Chomsky on Israeli Boycott

[Peter K.]

Gar quoting Chomsky:
>>  divest from companies sending arms to Israel.  Personally, I was in favor
>>  of both of those provisions.  There is also a brief mention of divesting
>>  from Israel, which I thought was a mistake.  For one thing, it's quite
>>  meaningless; for another, it is a gift to the most extreme supporters of
>>  Israeli violence and repression.  They realized it, and seized on it.  That
>>  has been the focus of a hysterical attack on the petition (and on me;
>>  fanatics find it useful to claim that divestment is my nefarious doing, and
>>  the fact that I was opposed to it is, of course, irrelevant).

I agree with most people here that the academic boycott is a bad idea.
However, what's wrong with divestment? How does it differ from what
was done with South Africa, besides the wishes of the target population?
Desmond Tutu is for the idea. The US may be supplying the funds and
arms, but the Sharon government  is carrying out the military campagin for -
in its eyes - Israel's benefit. Was the campaign against South Africa a
gift to its supporters?

Peter