I'm normally with you on cynicism about leftists, but I do we think that even if we can't always walk and chew gum at the same time, we are capable of both breathing out and breathing in. We can agitate against official support for Israel, and ALSO boycott Israeli goods. I have an Israeli acquaintance who, while well to to the left of the extremely right wing current Israeli norm is also not great on Palestine. Peace Nowish. And she was taking an anit-boycott stand. Saying, yeah we should treat the Palestinians better but this kind of thing is not the way to do it. And then the Pixies canceled their concert in Israel. And all of the sudden people were discussing the Palestinian issue with her. The oppression of the Palestinians had cost them a chance to see the Pixies, and all of the suddenly it became more real to therm. And now she is shaken up and thinking that maybe a boycott is not such a bad idea.
20 people can go see their congresscritter. And maybe it will eventually have an effect. And maybe it won't. But won't have any immediate effect. It won't get any press converage. But 20 people (well more like a hundred) got the Olympia Co-op to stop carrying Israeli goods. And that costs some businesses in Israel money today. And it gets press coverage today. And I don't see how it detracts from the longer term struggle against U.S. official support Israel. But in the meantime it is a very direct withdrawal of support of at least a tiny part of the U.S. population for that policy.