let the boycotters know that when they call for boycotts of even one or two stores or products, they will face a much larger movement to buy Israeli goods,” said StandWithUs co-founder and CEO Roz Rothstein.

“We are telling people to go to their local stores, request the exact Israeli products being targeted and buy them out. Let store managers know they should keep Israeli products well stocked on the shelves.”

Opponents of Israel are promoting a very different message. Groups like 'End the Occupation' and CODEPINK are asking shoppers to avoid Israeli products. They are also calling on their sympathizers to push for a divestment from Israel as well as a boycott of academic and cultural exchanges.  I am ALL for ending the occupation of Eretz Yisrael by Arabs ... this week!

The March 30th date (that is Wednesday of this Week) corresponds to "Palestinian Land Day"  & according to the Global BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) Movement website, “the BDS national committee (BNC) is calling on you to unite in your different capacities and struggles to join the Global BDS Day of Action on Land Day, 30 March 2011, in solidarity with the Palestinian people’s right to self determination on their ancestral land.” Whose ancestral lands????

Originally launched in 2005,  the BDS website features video of past protests in England, Spain, Sweden and Canada. Protesters, employing street theatre, song and dance, have targeted Toronto’s Mountain Equipment Co-op for stocking Israeli-made merchandise and Chapters Indigo, for the support of “lone soldiers” by Chapters principals Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman. Protesters have also targeted the Aroma Espresso Bar, a franchise of an Israeli-based cafe chain.

StandWithUs believes far more people support retailers who stock Israeli products than those who want a boycott.  So do I!!

Before Pesach two years ago, 'Not in Our Name', a small Jewish group that supports the boycott, marched outside a downtown LCBO. Dozens of Israel supporters, responding to a mobilization effort co-ordinated by the Canada-Israel Committee’s (CIC) Buycott Israel program, countered that demonstration by purchasing the store’s entire inventory of 150 cases of Israeli wine. Last October, when protesters demonstrated at Aroma’s Bloor Street cafe, sources told The CJN there was no effect on its business.

Sara Saber-Freedman, CIC’s executive vice-president, said “buycott” campaigns originated in Canada and have spread worldwide. “The broad concept is that the power of the pocketbook counters the boycott effort. The message needs to be that when you target Israeli goods for boycott, the consequence will be more sales, not less.

“It flips the effort to delegitimize Israel from something that is negative for Israel and attaches a negative consequence to boycotters ~ the opposite of what was intended.” I say LET'S GO FOR IT!!

Rothstein also said opponents of the boycott can visit ­http://www.buyisraelgoods.org/ for information about Israeli consumer products available by region.

Rothstein believes the boycott effort has backfired. “I believe they think they are making a difference. Really, what they are accomplishing with their hostile campaign is to coalesce the pro-Israel, pro-peace community into doing counter-campaigns. It becomes clear, when they do these flash mob dances at stores, that they do not advocate peaceful coexistence. They do this because it’s their way of going on the attack and working to isolate and demonize Israel,” she said.

Visit  BUY ISRAEL GOODS  Web site includes a store locator so people can find stores in their area that carry Israeli products. The BIG campaign is a partnership between StandWithUs and the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce.  StandWithUs is encouraging Israel’s supporters to take videos and photos of themselves purchasing the products and submit them to big@standwithus.com.

StandWithUs created a flyer listing “Six Reasons You Should Oppose Boycotting Israel”.   One reason, the flyer lists, is that boycotting Israel hurts the peace process by encouraging hard-liners and “does nothing to help the Palestinians improve their lives.” Shoppers should buy both Israeli and Palestinian products as “an investment in peaceful coexistence. “     www.standwithus.com/flyers/pdfs/saynoboycottsflyer3.pdf

StandWithUs has released an online button promoting the campaign for supporters to post to their Facebook walls. A physical button is also available to pin on your clothes, attach to your key chain, etc. Pick it up from www.standwithus.com    (limited to the continental US ~ I think!!)

THIS IS WHAT THE BDS CAMPAIGN STAND FOR .... LET'S DO OUR UTMOST FOR ISRAEL & DISMANTLE WHAT WE CAN SO THAT THEY FAIL IN THEIR GENOCIDAL PURPOSES .....

 BIG  NOT BDS ..... Buy Israeli Goods NOT Boycott, Divestment & Sanction!!!!

'BUYCOTT' THE BOYCOTT .... INVEST IN ISRAEL!!!!!!! 

 Let's defeat this Boycott by purchasing MORE Israeli Goods and INCREASING Sales !!!!!

CONSUMER BOYCOTT ~ Individual consumers can show their opposition to Israel’s project by participating in a consumer boycott of Israeli goods and services. A consumer boycott works in two ways: firstly by generating bad publicity for the offender and secondly by applying economic pressure for change. Pressurise supermarkets and shops into removing goods of Israeli origin – from their shelves. Encourage companies who make use of Israeli technology and components to find alternatives and join the boycott. Focus the attention of the world on Israeli occupation and apartheid and expose those who bankroll the Israeli regime; and to foster an environment in which it is unacceptable to promote Israeli policies.

ACADEMIC/CULTURAL BOYCOTT - Academic and cultural collaboration boosts Israel’s image on the international stage. By refusing to participate in cultural exchange, artists and cultural institutions globally can send a clear message to Israel that theiroccupation and discrimination against Palestinians is unacceptable. In particular, the academic boycott can have significant impact on the establishment that is responsible for promoting theories and knowledge necessary for the pursuit of Israeli policies of occupation and discrimination.

SPORTS BOYCOTT - To stop Israel from promoting itself as a “fair player” via the participation of its sporting teams and individuals in international and bilateral competitions and to raise public awareness about discrimination and occupation of Palestinians. Exclude Israel from sporting events and within global competitions such as the World Cup, Olympics etc. Promote Palestinian presence and right to participate in international sporting events as a way to support their right to identity and self-determination.

DIVESTMENT Encourage and pressure individuals, financial institutions and companies to shed their investments in Israel in order to curb the profits of Israel’s war and apartheid economy. To raise awareness about Israel’s policies and true nature among companies, and encourage them to use their economic influence to put pressure on Israel to end the discrimination and expulsion of the Palestinian people and the occupation of their land.

COOPERATION AGREEMENT SANCTIONS
The campaign against cooperation agreements with Israel targets free or preferential trade agreements, joint research and development agreements and projects as well any other sort of bilateral or multilateral agreements forged by Israel.
Aims
• Ensuring that Israel is not rewarded for its crimes with preferential treatments
• Curbing Israeli profits from its apartheid and occupation policies
• Acting as targeted sanctions, the end of cooperation agreements paves the way for a full scale sanctions regime.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SANCTIONS
Action at the level of local and regional governments aims to cut all ties between municipalities or regional councils and Israel at cultural, economic, and diplomatic levels. This can be achieved by passing measures or resolutions targeting Israeli produce, institutional ties and cooperation or investments and bonds the local government may hold in Israel.

MILITARY SANCTIONS
Raise awareness among the general public about Israel’s extensive involvement in the arms trade and the role of the arms trade in the continuing occupation. Bring the debate about Israel´s nuclear and conventional weapons arsenal and its criminal use as well as the implications of arms trading with Israel into the mainstream of public debate. Pressure governments to implement a blanket arms embargo on Israel. Bring forward legal prosecutions of Israel’s war criminals and arms traders and companies supporting Israeli war crimes.

TRADE UNION BOYCOTT
A trade union boycott of Israel means that trade unions cut economic, social and political ties with Israel and build ties with Palestinian unions. Trade unions should respond to the BDS call that has, among others, been put forward by the major Palestinian trade unions. Palestinian workers are suffering under Israeli apartheid policies of exploitation that aim to bring in the profits necessary to maintain the occupation. Trade unions globally must transform workers solidarity into practice and ensure that they are not indirectly providing financial support to the Occupation by propping up the Israeli economy. 

And Satire is Sometimes So Sweet .....