Just Who Is The Clown?

Dan Ephron, Newsweek Bureau Chief, deals with the subject of Israel's discomfort and opposition to the Arabs of Judea and Samaria, aka the Palestine National Authority, boycotting goods made in the Jewish communities, their neighbors.

He claims this Arab policy can't wreck Israel's economy. Of course it can't, even if he suggests that

...Israelis fear that a successful boycott of settler goods would catch on elsewhere. While consumers in the Palestinian territories lack the economic muscle to inflict much pain on Israel, their counterparts in Europe—Israel's biggest market—have plenty of leverage.

Where has Dan been? He knows not of the global BDS movement? The UK outlandish activities? The EU regulations on produce identification of origin?

In his piece, Boycott Blues, he does note that many would consider a campaign like that as

...aimed at delegitimizing Israel generally and not just Israeli rule over Palestinians. Israelis worry that a targeted boycott of settlement-made goods—something considerably less radical—would have a better chance of gaining momentum, and they might be right.

Of course, anyone suggesting that the so-called "Palestinian Arabs", that "Palestinianism" and such is non-legitimate historically and legally and is just another instrument of the Arab Muslim world to eradicate Israel and Zionism would be castigated and branded beyond the pale. The opposite view always seems to be acceptable in polite society.

He also points out that

boycotts stir bad memories for Israelis...Israeli exports are still officially banned in most Arab countries...

And he concludes,

A return to the bad old days must be a bitter pill for most Israelis. Even when it's administered by a clown.

Well, what is a bitter pill is that Arabs seem to prefer, more than anything, more than peace and an end to killings and recriminations, to do as much harm to Jews, even if it means harming themselves in the process. Their hatred is overwhelming. Just when diplomatic steps are improving, they go ahead and start in with separation, distancing (what happened to "proximity"?) and anger.

Arabs who need money will suffer. And what happens if some Jews counter-boycott? Can the PNA economy survive something organized along the lines in which the Arabs operate?

Will they begin killing Arabs for selling land to Jews again?

Don't they have a perception of reality and fairness and peace?

Just who is the clown in this matter?