Dutch Treat #tipvanmieke

Its enough to made a BDS'er drink heavily.

Earlier this week, BDS hole and Electronic Intifada contributor Mieke Zagt posted a photo of an Israeli wine display at the Hema Dutch grocery store on Twitter, claiming the wines were from "occupied Palestinian lands". 

Ummm. No.

The Efrat Winery is located in Tsor'a, well within the green line.

The reaction to Zagt's post was buycott classic.  People flocked to the stores to buy wine, and filled social media with selfies, using the hashtag  #tipvanmieke

Within hours, #tipvanmieke was trending on Dutch Twitter, and the Hema stores sold out of the wine.

Via the Dutch Paper DeTelegraaf,  and google translate

Thats the way you do it.  Buycott Israeli wines and all Israeli products, and spread that BDS fail sunshine, all over the world.

Its a BIG deal: Buy Israeli Goods Nov. 30 and Always

It’s a BIG deal: Buy Israel Goods Campaign November 30
From the Israeli advocates at Stand With Us:


On Tuesday, November 30, anti-Israel activists in New York City plan to demonstrate and call for boycotts of stores that sell Israeli products. Their target is Ricky's because it carries Ahava goods. But this action in New York is just one of many. Boycotters have been energetically lobbying other stores across the country to drop Israeli products, from local co-ops to Costco and Trader Joe's.

The pro-Israel, pro-peace community urges you to join a counter campaign. We are making November 30 a BIG (Buy Israeli Goods) Day. Let us show anyone that calls for boycotts of even one or two stores, that it will always be met with a much larger counter-movement to buy Israeli goods.

StandWithUs and the America-Israel Chambers of Commerce calls on schools, college campuses, synagogues, community organizations, and individuals to designate Tuesday, November 30, as the day to actively Buy Israeli Goods. Go to your local stores and request Israeli products. Whenever a boycott is called, respond by purchasing the very Israeli goods that are being targeted and let store managers know they should keep them well-stocked on the shelves.

The holiday season is fast approaching. When you go holiday shopping, choose presents from the wonderful array of Israeli-made items, from fine Israeli wines to the high quality Ahava beauty products, Israeli jewelry, shoes and clothing lines, and of course, food. Select Sabra or Tribe hummus, great Israeli wines and Osem cookies to grace your holiday party.

We must defeat the boycotters who advocate destructive instead of constructive measures, who undermine hopes for peaceful co-existence, and whose only goal is to defame, cripple and damage Israel.

We can defeat them if we join together. The very date, November 30th, should encourage us. It comes the day after the 53rd anniversary of the UN Partition Resolution when the effort, against all odds, to restore the Jewish State was endorsed and recognized by the international community. It also comes just as Hannukah is approaching when we celebrate the Maccabees who also restored Jewish independence, and who were a few who triumphed over the many. We can do the same, and shine a light on Israel for all people of good will.

On November 30th, go shopping for Israel no matter where you live. Buy for Israel. Buy for peace. Be a big part of this BIG (Buy Israeli Goods) Day.

Where can you buy Israeli products locally?

Try here.

Beautiful! Another failed Ahava Boycott in NYC

The Buycott Israel strategy is paying off throughout the country. From the redwood highway to the gulf stream waters, people throughout America are supporting Israel with their pocketbooks and with their consumer choices.

Empowered by the Ahava buycott in Silver Springs Maryland that led to empty shelves, Ahava lovers in NYC tried the same tactic- with similar results.

Ricky's- an independent health and beauty supply store has been besieged and bullied by Code pink and other anti-Israel forces for months. But this time, Brooklyn was ready to fight back.

Rabbi Aaron Raskin of Congregation B’nai Avraham on Remsen Street in Brooklyn sent out an action alert, and congregants responded. Ricky’s employees said that they sell out of Ahava products every time there is a protest.

Code Pink- Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If your goal is to have an economic impact on Israel, you may want to try a different strategy. For the rest of us, even if you
don't live in NYC, you can show Ricky's and Ahava some love by buying the products mail order.

Port Townsend: Another Co-op rejects BDS.

Via Judy Balint in Israel

"Last month when I was visiting Seattle, I had the opportunity to take part in a "hearing" of the Olympia Food Co-op whose board had voted to boycott Israeli products. The 15,000 Co-op membership had not been consulted and some of them were upset--not that they were pro-Israel, they were ticked off that the Board had not consulted the members before they launched the Co-op into progressive history by becoming the first co-op in the nation to boycott Israel.

More of that later--in another part of Washington state--the charming, quiet community of Port Townsend--another Israel boycott was brewing. This time however, saner voices prevailed and Jewish activists from all over the state, led by the Seattle StandWithUs group, together with a flurry of letters and op eds in the local paper, resulted in a "no" vote on the boycott last night."

The PTLeader reports:

The Port Townsend Food Co-op board Tuesday voted 4 to 2 to reject a proposed boycott of products made in Israel.

After listening to more than 50 co-op members speak passionately for and against the proposal, the board approved a motion stating that the proposal was inconsistent with the co-op’s boycott policy.

The board concluded that policy does not allow the co-op to take a stand on issues involving countries.

“We are not in the business, fundamentally, of adjudicating international issues,” said board member Rick Sepler.

“That is [just] not the business the co-op is in,” said board member Steve Moore, adding, “It is not why we were elected.”

***

Port Townsend joins the Davis Co-op and the Seattle Co-op in rejecting BDS. Still being ravaged by the BDs'ers is the Scaramento Natural Food co-op. Patricia Daugherty and her partner Maggie Coulter have moved their attentions from Davis to Sac, in search of a BDS victory that remains as elusive in Northern California as Susquach. Want to help defeat the forces of darkness ?

Send emails to the Sacramento Natural Food Co-op and tell them the boycotts are a divisive tool that fragment our community and do nothing to futher the cause of peace in the middle east:

Emails of both Board and Policy Committee:
snfcboard@yahoo.com, michellereyn@gmail.com, sjbrancamp@aol.com, steven_maviglio@yahoo.com, adienst@sbcglobal.net, sonemi@comcast.net, rhdjr65@aol.com, paigelyn@sonic.net, barbara.mendenhall@comcast.net
* * *

Visit the co-op and buycott, buycott, buycott!
Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
1900 Alhambra Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95816
The Co-op is currently selling several Dead Sea products from Israel, including Masada Dead Sea Mineral Bath Salts, Ancient Secrets Dead Sea Mineral Baths, One with Nature soap, Dead Sea Warehouse Mud Mask, Bath Salts, and Salt Soap. The Winter gift giving season is nearly upon us. Think about a making a gift basket for Mom with these wonderful products.
Buy your tofu, tempeh and beautiful organic vegies. Put your receipt into the suggestion box with a note- I shop the co-op AND I support Israel.
And keep your eyes open for other attempts of BDS'ers to infiltrate our beloved institutions

So, Hows' that Boycott Going? The epic fail of BDS

Israeli economic growth unexpectedly accelerated to an annualized 4.7% in the second quarter of 2010, growing at its fastest pace in over than two years. The Israeli economy's rebound from the global financial crisis has been powered by exports, with sales abroad (excluding ships, aircraft and polished diamonds) increasing in July to $3.8 billion.

“This is really an economy running on all pistons,” said Jonathan Katz, a Jerusalem-based economist for HSBC Holdings Plc

How are the BDS'ers reacting? I imagine them sitting in a dark room, with their hands over their ears chanting "La. La. La. I can't hear you". A recent email sent by local Al Awda extremist Dr. Jess Ghannam showed the myopia of the BDS movement. Jess is a regular on the local anti-Israeli front, recognizable by his signature accessory , a jaunty black "Che beret." Yeah, he's like that. Jess touted some of the key successes the BDS movement has achieved, but seems to have missed what many of us have noticed- the tremendous failures and the lying, in an effort to achieve that longed for "momentum". Jess and his cohorts have always displayed wholesale disregard for standard economic indicators.

In Jess's world, JVP attempt to pressure retirement fund Tiaa Cref to divest from Israel Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) was a success. Yet Tiaa Cref. said "No". And also in Jess-land, BDS hoaxes Hampshire college, Blackrock , even Costco no longer selling Holiday gift packs after the holiday season ended- well, to Jess, these are victories.

Dr. Ghannam, as a psychologist, what does it means when someone is so self deluded? How would you diagnose someone so far removed from reality? We want to help, Dr. Ghannam, really we do. We're Zionists and we care.

Boycott Divestment Sanction Israel : great youtube from Stand With Us

Interesting how activists that genuinely seek peace and mutual cooperation are threatened and ostracized by those seeking Israel's destruction, and how moderates on both sides have become the real victims of the self labeled "progressive" BDS movement.

Gaza Flotilla Action Permitted Under International law

Why,yes, thank you for asking. Israel's actions towards the Gaza Armada were legal under International Law.

San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, 12 June 1994

PART III - BASIC RULES AND TARGET DISCRIMINATION
SECTION V : NEUTRAL MERCHANT VESSELS AND CIVIL AIRCRAFT
Neutral merchant vessels

67. Merchant vessels flying the flag of neutral States may not be attacked unless they:

(a) are believed on reasonable grounds to be carrying contraband or breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search or capture;
(b) engage in belligerent acts on behalf of the enemy;
(c) act as auxiliaries to the enemy s armed forces;
(d) are incorporated into or assist the enemy s intelligence system;
(e) sail under convoy of enemy warships or military aircraft; or
(f) otherwise make an effective contribution to the enemy s military action, e.g., by carrying military materials, and it is not feasible for the attacking forces to first place passengers and crew in a place of safety. Unless circumstances do not permit, they are to be given a warning, so that they can re-route, off-load, or take other precautions.

A different interpretation here:

Paragraph 47 lists ships that are exempt from attack.
(c) vessels granted safe conduct by agreement between the belligerent parties including:

(ii) vessels engaged in humanitarian missions, including vessels carrying supplies indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, and vessels engaged in relief actions and rescue operations;

The flotilla does not meet the minimum requirement because it was not granted permission by the other party of the blockade, Israel.

Even if it had been, the next paragraph mentions a major exception:

48. Vessels listed in paragraph 47 are exempt from attack only if they: (a) are innocently employed in their normal role;
(b) submit to identification and inspection when required; and
(c) do not intentionally hamper the movement of combatants and obey orders to stop or move out of the way when required.

URGENT ACTION ALERT - UCSD Divestment Vote

Action Alert: UCSD Vote on Anti-Israel Sanctions Wed May 5 6 PM Pacific Time

http://news.zionism-israel.com/2010/05/action-alert-ucsd-vote-on-anti-israel.html

**** UCSD VOTE IS IN A FEW HOURS - PLEASE CIRCULATE TO LISTS AND FRIENDS AND SHARE ON YOUR FACEBOOK WALL ****

Dear friends,

Once again UCSD students are voting on a motion to divest from investment in Israel. Please write to the addresses below and explain why it is unfair to single out Israel and wrong to use the campus as a political battleground.

If you are able to drive to San Diego for this, please do. The anti-Israel group is calling for their supporters to show up in huge numbers. The are saying that "This historic resolution is a huge step forward for our cause."

The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. at UCSD Price Center Ballroom East, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093 If you can't get there, then write. Below is a sample letter. DO NOT send the same letter. Do not copy any organizations on the letter. If you need to do so, send copies separately.

**** SAMPLE LETTER - PLEASE DO NOT USE THESE WORDS EXACTLY****

SUBJECT - VOTE "NO" on Israel Divestment Bill

Dear student representatives, You are called upon once again to vote for an anti-Israel divestment bill. The bill is part of a campaign by anti-Israel organizations being conducted in California. It is poorly disguised as a "neutral" bill. The activists are attempting to use campuses as a political battle ground for the delegitimation of Israel. There is no denying that the UCSD divestment vote is about Israel and one-sidedly against Israel. The organizations and people that support it include Anna Balzer and PACBI.

Pacbi is a Hamas front that excoriates Palestinians who engage in dialogue as traitors who take crumbs from Europeans and Americans Supporters of divestment do not want to "end the occupation.," They want to end the right of self-determination of the Jewish people. They don't want peace with Israel. They want peace without Israel. The groups supporting this bill are nearly all anti-Israel and include, in addition to PACBI, the notorious "One Democratic State" and "Birthright unplugged" groups.

In what sense is the bill "neutral" as it claims? Anna Balzer explains eloquently that the bill is about divestment from Israel because of alleged Israeli human rights violations. Nobody can pretend that Anna Balzer is nuetral or that the bill is "neutral" in any way. There is no way that it can be claimed that the bill is about rights violations or occupation in general, or that it is neutral between Israel and the Palestinians. The description of Israeli "rights violations" is a one - sided demonization. There is no call in the bill to block investment in Gaza and the West Bank, though the regimes there certainly have committed grievous rights violations against their own people as well as against Israel. Hamas, which rules Gaza, is a genocidal organization that declares in its charter that it must murder all the Jews in order to bring about the end of days. It has killed numerous opponents and persecutes and murders Christians in Gaza. The United States government pays the salaries of Palestinian Authority officials who recently named a square in honor of Dalal Moughrabi, a terrorist who murdered a number of Israelis as well as an American tourist.

If the bill was "neutral" and not about Israel it would certainly mention the longest occupation in the world - the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the execution of numerous Chinese dissidents cited by HRW, and it would call for divestment from corporations like Google that do business with China. It would mention the egregious human rights violations of Saudi Arabia, and call for divestment from energy corporations like Aramco that do business in Saudi Arabia. It would call for divestment from Sudan which is conducting a genocidal campaign against Darfur. There is in fact a long list of real rights violators and occupiers, including Turkey, Iran and Egypt, that are still getting the business and investment of US corporations. If students are really interested in correcting rights violations, you need to focus attention on the real rights violators. On university campuses, Israel might seem like a demonic human rights violator. In Israel and Gaza the reality is different. Try to hold a gay rights parade or a Women's rights parade in Gaza or Tehran and you will find out all you need to know about "human rights" in the Middle East and who are the real violators.

**** END OF SAMPLE LETTER ****DO NOT SEND THE ABOVE TEXT PRECISELY


Addresses:
avpstudentorgs@ucsd.edu, asvpfinance@ucsd.edu, gbournou@ucsd.edu, avpconcerts@ucsd.edu, mchatrat@ucsd.edu, dachavez@ucsd.edu, bchirco@ucsd.edu, jdcondel@ucsd.edu, asadvocacy@ucsd.edu, vpofexternalrelation@gmail.com, tdhillon@ucsd.edu, asenterprises@ucsd.edu, jsgrossm@ucsd.edu, mguiboa@ucsd.edu, aspresident@ucsd.edu, thaglund@ucsd.edu, katiehall007@gmail.com, asvpstudentlife@ucsd.edu, k1hoang@ucsd.edu, c1hoang@ucsd.edu, ssjung@ucsd.edu, akenwort@ucsd.edu, o1khan@ucsd.edu, aselections@ucsd.edu, emlaw@ucsd.edu, velin@ucsd.edu, jlintern@ucsd.edu, dal022@ucsd.edu, asservices@ucsd.edu, bmceuen@ucsd.edu, nmetildi@ucsd.edu, bjng@ucsd.edu, pnuth@ucsd.edu, rorear@ucsd.edu, bpena@ucsd.edu, tppham@ucsd.edu, asdiversity@ucsd.edu, a2powers@ucsd.edu, dprevo@ucsd.edu, arvind@ucsd.edu, adsinger@ucsd.edu, jnstorey@ucsd.edu, lswerhon@ucsd.edu, asacademics@ucsd.edu, ctedone@ucsd.edu, cbthomas@ucsd.edu, jtriphon@ucsd.edu, mfvalent@ucsd.edu, a6vu@ucsd.edu, taweng@ucsd.edu, asvpexternal@ucsd.edu, awing@ucsd.edu, aslocalaffairs@ucsd.edu, asathletics@ucsd.edu

Thank you,

Ami Isseroff

Its Buycott Israel month!

From our Friends at Buycott Israel!

There seems to be no stopping the momentum BUYcott is gaining around the world. In addition to the new BuyIsraeliProductsNow campaign we told you about last week, a new project is starting this week: BUYcott Month (www.buycottmonth.com), a month-long campaign for buying from, investing in and celebrating the state of Israel.

BUYcott Month is a little offbeat, but promises to be a lot of fun. Supporters of Israel from around the world are being asked to send in photos of themselves or friends buying and enjoying Israeli products, taking part in Israel-related cultural events, "breaking" a boycott, or doing anything that celebrates Israel or fights anti-Israel activity during the month of March. As part of this campaign, these photos should include people giving what's called a "Finger-B" hand gesture to indicate their activity is part of the BUYcott Month project.

Are you buying Israeli products during Buycott Month? Having a couscous party? An Israeli wine tasting? An Ahava mud-wrestling match? We want your photos and your story. We’re ready to share pictures of you:

· Purchasing and enjoying Israeli products
· Talking with friends and colleagues about investing in hot Israeli companies
· Taking part in Israeli cultural events
· Counter-protesting at Boycott-Israel events

Or how about a dose of “Extreme Boycott” like sharing Israeli chocolates at the top of a mountain or at the bottom of the sea?

Don't forget- its your support that led to a 33% increase in Israeli exports in the last quarter of 2009. Lets kept the monentum going. Support democracy and buycott Israel!