Sunday, March 14, 2010

The enemy within

Samah Sabawi, who was born in Gaza and now lives in Ausralia, is a Human Rights and Social Justice advocate and she also appears to be an excellent journalist as her well researched article "Is the PA Guilty of Undermining BDS Campaign?" demonstrates. Nevertheless, as she herself knows, Netanyahu's so-called "economic peace" is about a great deal more than just undermining the BDS campaign. However, it woud be unfair to criticise Ms Sabawi here on semantics as she in fact points out with with an implicity that is so clear that it is in fact explit the real implications of a policy which is aimed at cementing the occupation and not ending when she provides us with an insight into just what this "economic peace" is.

In doing so, she also shows us how the PA, despite Saab Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator and Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister of the PA, contending something very different, is actually colaborating in a form of economic imperialism and exploitation by its participation in monthly Joint Economic Committee meetings at the highest level. Moreover, she appears, quite rightly, to see no little hypocrisy in this happening at a time when the PA maintains that there will be no talking to the Israelis until there is a settlement freeze.

Of course, the current state of corruption in the Palestinian Authority is such that the farce of the "economic peace" will continue as long as that "select class", which benefits through the short term gains continues to do so. After all, it is that "select class" that makes up the leadership of the PA. Therefore, what we have is much more than Ms Sabawi's contention that the PA is guilty of undermining the BDS campaign; we have a disgusting little native "elite" and its sycophants not only actively participating and facilitating Israeli and international companies exploiting Palestinians as cheap labour, but also ensuring that these colonists will have that “made in Palestine” stamp that will allow their products to access world markets. That might explain the particular explit refereence to the BDS campaign being undermined. However, let us not forget that Israeli economic actiivity in the international territories is illegal under international law and that if this still doesn't provide the occupation with any legitimacy, it does furnish  a ready made argument for the Zionists in its favour. That is really why the PA is not only failing its people, but is also actively contributing to their destruction. Yes, undermining the BDS campaign is one facet of this destruction. However, the magnitude of this crime is far greater than one of undermining a movement that was launched in 2005.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent points, well tied together.

A friend claims he bought dates at Sainsbury's about four months ago, labelled, he thinks, "West Bank" dates. He thought his purchase would go some small way to helping the West bank (Palestinian) economy).

Googling the brand he discovered that these dates are usually produced and marketed by Israeli settlers in the occupied territories.

As economic activity by the Israelis on occupied lands is contrary to international law, then if his information were correct wouldn't it mean that Sainsbury were complicit in an illegal activity?

Anonymous said...

Now I have just seen your link (Flouting its own laws ..." under the Global BDS movement section) which deals with the issue I commented on just now - the sale of produce that is labelled incorrectly by Israelis.

I'll check out the dates myself this week.