BDS activism has had remarkable successes since its July 2005 founding – coincidentally around the same time I began writing in retirement at age 70.
I’m a proud cultural BDS member. I urge everyone to get involved for justice. Its global boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign is the most effective form of civil resistance against longstanding Israeli occupation harshness, colonialism, and apartheid – continuing without letup until Palestinian liberation is finally achieved.
Dramatically declining Israeli military exports represent one of many BDS success stories – down 53% from their 2012 level (from $7.5 to $5.5 billion in 2014 – and an estimated $4 – 4.5 billion in 2015).
Last week, heads of Israel’s four leading defense companies requested an urgent meeting with Netanyahu to discuss their “significant crisis.”
“It has been several years since the IDF and the Ministry of Defense had a multiyear plan,” they said. “Meanwhile, there have been major changes in the defense sector smaller budgets, more competition, less desire for Israeli-made products, and the growing demands to transfer know-how and work abroad.”
“The defense industry in Israel is in the midst of a major crisis,” they stressed. Exports are plunging. Budget priorities are hurting them, they added.
“The current budget and recent events will not enable the Ministry of Defense and the IDF to be the wind in our sails…Countries are buying fewer weapons.” Increasingly, Israel’s are less desirable. Their purchase supports apartheid.
BDS activism campaigns hard against military trade with Israel. Growing numbers of foreign political parties and trade unions called for ending military ties with a nation persecuting Arabs for not being Jews.
According to BDS National Committee general coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa, “Israeli military companies market their products on the basis of their successful use in Israel’s massacres of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, yet it now seems that growing public awareness of and opposition to Israel’s war crimes are starting to hit Israel’s military exports.”
“Governments must meet their legal obligation not to provide aid or assistance and, on the contrary, to act to put an end to Israel’s violations of international law by implementing a military embargo on Israel as was done against apartheid South Africa.”
“Israel is currently operating a shoot to kill policy and brutally repressing Palestinian protests against its regime of occupation and apartheid.”
“Israel’s ability to oppress Palestinians depends on the willingness of governments and companies around the world to cooperate with Israel’s military, weapons industry and military research institutions.”
Six Nobel laureates urged support for a military embargo, affecting exports and imports. US policy is disturbingly polar opposite, providing Israel with billions of dollars annually and much more, intending to increase military aid by hundreds of millions of dollars more.
Two nations support each other’s killing machines, in lockstep against peace, stability, equity and justice – run by fascist lunatics, waging war on humanity, profiting from racist hate and human misery, monsters vital to stop.
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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2015/10/boycott-israel-resistance-works.html