MPAC and the Boycott

Whilst on my lunch break at work today I started idly browsing YouTube and somehow I came across a series of video's in which young Muslims (some or all of whom are of Palestinian origin) go into a supermarket and look for certain foods and certain products where the only available types are from Israel. These include such items as dates.
The organisation is called MPACUK, which is the "Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK." Their point is that by buying these items, people are fuelling the Israeli economy and therefore they are inadvertently supporting and funding the Israeli Defence force which commits a series of actions against Palestinians and Muslims which we often hear about in the news.

Here is the first video:





Now granted that woman shouldn't have reacted the way she did, it didn't help at all but she could have just been having a long day or a tough day, frustrated by many things. If this is true then this certainly didn't help. The last thing you want is further drama to hold you up and cause you further grief and something like this is certainly likely to provoke.

Now here are two more video's of a similar nature:









Ok so I hope you have had a chance to watch all three of those videos, now here is my opinion on this.
These people are obviously trying to make a point. They want to get the message across that people should boycott Israeli products because they believe that by buying products like dates it is fueling the Israeli economy and therefore their military actions which are often considered controversial.

They are most certainly going about this the wrong way. If they really wanted to make a point and make it heard and really bash some heads over this then they would go to the head office. They would make an amateur documentary about it where they actually try and get in contact with someone in the marketing department from those supermarkets and confronted them about it because that's where campaigning and media meets.
What they should not be doing is going into random supermarkets and stirring trouble in this way. By taking all the dates and other products from Israel off the shelves and taking them to the supermarket, to then say "oh look they are all from Israel, we don't want these" and to then just walk out doesn't do anything except inconvenience the little people who work at that branch who have no control over this whatsoever.
In at least one of those video's you see a manager being called, the manager of the store but even the branch manager wouldn't have much say over this. The most that the branch manager could do is report the incident and the objection of MPACUK to the head office but I am pretty sure that because the people from MPACUK decided to go down that route all they will get is a rather standard non-cooperative response from the head office.

What good does it do to target random branches of a supermarket? It does nothing. All it does is inconvenience the people who work there, and like you can see in the first video it inconvenience the other customers who if they are like me just want to get on and buy what they want and leave because unlike the people in that video from MPACUK, some people actually have lives and things to do. Not all of us can afford to spend time strolling into supermarkets to cause havoc and provocation in the most nonsensical fashion.

AND THEN.....then they have the audacity to claim it as a victory when they get outside. They get outside and they are smiling and congratulating themselves as if they have actually achieved something good and as if they have made their point so clearly. Also they seem to be under the distinct impression that they might have changed people's minds and maybe planted the seeds of thought on this matter into people's minds. Well I used to work in a supermarket myself and there were now and again wacky people who came in. None this wacky but still wacky, and I can guarantee you that after a few days those incidents were all but forgotten.
I'm pretty sure the people inside those stores whether they be employee's or customers had more important things to worry about so they probably forgot that incident within a few days, a week at most.

If you have read my post from a few days ago you might see I mentioned Keith Olbermann who was up until recently a political commentator on the American news channel MSNBC. He had a segment on his show called "Worst persons in the world" in which he would nominate three people because of things they had done and/or said.

Well once again if I were to have a similar segment I would nominate MPACUK, specifically the four or so people in those videos. Not because theirs was not a just cause, but because they did it in entirely the wrong fashion and in doing so they inconvenienced many people. They also made complete fools of themselves.

"You've just been MPAC'ed," what a farce.



Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtSl9L-GHlM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSJRIC_rUFo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFD0HJIBo8

http://www.mpacuk.org/

Death of a terrorist

The news is that Abu Daoud, the mastermind behind the massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes in Munich in 1972 has died.

During the 1972 summer Olympic games in Munich, Germany, members of the Palestinian terrorist group "Black September" entered the living quarters for the Israeli athletes in the Olympic village and took them hostage.

"By the end of the ordeal, the terrorists had killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and 1 West German police officer. Five of the eight members of Black September were killed by police officers during a failed rescue attempt. The three surviving terrorists were captured, but later released by West Germany following the hijacking by Black September of a Lufthansa airliner. Israel responded to the massacre with Operation Spring of Youth and Operation Wrath of God, as well as a series of airstrikes and killings of those suspected of planning the kidnappings."

And so the man who apparently organised the massacre of twelve people dies without remorse. No doubt he will be seen as a hero to some, but in my eyes he is a terrorist. Scum who used his men to launch a cowardly attack on a sporting event designed to bring nations together. To forget past woes and violence and to compete in sports.

He's scum, and he and his ilk always will be in my opinion.

Anyone thinking highly of him would be greatly mistaken. Despite the fact he said the intention was not to kill the Israeli atheletes but to use them as hostages for bartering and negotiations, the fact remains that the deaths did happen and as a result he is one of many with blood on his hands.

All I can say is, I am glad there is one less of his kind alive.



Sources:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/sport-obituaries/7871498/Abu-Daoud.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_massacre

Israel digs themselves into a deeper hole

Israel aren't really doing themselves any favours.
Firstly they fall out politically with the USA over building more houses in disputed area's, then the whole debacle on the assassination in Dubai and stealing the identities of Brits living in Israel, and now an Israeli politician refers to Brits as "dogs."

How charming. I refer you to this article:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3866929,00.html

"When asked of the comparison, Eldad said, "I was just quoting what was said in
Latroun 62 years ago. I think the British are being hypocritical and I do not
wish to insult dogs here, since some dogs show true loyalty. Who gave the
British the right to judge us on the war on terror?"

And then:

"Eldad's fellow party member Michael Ben-Ari was asked if he agrees with the
comparison and said, "Dogs are usually loyal, the British may be dogs, but they
are not loyal to us. They seem to be loyal to the anti-Semitic
establishment."Unfortunately, the Israeli government and Israeli diplomacy play
into their hands. We have learned that a dog must be called by its name. This is
anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism."

Then this morning (24th March 2010) on BBC Radio 4 an Israeli politician from a far right group was being interviewed, and he said that it was acceptable that those passport identities were stolen and used because it was used to fight terrorism.I don't really see that as a good excuse and frankly it just reinforces the idea that Israel are maintain more than ever their "we'll do what we want, stuff you if you don't like it" attitude towards countries it's supposed to call it's allies.

Another thing about the radio interview this morning, the radio presenter interviewing that Israeli MP kept asking what Israel would think if the shoe was on the other foot.What if it was 12 or so Israeli passports that had been stolen and used for a hit.The Israeli MP dodged the question.


I don't think the Israeli's are in any position to attack or critisise us Brits considering Britain has stood by Israel for over 50 years despite all that has been going on.
In all of this though I do feel sorry for the pro-West Israeli's, especially in their government. It must be tough seeing relations unravelling and months of diplomatic work being laid out in front of you as the Israeli's will no doubt try to claw their way back.

Then again if they do try to claw their way back it will be a miracle as it seems that Israel usually just employ their usual attitude of "we'll do what we like, if you don't like it then stuff you."

Well good luck to them.

Oxford student: 'I didn't mean 'Kill the Jews'

OK so now my bullshit alarm is ringing like crazy.

Israeli minister Danny Ayalon was visiting St Edmund’s Hall, a college in the city of Oxford.
Several eye witnesses have Noor Rashid down as saying (or rather shouting) “Itbah Al-Yahud” which is an Arabic phrase meaning “Slaughter the Jews”.

However Mr Rashid then replied that he had been misheard and instead had shouted “Khaybar ya Yahod” however that really isn't much better because “Khaybar ya Yahod” is:

"a classic Arabic battle cry referring to a seventh-century attack by Mohammed on the Jewish community in Khaybar where the Jews were conquered and made to pay half of their income to the Muslim population. "

According to this article: http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/27084/oxford-student-i-didnt-mean-kill-jews

So he wasn't trying to say "slaughter the Jews" but he was giving a battle cry used when conquering the Jews and somehow that's not quite as bad? Hmmmm.

It's hardly better, but I guess by changing it to something only slightly less subtle perhaps he hopes to come across as just someone who is anti-Semitic and not a potential terrorist.

Nevertheless the phrase that he suggested he said isn't that much better or indeed subtle.

I am not sure I have much more to say on this. It pretty much speaks for itself.
A police investigation is continuing, I hope they drag him over the coals. (Not literally. Actually come back to me on that one.)

P.S The Israeli Minister involved wishes to press charges.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7022010.ece

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/israeli-minister-calls-for-action-over-insult-1895822.html

I say good!

Sources:

http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/27084/oxford-student-i-didnt-mean-kill-jews

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2010/02/12/kill-the-jews-says-oxford-isoc-rep/#comments

http://www.thejc.com/print/27084

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/israeli-minister-calls-for-action-over-insult-1895822.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/student-says-slaughter-the-jews-remark-was-misunderstood-1897150.html