Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Sunday 17 July 2011

"Prejudiced Fanatics Who Should Look Into Their Soul": Aussie MP On The BDS Brigade

Jewish politician Michael Danby, a well-known Labour member of the federal House of Representatives in Canberra, where he sits for Melbourne Ports, has been deeply and prominently involved in pro-Israel activism since his student days in Melbourne in  the 1970s.

"These people are prejudiced fanatics who should look into their soul," Mr Danby, who chairs Australia's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, has justifiably observed of the mob who (as videos I posted show) demonstrated raucously and bitterly outside the Max Brenner chocolate shop in central Melbourne on 1 July, when several policemen attempting to keep order were injured.
He continued: "While 1500 people are murdered in Syria, they launch their own sad little attack on a chocolate shop because it has stores in Israel.
 It’s a bit rich. Almost as rich as one of Max Brenner’s delicious Danish Toffee Hot Chocolates. I urge the good people of Melbourne to warm up over winter by savouring Max Brenner’s delicious delights.
 Boycotts of – and attacks on – Jewish commerce like this belong in the darkest chapters of our history books not in the shopping centres of Melbourne in 2011."
Noting that the BDS chanted "From the River to the Sea," Hamas’s taunting warcry for an Islamic state between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, Danby rightly stated.
"These people are not in favour of a Two State Solution. Hatred motivates these calls for elimination of the Jewish State."
According to a report by the antipodean J-Wire news service, he added that in the coming weeks the Labor Party will display a series of pro-Israel manifestations in line with the views of mainstream Australians, "90% of whom were sickened by the fanatics attacking police and the Israeli franchise."

Disgusted by the conduct of the BDSers choc-a-bloc with hate, Kevin Rudd, Australia's Minister For Foreign Affairs, last week joined Michael Danby for something sweet at Max Brenner's in Melbourne (they are pictured  above at the entrance, Mr Danby on the left of the photo).

It seems that Mr Rudd was especially moved by an article in the Sydney Morning Herald by the well-known Australian public intellectual Dr Gerard Henderson, a conservative columnist and executive director of the Sydney Institute, who's a supporter of Israel: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/jews-know-acceptance-still-has-its-exceptions-20110711-1haka.html

According to J-Wire, Max Brenner’s management has pointed out that despite the antics of the BDSers 26 Max Brenner franchise stores operate in  Australia and there are queues of people waiting to enter some of the new stores in Queensland.

Talking of Queensland, here's a bunch of "prejudiced fanatics" marching a few days ago in central Brisbane against Israel's "apartheid wall" – the security barrier that's been rather effective at protecting Israelis against attacks by homicidal maniacs with bombs strapped to their bodies.  These BDSers are egged on by "Justice for Palestine" activist Kathy Newman, a Socialist Alliance candidate at several elections who's expressed solidarity with the arrested "Boycott Israel 19" of  Melbourne on 1 July and has foreshadowed a protest outside Max Brenner in Brisbane next month: http://boycottisrael19.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/solidarity-from-brisbane/


Hat tip for the video: reader Shirlee

4 comments:

  1. It received very little attention but the decision of Israel's dwindling Left (I wish I knew of a more accurate, generally accepted label) to boycott settlement products in response to a proposed anti Boycott law makes attacking BDS just so much harder. It further blurs the red line between one of us and enemy of us.

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  2. I really don't know what to make of that new law. My instinct is to support it, but a number of doves (who insist they are, despite appearances, hawk-ish) fluttering around me insist it's a bad piece of legislation.

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  3. I don’t see what the problem is. One is able to sue a person who calls for a boycott and it ensures those who do, lose their ability to tender for government contracts.

    See the laws in place in the US.

    …courtesy of Eli E. Hertz of “Myths and facts”

    The Antiboycott laws under the U.S. Export Administration Act of 1979 [as amended in August 1999] were written specifically to protect Israel from the Arab League and other Moslem countries.
    On Monday, July 11, 2011 the Knesset [the Israeli Parliament] passed an Antiboycott law against those who promote and call to boycott Israel.
    Israel’s Attorney-General claims that the Israeli boycott laws’ border on unconstitutionality. A look at the U.S. Antiboycott laws objectives, should be helpful in defending the Israeli law.
    “The [U.S.] Antiboycott laws discourage, and in some circumstances, prohibit U.S. companies from furthering or supporting the boycott of Israel sponsored by the Arab League, and certain Moslem countries, including complying with certain requests for information designed to verify compliance with the boycott. Compliance with such requests may be prohibited by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and may be reportable to the Bureau.”
    The U.S. Laws Prohibits among others:
    “Agreements to refuse or actual refusal to do business with or in Israel or with blacklisted companies.
    “Agreements to discriminate or actual discrimination against other persons based on race, religion, sex, national origin or nationality.
    “Agreements to furnish or actual furnishing of information about business relationships with or in Israel or with blacklisted companies.
    “Agreements to furnish or actual furnishing of information about the race, religion, sex, or national origin of another person.”
    Acting against the U.S. laws is considered a criminal behavior and carry with it penalties of up to $1 million and 20 years imprisonment per violation.
    For the entire U.S. Antiboycott Compliance text see: http://www.bis.doc.gov/complianceandenforcement/antiboycottcompliance.htm#boycottlaws
    http://law.justia.com/cfr/title48/48-4.0.4.34.40.2.1.10.html

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  4. Thanks, Shirlee - just rescued your comment from the "Spam" folder!

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