The Threat of Interational Apartheid Week

The Threat of International Apartheid Week

As some of my readers may know, the period of time from March 1-14, 2010 has been designated “Apartheid Week” worldwide. You can see more about this attack on Israel’s legitimacy by going to www.apartheidweek.org where the venom of the organizers is clearly spelled out and shared in a video as well.

The theme of the week is boycott, divestment and sanctions, all designed to, as the web site states, “educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system” and clearly aimed at feeding the appetite of those who seek to destroy the state and rid Israel of its Jewish and Zionist roots.

It is amazing to me that given that this is an international event, our government here has been incredibly quiet about the negative ramifications of such an event on world opinion. Unless, of course, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking the same position as it took to the insulting treatment given our Ambassador to the US Michael Oren when he tried to speak in California two weeks ago. At that time, in a truly amazing misunderstanding of the situation, the reaction was that this was all being blown out of proportion and that this kind of thing happens all the time.

Well, indeed it does but if there is no reaction, if there is no movement to counter the false accusations and the attendant libelous statements, then we are guilty of aiding and abetting those who seek to discredit us or worse, to destroy us.

To the credit of the US Jewish community, people there have mounted a multi pronged campaign to counter those who support this vile enterprise.

From what I have heard Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, two national retail food chains there feature Israeli products and the American Jewish Community is urging people to make a point during this period of buying said products and letting the store managers know why the buyers are doing so. There is even a web site, www.buyisraelgoods.org that tells people where they can go to buy Israeli products.

In addition, in certain regions such as the New York metropolitan area student groups have organized to oppose the boycott. One of those, the David Project, also has its own website: www.davidproject.org.

This writer applauds those efforts and wishes those who have committed themselves to spreading the truth, will be successful. Hopefully, all the people around the world who care about preserving Israel’s right to exist as a democratic and Jewish state will take up the challenge and do whatever can be done to discredit the deligitimizing effect of the work of the week’s organizers and make the point that whatever situation actually exists on the ground here, it is definitely not apartheid.

In 1777 Thomas Paine wrote “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” And Andrew Jackson, in his farewell address to the nation in 1837 stated “Eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty.”

Let us hope we are up to the challenge.

Sherwin Pomerantz
Jerusalem, February 22, 2010