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The discrediting of a Sydney local council and the Greens for proposing to boycott Israel has been savage and effective.

The
boycott movement is its own worst enemy by overstating its case and
asking for too much. Those who oppose any action are in denial about the
international unlawfulness of some Israeli corporate activity and
Australia’s complicity in it, which helps to sustain violations of
Palestinians’ human rights. The latter group appears to include both
major political parties in Australia and one particularly unbalanced
national newspaper.

The global movement of Boycott,
Disinvestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel is over-broad because
by targeting the whole Israeli economy and sporting, cultural and
academic institutions, it collectively punishes all Israelis regardless
of their responsibility for harming Palestinians. That approach is
crude, simplistic, and alienates many in Israel who are sympathetic
towards the Palestinian cause. I have international law colleagues in
Israeli universities, for example, who are often involved in human
rights challenges to Israeli actions. Isolating them, and others like
them, is foolish and counterproductive.

Those who oppose any
action wear rose-coloured glasses in looking at Israeli violations of
international law - Israel is portrayed as a blameless democracy that is
always the v... >>>