Letters/Discussion Forums
BDS’ concern over the Palestinians doesn’t pass muster
Winning his second term, US President Barack Obama’s first visit abroad was to Israel where he stated: “Centuries of suffering and exile, prejudice, pogroms and even genocide” warning that those who denied Israel’s right to exist, “might as well reject the earth beneath them and the sky above, because Israel is not going anywhere”. Sending his message to the entire world including those thick-skinned BDS supporters, (it seems) was a message lost in translation.
Allan Wolman
Yes, BDS will bask in minor victories such as that cheap caper at a local gym last week (when Virgin Active personnel asked BDS’ Muhammed Desai not to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with BDS philosophy. The gym later retracted the “ban” and said it had been imposed in error).
It was more the stupidity of those who took offence and fell for his provocation that handed him his shallow victory and few moments of notoriety.
And watch this space: next BDS cohorts will rock up at the Norwood Hyper or other stores that Jews frequent, armed with T-shirts and a bevy of press photographers.
His even cheaper vendetta against Woolworths has got him perplexed to the point where he is now hopping mad that Pharrell Williams, the American rap singer, has ignored BDS’ call to cut ties with the retailer as well as his concert in Israel, as have the likes of The Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Paula Abdul, Maria Carey, Alicia Keys, Scarlet Johansson, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Madonna – and the list is endless, ignoring BDS’ call for them not to perform in Israel.
And how red faced are BDS at the mention of Google, Motorola, Oracle, IBM, Intel, Apple, Facebook, HP and another 300 foreign companies establishing major facilities in Israel.
In every endeavour of this malicious organisation, their hypocrisy is exposed: There is no call for a peaceful engagement between Palestinians and Israel, no call for a two-state solution, no concern for the plight of Palestinians being slaughtered in Syria and their abysmal treatment in other Arab countries.
It’s not about the Palestinians!
Rosebank, Johannesburg