Israel boycott falsely linked to anti-semitism

The global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel aims to focus international attention on the 43 year occupation of Palestine and the continued abuse of human rights in the area through a ban on Israeli goods and services.

According to the Israeli Defence Forces Civil Administration, close to 500,000 Israelis now live in settlements deemed illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention in the occupied territories, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing plans to build a further 1,300 homes in November last year.

Marrickville has become the first council in Australia to challenge Israel’s actions by joining the BDS campaign, but the move has received heavy criticism from the electorate’s Liberal candidate Rosana Tyler, who commented to the Daily Telegraph that Marrickville’s community, half of whom were born overseas, do not like foreigners and “hate everyone”.

However, Ms Tyler later denied the comments made in the January 16 edition, stating to the City Hub that she was misquoted and only meant to refer to Marrickville council members as “xenophobic”.

“People in the electorate have contacted me and told me their concerns about the boycott,” Ms Tyler said. “If their child happens to attend a local government childcare centre… at certain festival times of the year, Christians are allowed to give each other presents. Will Jewish children be allowed to practice their religion?”

Mayor of Marrickville, Fiona Byrne, said there is no way the boycott will impinge on the religious freedoms of residents.

“We have worked very hard over the years to ensure our residents feel connected. Our support of the BDS is a practical measure to communicate to any institution which supports the occupation of Palestine.”

Vivenne Porzsolt, spokesperson for Jews Against the Occupation Sydney, also believes that the decision should not be framed as anti-Semitism rather than a legitimate action to defend human rights.

“We feel the challenge to all criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic is dishonest and distracts from the reality of Israel’s dispossession of the Palestinians and its continuing oppression of them.”

While Ms Tyler believes that issues such as these should be dealt with only at a federal level, the Government’s record of confronting Israel over its human rights abuses remains weak. In 2008-2009, Labor remained silent as Israel wiped out 1400 Palestinians in the Gaza War.

The mayor said that the decision to join the boycott is well within Marrickville council’s jurisdiction, and those who have criticized it for not focusing on local issues are out of step with the nature of Marrickville’s community.

“Marrickville should speak out against injustice, no matter where it occurs,” said Ms Byrne.

BY MILLY CAFFREY