What Would Boycotting Israel Achieve?

[starshine]

I've seen many initiatives coming from the high up -- the intelligentsia refusing to give conferences in Tel Aviv, or from stars cancelling their shows in Jerusalem -- and from the bottom down -- consumers vowing they would not buy products from Israel, for example.

All of this related to the situation with Palestine and hoping to put some pressure on Israel to "play fair" or something.

What do you think is the chance that this sort of protesting would have effects on the situation? What sort of effects would this be? How BIG would the phenomenon need to become in order to make a change?

 

[orangesunset]

There is no need to boycott Israel, USA just has to stop giving them military aide. Probably at the same time USA should stop giving military aide to radical Islamic countries like Pakistan and Egypt.

Israel to some degree is a victim of short sighted American foreign policy. American foreign policy is extremely idealistic. And as a result it is prone to blowback.

Isreal is in a state of war, and in war there is no such thing as playing fair, there is only winning or losing.

 

[starshine]

Isreal is in a state of war, and in war there is no such thing as playing fair, there is only winning or losing.

Wrong. If that were true, we would not judge war criminals in higher courts, we'd just let the war crimes fall into "only winning or losing".

 

[globulon]

I'm not sure what a boycott would achieve. I know next to nothing about their country's finances, but what are Israel's main exports and do they contribute a significant amount to their economic well-being? Perhaps any consumer boycott of Israeli goods would be less than the sting of a mosquito bite to their economic health.

 

[Falcon29]

Hello @starshine , just to clarify the boycott is aimed at Israeli companies in settlements. Or any Israeli or European companies that contribute to funding illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. The boycott isn't against ordinary companies that deal with Israel. Specifically ones that contribute to the occupation. And it has brought results in some cases.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/w...tream-to-close-factory-in-west-bank.html?_r=0

...............

The larger movement is known as BDS and is growing on a daily basis. Here is official site for updates on their objectives/timeline as well:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/31/w...tream-to-close-factory-in-west-bank.html?_r=0

......

The ultimate goal is to make it impossible for Israel to continue it's occupation. And to also make sure Western nations aren't supporting it indirectly/directly.

 

[orangesunset]

Wrong. If that were true, we would not judge war criminals in higher courts, we'd just let the war crimes fall into "only winning or losing".

Where the allies charged after WW2 for the war crimes they commited ? The Japanese where charged and hanged for water boarding, GW Bush was not charged for allowing enhanced interogation.

Declassified WW2 documents show that British bomber command knew they where hitting civilian targets and didn't really care. The firebombing of Dresden was another controversial affair. A civilian city with limited tactical importance was intentionally set on fire.

Americans as the global policeman need to question their foreign policy.