Galloway video: Stop Gaza Massacre

by Heritage | January 11, 2009 at 09:58 pm

424 views | 31 Recommendations | 12 comments

Update Jan 14 2009 Gaza death tolls passes 1,000, more than 300 are children.

George Galloway, MP for Britain's Respect Party, speaks eloquently and forcefully about the current massacre in Gaza.

"The Bush and Blair Corporation…the BBC, has become the English language arm of the Israeli Defense Force, during this invasion."

"Let me appeal to the journalists, the decent journalists, from the BBC, to insist that those who are keeping the journalists out of the Gaza Strip, are not allowed to dictate the terms of reference made by the BBC."

"Why is every Palestinian fighter a militant? These people are the legitimate Armed Forces of the elected government of Palestine."

"I don’t believe the British government understands the terrifying risks it is running with the policy that it is pursuing.

You’ve heard me say this here before.

They’re [British government] always looking for a Muslim cleric to ban, some Muslim organisation to proscribe, some hapless imam to blame for the radicalization of Muslim youth.

How radical do you think Muslims in Britain are feeling after two whole weeks of watching this slaughter in Palestine?"

He ends with a call to Boycott Israeli products.

This video (10mins 58secs) was shot on the 8th of JANUARY 2009 in London
Meeting: Palestine Solidarity Campaign
STOP THE WAR ISRAEL OUT OF GAZA

http://www.zmag.org/zvideo/2976

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djermano

at 23:12 on January 11th, 2009

I don't support a Boycott. We need to create a New Israel and create jobs for the people.

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/building-new-israel-forever...

Rev.

Heritage

at 05:37 on January 12th, 2009

A Boycott is a peaceful action that, I believe, is more symbolic than anything. It would raise awareness and create space for informed debate among citizens and pressure (shame?) our impotent governments to act.

We should learn and draw strength from the Boycott of apartheid South Africa.

SOLARLIFE

at 00:49 on January 12th, 2009

djermano....I don't support a Boycott. We need to create a New Israel and create jobs for the people.finally someone got the picture what to do 5 economy points from solar for djermano and 5 points for solar, the Gaza Palestine state needs a family farming economy with access to export ports . Anyway Oranges from Israel dropped already 50% in price, supermarkets had to remove the label, people not buying anymore in france

Heritage

at 05:08 on January 12th, 2009

Gaza Palestine state needs a family farming economy with access to export ports

Access to ports? Without a Boycott this will never happen. Our governments and the UN can't, or won't, force Israel because of the US protection.

A Boycott creates opportunities for conversations between individuals, a starting point for discussion. Currently, particularly in the US, criticism of Israel often leads to an accusation of anti-Semitism (Galloway mentions that that accusation was levelled at him) which limits the debate.

We can take action right now by Boycotting Israeli goods.

Julius Nyerere, Former President of Tanzania, wrote about the Boycott of South Africa in 1959:

[Letter by Julius Nyerere to the editor of Africa South, October-December 1959]

We are not being called upon to make much of a sacrifice. We are not being called upon to go hungry and court imprisonment. That is the lot of our brothers and sisters inside South Africa. We are being asked to substitute other goods for South African goods, however much of a sacrifice this may mean to our suffering brethren in South Africa itself. We are not being called upon to support or not to support the oppressed in South Africa. We are being called upon to stop supporting those who oppress them.

Paschen

at 00:39 on January 12th, 2009

A boycott can only work if the US and Israel are being boycotted at the same time.

Heritage

at 05:22 on January 12th, 2009

So that means individuals should simply take no action?

Julius Nyerere: Former President of Tanzania

1959

..resolutions and prayers to the United Nations are not enough in themselves. Governments and democratic organisations grind very slowly. Individuals do not have to. The question then is what an individual can do to influence the South African Government towards a human treatment of its non-white citizens.

As individuals we can and should use what little influence we have to effect change.

Paschen

at 09:10 on January 12th, 2009

Heritage, by all do respect do not twist any once words!! It does mean what is written.

Every one has to act up on their on conscience and means and will. If one does want to act and do some thing then they should and have to boycott the US as well as Israel in order to have an impact. And hopefully many will do so. I am doing so for Years. So far not to many have followed suit and why this madness is still going on.

Heritage

at 09:13 on January 13th, 2009

Apologies Paschen, I had interpreted your words to mean that it won't work so why bother.

I agree with the need to boycott the US as well. I have also been actively avoiding US and Israeli products for about five years.

ms. negativity

at 05:42 on January 12th, 2009

In the U.S. it is actually illegal for a company to boycott Israel -- incredible!

Heritage

at 06:05 on January 12th, 2009

Thanks for raising this important point.

If American groups/businesses etc decide to boycott a particular nation it is completely legal.

The antiboycott provisions are intended to prevent United States citizens and companies being used as instrumentalities of a foreign government's foreign policy. The EAR forbids participation in or material support of boycotts initiated by foreign governments.

In the United States, the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) apply to all "U.S. persons", defined to include individuals and companies located in the United States and their foreign affiliates. The antiboycott provisions are intended to prevent United States citizens and companies being used as instrumentalities of a foreign government's foreign policy. The EAR forbids participation in or material support of boycotts initiated by foreign governments, for example, the Arab League boycott of Israel.

..the EAR only applies to foreign government initiated boycotts: a domestic boycott campaign arising within the United States that happens to also have the same object as the foreign-government-initiated boycott is completely lawful, assuming that it is an independent effort not connected with the foreign government's boycott.

Anti-boycott organizations often attempt to claim that domestic boycott campaigns that are not related to a foreign governmental boycott are in violation of these regulations; unfortunately, for them, their claims are untrue, and potentially unlawful. Inducing government action through lies or fraud, attempting to suppress free speech through intimidation, or falsely claiming that a domestic boycott campaign is foreign governmental in origin may, in fact, constitute conspiracy against civil rights, a Federal felony, punishable by fine and imprisonment. Provided that an individual or an organization does not act at the behest of a foreign government's boycott, or foreign organizations responding to a foreign government's boycott, it is completely lawful to choose to--or to choose not to--engage in commerce with anyone they please for any reasons they wish.

Best,

Heritage

djermano

at 18:07 on January 13th, 2009

Boycott means sanctions. Sanctions don't work. They kill people. One only needs to see how it didn't work for Iraq, and how it didn't work for Zimbabwe. S.Africa it didn't work....because really they needed jobs and reform which Mandela was able to inspire. It is a matter of redirecting money flows. Less into Military and more into clean energy and economic projects that solves a political necessity in stopping war. BoyCotting Israel or the USA is a fatal mistake.. It's like throwing out the baby with the dirty bath water....and quite difficult to achieve... They have more power to Boycott the boycotters as well..So we need to think about working together to end violence and create jobs and real helpful ideas. I am always against Boycotts and Sanctions... They just don't work..

Rev. Jermano

gerrypopplestone

at 19:40 on February 15th, 2009

I don't really support a boycott but I feel so angry at the way Israel persists in settlement building, and ignoring public opinion and what the military did in Gaza that I guess I automatically boycott Israeli goods! And I like your flashing logos esopecially highlighting the numbers 729.