BDS ROOTED IN LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Learn more, visit: http://australiansforpalestine.com

by: Samah Sabawi

A response to Greg Sheridan’s ‘A Party of Ignorant Extremists’.

The Australian’s unrelenting attack on the Greens and the Boycott Divestment

and Sanctions campaign continued today with Foreign Editor Greg Sheridan’s

opinion piece entitled “A party of ignorant extremists” April 7, 2011.  In

this piece, Sheridan lists a number of services Israel offers the

Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and asks if the Greens are willing to

boycott these institutions that provide health care, electricity and jobs

for Palestinians.

First of all, the services listed fall under Israel’s obligations as an

occupying power under the 4th Geneva Convention.  They are offered on a very

limited basis and are paid for by the PA from International paid funds.  The

insinuation that Boycotts of Israel would harm the Palestinians is at best

patronizing. The call for Boycotts came from Palestinian Civil Society, and

is supported by most Palestinians living today in the iron grip of

occupation.  To try to brand the occupation as being good for the

Palestinians reflects a colonial outlook which Palestinians strongly reject.

This orchestrated campaign of misinformation and slurs launched against the

Greens in Marrickville is intended to send a chilling message to all

politicians.  Speak out on the rights of Palestinians and you will be called

extreme and anti-semitic.

Anyone who has been involved in the BDS campaign knows that a growing number

of Diaspora Jews as well as Israelis from within have also joined this call

because they view it as the only way to save Israel from its path of

self-destruction. Our politicians here need to understand that as well.

Throwing around words like ‘supporting the two state solution’ is empty

rhetoric in light of the facts on the grounds today.  If not boycotts, I’d

like to know what our elected officials are doing to ensure the viability of

the two-state solution?

Israel has used decades of negotiations with Palestinians only to expand

their settlements and to entrench their occupation. A look at the

Palestinian Papers Leaks provides a clear picture of how much Palestinians

were willing to compromise – including on the right of return – and how

uninterested the Israeli government was in making any head way.

It needs to be made clear that the call for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions

is fully rooted in International Humanitarian Law and that the demands made

by the BDS call are fully in-line with Australia’s stated foreign policy on

the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  BDS demands an end to the systematic

discrimination against Palestinians citizens of the state of Israel, an end

to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land as per UNSC resolution

242 and for Israel to meet its obligations under International Humanitarian

Law and UN Resolution 194.  How can any of these three demands be considered

extreme or anti-semitic?

BDS activists, Israelis and Palestinians firmly reject the idea of turning

their human tragedy into a football match, with members of our government

here in Australia choosing teams, this one is pro-Israel and that one is

pro-Palestinian.  Palestinians and Israelis have had enough of being used

for political gains.  BDS activists want the governments of the world to

take a pro-justice and pro-human rights stand.  Supporters of the BDS

amongst the Greens should be congratulated for supporting justice and

equality in Palestine/Israel and for endorsing a movement that is rooted in

International Humanitarian Law and the Universal Declarations of Human

Rights.

Samah Sabawi is the public advocate of Australians for Palestine.

LINK: http://australiansforpalestine.com/42424

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