By Luke Thomas
June 3, 2010
Following a botched Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters, the San Francisco Green Party is calling for a worldwide boycott and divestment of Israel.
At least nine human rights activists died, and 30 were wounded, when armed Israeli commandos abseiled from helicopters onto the decks of ships carrying aid for Gaza. At least one of the dead is a US citizen of Turkish origin.
In a statement published on its website, the SF Green Party is “actively engaging in a full boycott of all purchases of products and services, the financial gains of which will accrue to any individual or entity within Israel, until Israel is in compliance with all United Nations-recognized international laws; all resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council; and, all decisions and directions by all United Nations-recognized international courts, regardless of Israel’s participation in or ratification of such courts.”
Other organizations including Jewish Voice For Peace and Evergreen State College are also calling for a divestment of Israel. The national Green Party, in a statement released on its website, condemned the attack and is calling for “immediate action from the US, including emergency orders from President Obama to cut off all aid to Israel.”
“The violation of human rights has been ongoing and is very egregious,” said SF Green Party spokesperson Erika McDonald. “Peaceful yet drastic measures are required. We think this is the only solution at this point.”
Luke Thomas
Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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The Hunger Site
June 9, 2010 at 7:06 am
@Luke, are you suggesting that daily FCJ commenter Ruth R. Snave is actually Arthur? Arthur who? I’m losing interest in commenters unwilling to I.D. unless I know it would put them in danger, e.g., some of my Rwandan friends.
June 5, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Nuclear warheads walk,
And bullshit talks. Netanyahu has 400 nukes which can be delivered up to 7,000 miles to within 100 yards cpm (the Jericho II) to sea based missiles from a post-apocalyptic strategic reserve. Israel is far more dangerous to the peace and survival of the world than North Korea.
h.
June 5, 2010 at 4:47 am
Too often, I am hearing the blame-the-victim defense or there shall be no public criticism of Israel or criticism of Israel is somehow a new anti-Semitism. You cannot rationally excuse Israel for killing at least nine aboard the international aid Gaza Freedom Flotilla with dozens more wounded. Clearly, Middle East peace is not a high Israeli priority.
June 4, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Oh. My. F-in. God.
Stop sniping about the Green Party for a sec and step back and think about the big picture. Why exactly is there a boycott? What are people boycotting?
One look at this disgusting, racist video, and it all becomes clear (if it wasn’t already):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOGG_osOoVg
This shocking piece of garbage was created by an Israeli group linked to a right-wing Washington think tank, and got out when Israeli officials emailed it to a large group of journalists. The officials later apologized, saying that it was intended for their perusal and not for the journalists. Thing is though, some Israelis (and right wing US Zionists) are actually proudly disseminating it now!
This video represents a society whose moral compass is so completely astray, that it is completely divorced from reality. The rest of the entire world is condemning this deplorable crime, but Israeli society seems completely oblivious to that. This is a society that *not only* thinks murdering civilians is perfectly fine, but *LAUGHS* about it! And… AND, not only do they think that murder and racism is riotously funny, but they actually think it’s *good PR* to create a racially insensitive video and flaunt it for the world to see.
Wow.
June 4, 2010 at 3:04 pm
From Harvey Milk Club Co-President Denise D’Anne:
Absurd opinion:
Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, opinion blaming the victim on Israel’s attack on the Flotilla is absurd. Everyone agrees that the Israeli forces attacked the ships in international waters. If there was resistance it is a normal reaction to masked men with weapons landing from a helicopter. The Jews were criticized for not resisting during the horrible Holocaust times, but now resistance is criticized. As far as is known not one Israeli was killed or even wounded in this recent incident.
Sincerely,
Denise D’Anne
June 4, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Arthur, there are times when you say things that are constructive and add to the discussion in ways that transcend the average poster. But you also have a tendency to exploit every opportunity to level the same old tired attacks.
June 4, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Boycott Extremely Well Organized
I say free speech Luke. The more we let these fools rant in public the more they marginalize themselves.
If Arthur was actually paying attention to objects more distant than his computer keyboard, and actually went out into the world to see what is going on, he’d discover that there is an incredibly robust and -very- well organized global boycott and divestment movement building rapidly across the globe, and in nearly every college campus; and the SF Green Party is simply joining that movement.
Just as South Africa’s impunity was ended, so shall be Israel’s..
Eric Brooks
San Francisco Green Party
June 4, 2010 at 10:47 am
Dear Luke,
Thanks for the encouragement to smoke pot.\
However, I’ve found that cultivation of the mind and development of character provide a better route to enlightenment than any drug. However, I acknowledge that many in the city’s progressive circle disagree.
I’ll guess you’ll have to ban me from FCJ. I’ve never been one to shut up in the face of the threats.
I’ve enjoyed our debates. Sorry you haven’t.
Farewell, and good luck to you in providing cover for the politicians you support.
June 4, 2010 at 10:06 am
Arthur, you’re getting close to being banned from FCJ. Your continual baseless, opportunistic attacks reflect an inner bitterness. You should try yoga, meditation, maybe even smoke a joint now and then to help ease your manifest enmity.
Consider this a warning.
June 4, 2010 at 9:52 am
Boycotts are one of the most difficult projects to carry off. You need careful planning, effective organization, and diligent follow-through.
The efforts of Martin Luther King Jr and Mohandas Gandhi are examples of how boycotts can be effective if they are intelligently planned and carefully executed.
However, merely standing up in the market place and shouting “Boycott!” is just another form of acting-out. All it does is to give the shouter a sense of moral superiority.
How did the Greens in SF get to be so dumb? Is it all the drugs, or what?
June 4, 2010 at 8:51 am
Yeah, I’ll admit my bitterness as some of the fallout of Greens going Dem actually fascinates me as to the rapid decline in overall efficacy of the alleged progressive movement, as if going Dem is critical to legislative success. For we all know it’s NOT ABOUT MAKING GOOD CAREER MOVES, RIGHT??? Proportional representation can only work within one party is the new Orwellian mantra, I guess… ;-|
June 3, 2010 at 8:38 pm
The 8,500+ SF greens can still rely on the vapid gesticulations of those bent on not realizing one’s self determination (i.e., Palestine) is more important than to sucking up to the crusty ass of powerful lobbying industries like AIPAC that make the Two-Party Bummer electorate addicted to the power of hopium more drain-bamaging than huffing glue fumes through a burnt-out crack pipe!!!
June 3, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Arthur, your continual harping is boring. Try being constructive for a change. It will make you feel better. Promise.
June 3, 2010 at 5:51 pm
What, there are still some Greens left who didn’t follow Ross Mirkarimi into the Democratic Party in order to promote his career?
Okay, let’s say there are a few left. This crew is going to organize San Francisco into boycotting Israel?
Or is this just another empty rhetorical gesture hanging in the air?
You decide.
June 3, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Two more ships today?
One flying Irish flag? It’s like watching a slow motion film of an airliner crashing or a train wreck. It could make you forget about BP’s well in a hurry.
I can’t help. Can you?
h.