Now, There's a Boycott Idea

Well, you live and learn.

It seems someone is promoting a boycott of goods produced by the Arabs of "Palestine".

Palestinian calls for Palestine boycott

A campaign group has launched a boycott with a difference this week - calling on British shoppers to stop buying goods produced in the West Bank and Gaza.
Boycott of Palestinian Goods and Services (BPGS) is also asking traders to stop importing olive oil, figs, dates, soap and flowers from Palestinian sources.

Campaign director Muhsir Mutawakil, who claims in a press release(*) that he converted to Judaism in 1994, said Hamas's control of Gaza had resulted in "religious and gender apartheid" for 120,000 Palestinian Christians and more than two million women.

Rafah-born Mr Mutawakil, who claims he has held "successful" talks with British firms, said: "There is a growing realisation that fostering business dealings and exchanges in the travel, professional, educational and medical sectors with these apartheid-based regimes is counter-productive. Commitments made for 2009 are being renegotiated or dropped."

But, the local Jews reacted:

A Board of Deputies spokesman said it was unaware of BPGS and was opposed to boycotts: "We would like to see a time when peaceful co-operation between Israelis and Palestinians boosts the economies of both peoples. The first step is to encourage trade and not engage in sanctions."

*********

(*)
For Immediate Distribution
Successful Launch of Boycott of Palestinian Arab Goods and Services

VANCOUVER, November 10 -- Organizers of a new world-wide campaign to boycott imports of goods and services from so-called Palestine today expressed satisfaction with the inroads they have made in this regard.

Boycott of Palestinian Goods and Services (BPGS) CEO Muhsir Mutawakil said he is looking forward to global distributors shifting their imports of agricultural and horticultural products from Gaza and the West Bank towards other sources.

"The Islamic oppressive regimes in Gaza and Ramallah are enforcing apartheid rule against 120,000 Palestinian Christians and over 2 million women. This religious and gender apartheid must stop at once," he said.

He noted that the multinational business community is sensitive to handling tainted products from exporters who are engaging in war crimes. Accordingly, there should shortly be a measurable decline in shipments to Western markets, including Canada, of flowers, soap, handicrafts, olive oil, figs, dates, pita and Cremisan wine from "Palestine."

Mutawakil also reported successful discussions with the services industry in Canada, Australia, the USA and the UK. "There is a growing realization that fostering business dealings and exchanges in the travel, professional, educational and medical sectors with these apartheid-based regimes is counter-productive. Already, commitments made for 2009 are being renegotiated or dropped entirely," he said.

The BPGS campaign is proud to be receiving the assistance of lay and religious publics in the developed world. It is confident that just as apartheid South Africa was brought to its knees by the boycotts of international civil society, so too will the brutal Hamas and Abbas occupiers of Gaza and the West Bank be defeated by NGOs like us world-wide.

For Editors: Muhsir Mutawakil is a Palestinian Arab from the town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. His parents were tortured to death by the Hamas gang currently ruling Gaza. He converted to Judaism in 1994.

(Kippah tip: Steve Plaut)