Buy Israeli Goods day

Two years ago I wrote [1] of the difference between an acronym [2] and an initialism (or alphabetism) [3]. Essentially an acronym’s a pronounceable word (e.g. NATO) where an initialism’s pronounceable only by its letters (e.g. FBI). The initialism I most detest is BDS. Applying to Israel, it denotes boycott, divestment and sanctions [4]. In the 22,964 days since 14 May 1948 when Israel declared independence, she hasn’t known a single minute of peace. She’s a robust liberal democracy with strong legislative, executive and judicial arms. And she has a free media plus many other checks and balances that ensure a tolerant and fair society. But none of this matters to the lunatics who promote and support BDS. They label Israeli society as apartheid even though, should they open their closed minds to look, it’s self evidently not [5]. And once a year they hold Israel Apartheid Week [6]. From my vantage point here in rural Tasmania, I see that Israel needs to fight these scurrilous slurs. But she’s always done a poor job of it. And she still is. It’s clear who’s adopting an apartheid policy [7, 8]. Set against this background, today’s Buy Israeli Goods day [9, 10]. It’s been created to counter an annual BDS day of action – which is today too. So today, if possible, buy at least one item made in Israel. And tell the store owner what you’re doing. You don’t need me to tell you what you’ll achieve by doing this. Thank you.

Of dwarves and giants

Elvis Costello. Carlos Santana. The Pixies. What have they in common? They all cancelled concerts in Israel – as a gesture of political protest. I guess their fame and wealth went to their heads. Gave them a feeling of power that they don’t know how to wield. Or a feeling of cowardice and pusillanimity that they do. Because their boycott of Israel portrays them as intellectual and emotional dwarves. Compared with their colleague whose attitude and actions are those of a giant. A person of substance. Backbone. Courage. Independence. Ian Anderson (pictured) is he [1, 2]. Almost 63 years old, he’s the founder, leader and front man of the British rock group Jethro Tull [3, 4]. No Israel boycott for Ian. After receiving ‘some pretty nasty stuff’ from Israel’s enemies, he wrote a response on the band’s official Web site: ‘Basically what I wrote was: Don’t f***ing tell me what to do. I make up my own mind in light of available facts, with my own experience and a sense of personal ethics’. So on August 6, 7 and 9 Jethro Tull concerts in Israel went ahead as planned. Not only that, but included were two riffs from Hatikvah – Israel’s national anthem (at about the 4:00 and 5:10 mark on the YouTube clip [5]). Stirring stuff. And as if that’s not enough, the band donated its proceeds from the three shows to ‘bodies representing the development of peaceful co-existence between Muslims, Jews and Christians, and the fostering of better Palestinian Israeli relations’. Makes Costello, Santana et alii pathetic and ridiculous. Which they are