Could become first city in U.S. to formally approve B/D/S
By Peter Fernandez
On September 13 a Boycott/Divest/Sanction Resolution against Israel will be considered by the Burlington City Council as area BDS enthusiasts, including Vermonters for Justice & Peace in Palestine, hope to see yet another proper pro-Palestine proposal pass in their seemingly never-ending efforts to shame and defame the Jewish State.
According to the Progressive Party USA website, Burlington would be the first city in the U.S. to formally adopt a BDS resolution.
The major problem with this misleading, malevolent manifesto is the historical – political inaccuracies behind the anti-Zion bias. “Whereas, the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” begins the resolution, “Gaza has been under military occupation since 1967.” This misleading statement infers that the West Bank and East Jerusalem is “Palestinian territory.” The frequently-used term “Occupied Territories” is inherently false since according to international law, the disputed territory never belonged to Jordan or the Palestinians. The once ob-jective media referred to the West Bank as the “Disputed Territories,” not “Occupied Territories.” Uprooting thousands of Israeli settlers in 2007, Ariel Sharon vacated Gaza in the hope of securing peace on their southern border.
The BDS resolution blames only Israel for Palestinian and Gazan woes, as an open letter composed by four Burlington area rabbis, printed in September 9, Vermont Digger issue affirms. “…While the resolution…appears to be productive…the content of the resolution indicates a one-sided effort to position Israel as the sole impediment to peace…The resolution’s answer to the false accusations being made is for the city of Burlington to support the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement – an organization with one guiding purpose-the elimination of the state of Israel.”
The Burlington religious leaders’ letter states also that “Sen. Sanders, Sen. Leahy, Congressman Welch, President Biden, former President Obama, governors from all 50 states, and every mainstream Jewish organization have rejected BDS. …The BDS campaign does not support Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and rejects a two-state solution.”
According to BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti, “A Jewish state in Palestine, in any shape or form, cannot but contravene the basic rights of the land’s indigenous Palestinian population…definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No Palestinian – rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian—will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.” Clearly, BDS and other chameleon hate groups disguised as progressive-liberal-peace & love organizations, such as Vermonters for Justice and Peace in Palestine, support the violent overthrow of Israel.
Consider Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh’s June interview with Qatari newspaper al-Lusail where he stated his terror group turned down $15 billion in guaranteed aid. Why? Because Hamas was required to abandon its terrorist mission against Israel.
“There were parties that came to us months ago, who we know had been paid off by major powers,” stated Haniyeh. “They offered us new projects in the Gaza Strip worth 15 billion. Of course, we said this is excellent, we want to establish an airport, and economic development projects in the Gaza strip.” He didn’t say anything about lining deep pockets like other Arab leaders, especially, Yasir Arafat, who, incidentally, wasn’t Palestinian, since he was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt.
Haniyeh was referring to President Trump’s peace plan, better known as “The Deal of the Century,” but it was doomed for two reasons, one being, of course, Joe Biden defeating the popular Republican incumbent in a questionable election.
Trump’s offer, Haniyeh reported to Al-Lusail, would include the end of the blockades by both Israel and Egypt – the other obstructing nation that the media, BDS, and other Israel bashers never seem to mention.
“We learned that, in exchange, we would have to dissolve our military factions and integrate them into the police,” continued Haniyeh, “and retire our weaponry, especially heavy weapons, the rockets that hit Tel Aviv and beyond.”
“They want to put an end to the existence of resistance and separate Gaza from the rest of the Palestinian national movement,” concluded the Hamas honcho. Sadly, gaining peace, a windfall of financial aid for his struggling people, and, finally, a nation, didn’t sit well for Haniyeh. He knows the dirty truth. Hamas Road is a cul-de-sac. The long suffering Israelis shake their heads, and answer the question, “Lama? (Why)” with another question. “Lama Lo? (Why Not?)”
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated after agreeing to peace accords. Still today, a Moslem-Arab leader who would make peace with Israel can condemn oneself to an assassin’s bullet. BDS doesn’t get it. And even if they did, it probably wouldn’t make any difference.
A frequent Vermont Daily Chronicle commentator, the author lives in Northfield.
Categories: Commentary
The vote has been “postponed “. Lots of pushback including from the mayor. Too bad the City Council doesn’t work on the significant problems facing Burlington instead of trying to ally themselves with an antisemitic movement intent on the destruction of Israel, a country on the other side of the world.
Good for the mayor, and good for the sensible people of Burlington, New York state’s latest acquisition.אמ ‘שראל כאו
Further proof that the only thing Burlington has going for it is that it is soooo close to Vermont.
Burlington for decades has been going to POT. I refuse to go to Burlington. It’s not the good likeable city anymore To many crazy liberals there. starting with that mayor, oh wait I should say started by that commie Sanders..
Actually, too bad they didn’t vote on it because it can always resurface to be voted on again. Had it won then Burlington would have been clearly shown to be the viper nest it has become. Interesting too that the lead sponsor of this bill is a black guy; guess diversity doesn’t apply when talking about Jews!
Vermonters for Justice & Peace in Palestine and the rest of these anti-Israel hate groups are truly tempests in teapots for they are not affecting any political change in Israel and/or the disputed territories. Maybe work in local reality. I protest because they deserve it. I’ve been hassled by such nasties and blacklisted by their cheering sections headed by The Burlington Free Press and the Barre Times, both papers blacklisted me for being pro-Israel. 7 Days just ignores anything pro-Israel. It just isn’t cool, man!
Also, If these left-wingers are really so politically evolved and pro LGBTQ, thy would back Israel, where diversity is truly celebrated. Try staging an LGBTQ Parade in any, Moslem nation, just pick any one, and see what happens.. The Israelis are so much more evolved and welcoming of alternate realities, sexual, artistiic, political, agricultural, etc. If the Arabs and Persians weren’t so proud and stuck in the past, Israel would love to have peace and lift them up in progress, but no. Glad I don’t live in Burlington anymore as I would have been there protesting their profane politics.
Shana Tova!
I disagree that BDS entirely represents an attempt to shut down Israel. However, what about sanctions against other countries with even worse human rights violations, such as Saudi Arabia?
I wonder about what Hamas was really doing. Even if given all of that aid, would its leaders really have kept the agreement to completely change its policies?
On the other hand, not every Palestinian who doesn’t want to end Israel’s existence is a “sellout”. This is the kind of polarization that continues conflicts, rather than equitably solving them.
Furthermore, Palestinians live in worse oppression from Israel than vice-versa. For every missle launched by Hamas, Israel launches dozens. For every Israeli killed, Israel kills a dozen or more Palestinians. Not to mention hundreds in bombing raids.
Israel regularly seizes the homes of Palestinians, their goods, their livelihoods. PhD’s have wound up digging ditches. Families homeless. Much of the reasons behind the Intifadas, especially the 1st, has been over wages. Israel exploits Palestinians for cheap labor.
This issue simply isn’t one-sided.