Buy Israeli Products
Simon A. Waldman | 19.03.2004 14:42 | Analysis | Anti-racism | World
Israel is the biggest UK market in the Middle East and Israeli customers are supporting thousands of jobs in the UK. We have to maintain this by buying Israeli products too.
The Israel/Palestinian conflict engages world attention and sparks emotions of sympathy, outrage, and pity. Activists understandably take action to support a particular side. However, since the start of the Palestinian Intifada pro Palestinian activists have attempted to encourage policy makers and the public to boycott everything Israeli. This is shortsighted; boycotting Israel would be harmful to Palestinians, Israelis, and ultimately any kind of peace process.
Almost 20% of Israel’s population is Arab. Many Arabs in Israel rely on European customers to purchase Israeli products. Buying Israeli goods improves the living standards of both Jews and Arabs in Israel and therefore contributes to peaceful relations between them.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs who live in the disputed territories and work in Israel are benefiting from European customers. Boycotting Israeli goods means preventing jobs and businesses for these people too and can only lead to more suffering.
Israeli products are known for their high quality especially their agricultural and hi tech industries. Israel is the biggest UK market in the Middle East and Israeli customers are supporting thousands of jobs in the UK. We have to maintain this by buying Israeli products too. Israel and the UK share the same values of freedom and democracy. Israel is surrounded by unstable dictatorships.
Israel is in the forefront of fighting global Islamist terrorism that has already spread to North America, and Europe. Suicide bombings and other atrocities are being committed daily by Palestinian fundamentalists in Israel. These extremists must be isolated from mainstream Palestinian politics.
Economic unity is the only way forward. The economies of Israel and the Palestinians must have closer connectivity. This would better the living standards of Palestinians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad feed from the misery and poverty of the Palestinian people. Only through economic inter-dependency will the peace process get back on track. It is vital that we continue to buy Israeli products.
Almost 20% of Israel’s population is Arab. Many Arabs in Israel rely on European customers to purchase Israeli products. Buying Israeli goods improves the living standards of both Jews and Arabs in Israel and therefore contributes to peaceful relations between them.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs who live in the disputed territories and work in Israel are benefiting from European customers. Boycotting Israeli goods means preventing jobs and businesses for these people too and can only lead to more suffering.
Israeli products are known for their high quality especially their agricultural and hi tech industries. Israel is the biggest UK market in the Middle East and Israeli customers are supporting thousands of jobs in the UK. We have to maintain this by buying Israeli products too. Israel and the UK share the same values of freedom and democracy. Israel is surrounded by unstable dictatorships.
Israel is in the forefront of fighting global Islamist terrorism that has already spread to North America, and Europe. Suicide bombings and other atrocities are being committed daily by Palestinian fundamentalists in Israel. These extremists must be isolated from mainstream Palestinian politics.
Economic unity is the only way forward. The economies of Israel and the Palestinians must have closer connectivity. This would better the living standards of Palestinians. Hamas and Islamic Jihad feed from the misery and poverty of the Palestinian people. Only through economic inter-dependency will the peace process get back on track. It is vital that we continue to buy Israeli products.
Simon A. Waldman
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