Quakers to boycott products from Israeli settlements
Details:-
Quakers in Britain have agreed to boycott products from the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The settlements are illegal under international law. Quakers consider that this boycott is a nonviolent move for peace for Israelis and Palestinians. The decision makes clear that Quakers are not boycotting Israel...The decision was made on Saturday (2 April) by the representative decision-making body for Quakers in Britain, Meeting for Sufferings. The Meeting has not yet considered a Quaker view on divestment and sanctions. The Meeting heard that most Jewish Israeli peace groups support boycotts of settlement products.
Actually, I would suggest that the Jewish revenant communites in areas of the Jewish patrimony, Eretz-Yisrael, recognised by international law as being part of the process of the reconstitution of the Jewish national home are the ultimate non-violent act of peace and justice and of right.
The 'settlements' and infrastructure are not existing "on Palestinian land" but it is the Arabs who reside on Jewish land, conquered in 638 and subsequently occupied by them for some 1300 years except for the years of the Crusader Kingdom, Britiush Mandatory rule and the illegal Jordanian occupation and annexation.
Their Quaker slogan - “People matter more than territory” - excludes Jews from being people. Arab claims are taken at face value but better Jewish claims seem to be rejected.
The portrayal of the reality as if it is a matter of an "armed oppression of poor people" is ridiculous. First of all, it were the Arabs who first used armed violence against Jews starting in 1920 and earlier. Secondly, it was the Arabs that consistently refused any coimpromise or other negotiated resolution of the conflict for the past 90 years. Third, it was the Arabs who established the terror "Palestinian Liberation Organization" in 1964 to attack only Israel and that, at a time when the "territories" in question were not under Israeli administration nor any so-called 'settlements' existed. That was before the 1967 war, initiated by the Arabs.
Not only by purchasing Arab goods while boycotting our produce but the Quakers, by buying into the Arab propaganda is a most foolish, immoral and not-very-religious thing to do.
Their statement that
We are not at this time proposing to boycott goods from Israel itself, being unwilling to jeopardise continuing dialogue with Israelis and British Jews.
is a sop for their conscience.
I guess maybe you should address your comments to her:
For interviews contact Anne van Staveren on 020 7663 1048.
or to here:
General enquiries should go to the main switchboard at Friends House:
020 7663 1000, fax: 020 7663 1001, email: enquiries@quaker.org.uk.
Our central offices
Friends House
173 - 177 Euston Road
London
NW1 2BJ
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8 comments:
First thing first, I for one, am going to boycott Quaker's products and shall inform others to do the same.
I shall do that based on Quaker's own statements, not based on opinions of others who sell me "a bill of goods".
Before taking sides or adapting a position on any matter, a company such as Quaker, which has business activities around the world, should consider the precedence being set by their actions, even more so, when such actions are based on false information.
It takes very little to review the history of "people" and or regions, especially when such history begins over 5000 years prior.
They determined that it is best for them to side with the occupiers (Palestinians), they should suffer the consequences along with the country they are based in.
Do they have anything to do with the Quaker oats, those used to make porridge? If so, I must find a different producer of that product, and alert all my friends to the necessity of a counter-boycott.
Cereal making company named Quaker Oats has no connection with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
"The name was chosen when Quaker Mill partner Henry Seymour found an encyclopedia article on Quakers and decided that the qualities described — integrity, honesty, purity — provided an appropriate identity for his company's oat product."
Harry's Place has had some discussions about Quaker meeting houses in the U.K. being made available to some extremely illiberal Muslim organizations. Harry's Place does not keep the comments up permanently, but you can still find the original articles posted there. I think you'll find this article interesting:
http://hurryupharry.org/2011/03/14/what-on-earth-is-going-on-at-friends-house/
I can't decide whether this is out and out hypocrisy or simple and dangerous naivete - my money's on the latter. It's almost criminal for alleged Christians to abrogate all sense of morality in the service of being "open minded"
Suffice it to say I have lost all respect I ever had for Quakers who subscribe to such infamy in the name of their faith, often without being aware of the complexities and context of the I/P issue. Wilful ignorance is certainly no excuse for stoking hatred.
Thanks, Shimon. That's good, because I eat a bowl of porridge every Melaveh Malkah and I wasn't looking forward to searching for a new company making it. But if it even had to come to forsaking porridge altogether, I'd have done that. How dare they think it illegal for Jews to build on their own land!
What products do these schmucks produce anyways? I didn't find anything on their website.
Please don't blame the poor old porridge makers. The Quakers are a religious sect, not manufacturers of foodstuffs. I'm afraid this Quaker stance (not unanimous because I am a Quaker and I am appalled by it) is a product of naivety, ignorance, and idealism, an unfortunate but common combination. They have been soaking up Palestinian propaganda for years.
Sally, I am glad that you aren't as beset by stupidity as your co-religionists, but what are people like you doing to try to educate your brethen and sisters?
"We're not all like that" can be as bad if people bystand and leave these fools with their ignorance.
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