On Jul 22, 2010, at 10:31 AM, SA wrote:
> On the third hand, all of these objectives can be satisfied with BDS of *US* (or other) firms with investments in Israel or that do business with the Israeli mil-ind complex, so I can't understand why there's a need to target Marks and Spencer, a campaign that really does creep me out. Finally, if there's one rationale that does *not* trump anything it's that some number of Palestinian groups are calling for BSD. There may be a duty to stand with your own society's victims, but there's no obligation to slavishly adopt their political analysis. The ultimate objective of a solidarity campaign (if it's ever to work) is to change politics in the *US*, and I don't see how Palestinian groups are better placed to judge various tactics on that front.
By the way, there's something to the J Street argument that AIPAC is more and more a paper tiger whose bluff is worth calling. It would seem a lot more fruitful use of activists' time to topple some Congressional pillars of Israeli support than organizing boycotts of sandals and olive oil.
Doug