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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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 Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:05 pm Post subject: UK: MPs pressing for sanctions against Israel |
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Time to get serious about Israel
A multi-party committee of MPs is pressing for sanctions over Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.
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You know that things are serious when a parliamentary select committee puts out a call for sanctions against another sovereign state. Doubly so when that state is supposed to be one of Britain's key allies in the Middle East. Yet today the House of Commons international development committee is calling on the Labour government to press for sanctions against Israel over its treatment of the Palestinian people. Things must be pretty bad.
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Europe accounts for two-thirds of Israeli exports, and suspending the preferences those exports currently enjoy would send the first proper message to Israel that its oppression of the Palestinian people is unacceptable.
That message is long overdue. The EU-Israel agreement should have been suspended years ago, as its own text states that it is conditional upon respect for human rights. In this regard Israel has already violated the agreement many times over. The UN's own special rapporteur, Jean Ziegler, among many others, has pointed out that the agreement should already have been suspended under its own terms.
The call for suspension of Israel's trading preferences is the first in a line of sanctions which the UK could take. Suspending arms sales is another obvious candidate. The UK has been approving record levels of arms sales to Israel over the past couple of years, despite admitting that it cannot trust Israel's claims that the weapons will not be used in its military operations against the Palestinian people. The government is now facing a court case on the issue.
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It would be nice if something came of this. The British government (just like the Americans) dragged its feet when it came to protesting against South African apartheid. Profits come before human rights. And it seems to me that even Thatcher was more even handed on the Israel/Palestine issue than Mr Blair, who has behaved disgracefully on this issue. Since the beginning of the second intifada, we should have been pressuring our ally to acknowledge international law and basic human rights. But then again...we haven't been much better lately...have we... |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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So, you think a trade-embargo, or increase in tarrifs or "sanctions" against Israel would change her behaviour? Do you see much evidence around the world that these policies ever accomplish more than:
1) making the people who create them feel good about themselves and
2) making lower income people in the countries targeted poorer? |
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Big_Bird
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: Sometimes here sometimes there...
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| Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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As a first step in putting pressure on the Israeli government to end this oppression, the UK should now urge its fellow members in the EU to consider suspending the EU-Israel association agreement, the cross-party committee says.
That agreement gives Israeli exports preferential access to the markets of the European Union. Europe accounts for two-thirds of Israeli exports, and suspending the preferences those exports currently enjoy would send the first proper message to Israel that its oppression of the Palestinian people is unacceptable. |
It pretty much worked in South Africa. The business elite realised that sanctions were really hurting their pockets. That's when things changed.
Annulling this agreement would really hurt Israel. The agreement is supposed to be suspended anyway, because Israel has not kept to the conditions of the agreement, which require it to observe human rights. Why should we have such an agreement, if no-one is required to honour their side.
Lastly, it is probably the poorest people who most rigidly support hardline and racist policies in Israel. Perhaps if they are forced to suffer the consequences of this illegal occupation, they might start thinking twice about supporting it. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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Other than South Africa? Or, maybe you could reference how many times these things have failed... Who really is harmed by trade restrictions? You say "profits", but that is because you don't understand trade. The more trade an economy has, the more competition it has. You want to increase "profits", well, get your government to prevent others from competing with you.
Why do you think Korea is so expensive? Who do you think that benefits?
Who would profit from decreased trade with Israel? Domestic producers who right now are competiting with the Israelis! Ugh. |
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Nowhere Man
Joined: 08 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject: ... |
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| but that is because you don't understand trade. |
Indeed. We tax it. Hence, we're trying to discourage it.
Imagine the peace of a world with no trade. |
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thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Actually, that is kinda right nowhereman. Restrictions on trade for any reason are done by people who have an emotional objection to trade in itself. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:54 am Post subject: |
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| Well, you can argue that the state of Israel is similar in some ways to the apartheid regime that was present in South Africa with the bulldozing homes, pushing Palestinians out, Jewish-only roads, job discrimination etc... Of course, Israel is changing for the better. It recently appointed an Arab-Israeli minister and has a moderate Arab as a judge, it withdrew from Lebanon, Gaza, and torture has been reduced. I would not oppose sanctions against Israel if the world community would also apply sanctions to the Sudan because of what is happening in Darfur which is far worse in terms of deaths than what is happening to the Palestinians by far. The Arab countries are too silent when it comes to the Sudan and very vocal about Palestine and the U.S., in kind, shelters Israel for facing the music when it comes to its abuses. It is one thing for private organizations to boycott and another for governments to do so. This is very tricky. I think Israel should be pressured to the withdraw from the Shebaa farms of Lebanon and Syria and Israel should be pressed to get into negotiations. That would be more productive rather than pushing for sanctions. |
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