New York State Assembly Passes Anti-BDS Resolution

[shira]

JNS.org – The New York State Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution rejecting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, becoming the latest state government to do so.

The resolution, which was introduced by Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley (D-Brooklyn) and was co-sponsored by 74 other members, rejects BDS activities that “undermine efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution and the right of Israelis and Palestinians to self-determination.”

http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/06/19/new-york-state-assembly-passes-anti-bds-resolution/

In related news...

The BDS movement is failing. Part 1

The BDS campaign (boycotts, sanctions and divestment) against Israel represents a malevolent, reactionary political force which is antisemitic in effect if not intent, in that it singles out Israel (and only Israel), the world’s only Jewish state and the state in the region with the best human rights record. Additionally, despite claims in the media to the contrary, prominent BDS leaders support violence and openly oppose the continued existence of the Jewish state within any boundaries.

http://ukmediawatch.org/2015/06/19/the-bds-movement-is-failing-part-1/

Looks like BDS isn't fooling people anymore by masquerading as peaceful human rights advocates seeking justice.

This was bound to happen sooner than later.

[shenmue]

1. About time

[King_David]

5. +1

Are you from there?

[shenmue]

7. Grew up in Queens

Yep.

[shira]

2. (From 2nd OP) Political BDS failures

The Tennessee General Assembly became the first state legislature in the U.S. to formally condemn the BDS movement.

South Carolina became first US state to take action against anti-Israel boycotts.

The Illinois State House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that prohibits state pension funds from including in their portfolios companies that participate in BDS.

US Congress is considering legislation that “would require U.S. negotiators to discourage trading partners from boycotting Israel or Jewish settlements in the West Bank”.

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) dropped their bid to suspend Israel from Fifa in a dramatic u-turn.

French President Francois Hollande made it clear that France opposes the BDS movement.

Universities U.K. opposes the Academic Boycott of Israel.

New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind is drafting a bill to combat BDS in New York. The bill would ban the state’s pension fund from doing business with companies that boycott Israel.

100 German business leaders are “preparing for a trip to Israel to meet with top businesspeople in an extraordinary show of support for the Jewish state”.

[shira]

3. Economic BDS failures

The Israeli economy “saw a huge growth” of 7% in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Cathay Pacific Airways, which won the World’s Best Airline Award for the fourth time in 2014, is looking into launching a new route from Hong Kong to Tel Aviv.

Swedish supermarkets back out of Israel boycott after media campaign.

After BDS activists trumpeted an alleged boycott victory, Orange telecom’s CEO told Binyamin Netanyahu that the firm will deepen ties to Israel.

Jimmy Wales, Wiki co-founder: “I am a strong supporter of Israel”

Washington State justices reverse a 2012 decision protecting a food co-op from being sued over its boycott of Israeli products.

A prominent Israeli activist group threatened the Park Slope Food Co-op with a lawsuit if the supermarket adopts a boycott of Israeli products.

The British business and innovation secretary declared that the U.K. and Israel had entered a “golden era” for trade. British Secretary of

State for Business, Innovation and Skills Sajid Javid said that he expected bilateral trade and services– currently valued at about $6.9 billion, according to Javid — to continue to grow.

[shira]

4. Cultural BDS failures

A neo-realist allegorical painting inspired by the biblical tragedy of Jephthah and his daughter by the Israeli artist Matan Ben-Cnaan has won the top prize in one of the world’s most prestigious portrait awards. Ben-Cnaan was named the first Israeli winner of the £30,000 BP portrait award at a ceremony at the National Portrait Gallery, London

Michael Douglas visited Israel to receive the $1 million Genesis Prize award, popularly dubbed the ‘Jewish Nobel Prize,’ for his efforts to promote Jewish culture.

The band One Republic came to Israel not only to rock Tel Aviv, but also to show support for the Jewish State by visiting IDF soldiers in the field.

Backstreet Boys return to Israel.

Iconic Britpop band Suede are returning to Israel. Four years after its last visit, English alternative rock group will perform at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv on July 30.

Art Garfunkel, one half of the legendary duo Simon and Garfunkel, returned to Israel on June 10th for a solo show at Bloomfield Stadium.

American diva Dionne Warwick said that she has no plans to cancel her upcoming Tel Aviv performance, saying that “art has no boundaries.”

Wildly popular American rock band Bon Jovi will perform in Israel in early Oct.

[bravenak]

6. Lol!

Eldery celebrities still go to Israel, awesome.
I see the fear of bds and it makes me know that it is working.

[shira]

8. Well, okay. But BDS has been failing big time recently....

...with no "wins" to speak of.

[bravenak]

9. It's winning with millenials.

That's around 90 million folks. Ten years from now, they oldest of them will be in their 40s and the youngest will be voting age. This is just the beginning.

[King_David]

10. I don't think so... That's just wishful thinking by some

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134106526

[bravenak]

11. That's about Jewish millennials.

I'm speaking about the general population.

[shira]

13. If support for Israel is going down among millenials....

....while going up in support of Hamas, that's nothing to be proud of.

That's a big leap towards fascism.

[bravenak]

18. Who said anything about Hamas besides you?

You are the only one who brought up Hamas.

[shira]

42. If anti-Zionist BDS propaganda is any indication, then it's clear....

....that increasing hostility towards Israel is directly related to support of Hamas.

Those who have the biggest problems with Israel....

a) are generally for the destruction of the Jewish state which would imperil Jews worldwide
b) condone Hamas using Palestinian children as human shields and combatants
c) condone Hamas' treatment of women, gays, & christians in Gaza
d) condone Hamas' terror in the form of "resistance", "self-defense", and "freedom fighting"
e) condone Hamas' genocidal charter that demonizes and calls for the killing of all Jews
f) can't be bothered to give a crap about Palestinians oppressed, brutalized, or murdered by non-Jews (see Syria)
g) support Apartheid vs. Palestinians in Lebanon while also supporting Apartheid in a future Jew free Palestine
h) care more about the human rights of militant Hamas psychopaths than people killed in Syria, Darfur, N.Korea, etc..

I could go on.

It's all easy to prove in any conversation with anyone hostile to Israel representing the Israel-Sucks brigade.

[King_David]

15. Jews are like different from Gen Pop ?

[bravenak]

16. Their support for Israel is much higher, it seems.

[shira]

12. The BDS cultists on their 'victories', by Norm Finkelstein

You talk about BDS, they make all these claims about their victories. Well you know what? You see these ten fingers? These more than suffice to count all their victories. There are superfluous fingers here, to count all their victories. It’s just, it’s a cult. Where the Guru says we have all these victories and everyone nods their head and nobody sits down to do the arithmetic on their own. I see Veolia mentioned like 20 times a year. They keep repeating it as if it’s a new victory. How many victories are there? Let’s not get carried away! I hear them say BDS is the most successful tactic. Yes it’s had some victories. No question about it. But the way people promote it, as if it’s proven itself, and it’s on the edge, on the verge of a victory of some sort, it’s just sheer nonsense. It’s sheer nonsense. It’s a cult. And I’m personally, I’m tired of it.

[yeoman6987]

30. They will grow up and support Israel

Every college student dips their toe in things and once they figure out it was wrong they stop. It's a cycle that started well before Millenials and won't stop after them. Process of gaining maturity.

[bravenak]

31. I don't think so. Israel has changed since back in the day.

It has gotten increasingly right wing in it's government. I thought the last Knesset was bad until I saw the new Knesset. It will make bds go into overdrive. Especially if there is another mowing the lawn operation.

[yeoman6987]

32. We'll see. Boycotts rarely work

Conservatives are boycotting JC Penny's and they are still here. A lot of folks have boycotted South Carolina for 20 years and nothing comes of it.

[bravenak]

33. BDS was successful in South Africa.

[yeoman6987]

34. We are far different from South Africa

But we will have to wait and see how it turns out. Maybe it will work or maybe it won't. Time is the only way to find out.

[bravenak]

35. Bds is about Israel, not the US.

Israel has many similarities to apartheid SA.

[King_David]

39. Really there was Gay rights and rights for women and a diverse society in South Africa?

Really?





Your views are clearly marginal in the USA with a few thousand that think like that and 100 of those posting here on DU.

[King_David]

38. That's wishful thinking

The world has always been against Israel at any age...
But not in the USA and I can't see progressives supporting a Liberal democracy with full rights for women and LGBT over a mysogenistic extremely homophobic state such as Palestine is today ( especially Gaza one of the 5 worst homophobic states in the world today on a par with Uganda and IS)

[Israeli]

40. BDS is the last hope the Palestinians have left bravenak....

......for their own State ......its either that or another intifada .

The Two State Solution is as dead as Oslo .....its never going to happen .

The future is One State .....but which kind of One State solution are we looking at ...????

The best thing about the BDS movement so far .....is that it has opened a dialogue amongst Israelis ....for the first time for a long time people are thinking about the cost of occupation ...not because they give a damn about the Palestinians ....but because of how its going to affect them .

So ....keep up the pressure ....BDS wont bring down Bibi and Co. ....especially when America puts this kind of pressure : ...
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.661943

What americans tend to forget ......is that there is another universe out there ....its called the rest of the world ....and it does not revolve around America .

[King_David]

41. "the rest of the world ....and it does not revolve around America" .

Really ?

Oh yes it does !

[shira]

43. All the Palestinians have to do is agree to 2-states & it's all over with

They could agree to the Clinton Parameters, Geneva Initiative, Olmert's 2008 offer...

They could've agreed to the 1937 Peel Plan or 1947 Partition Plan.

====================================

It's not all about making Israel pay.

Israel has been asking for a divorce for years, but the Palestinians keep saying "You can't divorce me, you're still beating me".

====================================

None of this ever factors into the thinking of BDS'ers.

Why?

[bravenak]

44. I agree.

[King_David]

45. True

[oberliner]

14. Chris Brown to perform in Israel, Demi Lovato in talks for Tel Aviv shows

Hip hop artist Chris Brown will arrive in Israel for a concert at the Rishon LeZion Amphitheater on July 27, while American pop star Demi Lovato is in talks to perform two concerts in Tel Aviv's Menora Mivtachim Arena.

Lovato's management has been in talks with Israeli producers over the past few weeks, but they have yet to sign a deal to bring the X Factor judge to the Holy Land. The Menora Mivtachim Arena has already been booked for two concerts, in any case.

Israeli producers said Lovato is expected to arrive in Israel in 2015, probably around November, or next year at the very latest.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4670362,00.html

[bravenak]

17. I never pay attention to woman beaters. Like Chris Brown. He has lost alot of support since the

beating. Demi Lovato is not very political, so maybe she just wants to go.

[oberliner]

19. Damian, the youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley, will be making his Israeli debut on 24th June

Damian Marley

Damian, the youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley, will be making his Israeli debut on 24th June 2015 at Live Park (the Rishon LeZion Amphitheater). Beginning his musical career at the age of 13, Damian released three studio albums as a solo artist starting in 1996. His third studio album released in 2005, ‘Welcome to Jamrock’, was eventually certified gold, and his collaboration with international superstars including the likes of Nas, Skrillex and Gwen Stefani showcased his immense talent as an international dancehall and reggae star. Damian’s music reflects his Rastafarian beliefs, focusing on one love, one planet and freedom for all nations. This performance will be a feel-good highlight for Reggae and Dancehall fans.

http://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/israel/articles/summer-concerts-in-israel-top-6-international-performances-of-2015/

Plenty of celebrities both young and old coming to Israel to perform this summer.

[bravenak]

20. The Marleys are long time Zionists.

[King_David]

21. Justin Beiber

[bravenak]

22. He is a little criminal too.

He also says racist things, not very progressive, imo.

[King_David]

23. Lady Gaga

[bravenak]

26. Poor thang.

[King_David]

24. This young melleniel you talking about?

Roger Waters

That washed out HAS BEEN?

[bravenak]

25. Is that the guy from that band?

Never listened to him.

[King_David]

27. Exactly

[bravenak]

28. Hee hee!

[grossproffit]

36. Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey.

I'm sure they're bums too, right?

[bravenak]

37. I called no one a bum. I said it was awesome.

[Jefferson23]

29. So they are a threat. n/t