From: Bill Wharton (email suppressed)
Date: Tue Dec 12 2006 - 18:14:01 PST
> B> exclusionist rhetoric
>
> You stood up against anti-Boerist boycotts of South Africa in the 80s,
> right?
To compare South Africa to Israel is quite a stretch.
South Africa pre-apartheid was basically a nation plantation, where a huge
majority of South African blacks were suffering under apartheid. The large
majority of Israelis are well represented within their own government, there
isn't a huge under-represented class within Israel like there was in South
Africa. So Israel isn't even remotely ripe for revolution (and rightly so)
like South Africa was pre-apartheid.
There is however, a large under-represented class in Palestine. Thieves and
thugs strong-arm Palestinian leadership into it's own intifada hell by not
letting its leadership move forward and recognize the right of Israel to
exist. Instead of culturally boycotting Israel, why not be *productive* and
support the building of factories in Palestine? Why not promote the arts in
Palestine? They need jobs, an economy to have hope and to renounce violence.
Why not visit and spend money in Palestine? I spent around a $500 dollars
when I travelled in Palestine (in the West Bank), and my God were they
thankful for the tourism and a chance to express themselves to outsiders for
their desire for resolution.
Also don't forget that South Africa's neighbors didn't openly call for the
genocide of all South Africans, like Israel's neighbors often do. South
Africa's neighbors weren't even close to getting a nuke with which to
seriously threaten the existence of South Africa. Many in the middle east
believe that Israel won't exist in a generation, and sadly, many relish in
this belief. By supporting this Cultural Boycott of Israel, aren't you
relishing in your own little way this dark little secret of yours? Do you
recognize and support the existence of Israel? Or do you want to isolate it
and secretly wish it went away?
Why not support be pro-semitic and pro-arabic and support Israel and Palestine?
Let's start an Cultural Anti-Boycott of Israeli and Palestinian works!
From someone who wishes peace, prosperity and *production* between these
beautiful sister countries!
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