Opinion  Ben-Dror Yemini
The useful idiots of the BDS campaign
Ben-Dror Yemini
Published: 11.06.14, 00:53
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29 Talkbacks for this article
1. Why does the author think anyone who wants...
Persian CAT   (06.11.14)
to change Israel's Apartheid status, is aiming to "destroy" it?! Does he think Israel can only survive if it sticks to the path of racism, occupation and land grab?!
2. Brave to admit you once supported BDS.
Israeli 2   (06.11.14)
But unless you shift gears to the right and admit that your logic is a leftist logic...you see...all I can say is that you will continue to sympathize with BDS somehow. Ask Herzog and Livni...yep.
3. thank you
linda ,   Paris, France   (06.11.14)
Thank you fot these precious informations, real journalist work.
4. "Useful Idiot" like rain or wind, is a force of nature. Com
tom ,   tel aviv   (06.11.14)
munism had them, Nazis had them, Islamofascism has them. Unavoidable as hamsin....maybe more vitamins while growing up would've done the trick, who knows?
5. Its about destroying the Occupation
Ali ,   Ramallah   (06.11.14)
but not Israel, but you want to mix things to find a way to protect your occupation.
6. No 'useful idiots' but 'Willing Haters'
Daniel ,   TA - IL   (06.11.14)
calling them idiots implies naivity. Most of them our outright jewhaters, who accept thing a millions times worse from islam. They just continue age-old chritian, muslim and socilaist hatred of jews. Best cases among them are the ones who are selfrightious at our expense, since they accept hamas racism or islams hatred and death sentences for converts or persons selling land to jews (jordan, saudi arabia, etc.)
7. this is not an op-ed
rm ,   amsterdam NL   (06.11.14)
It's a propagandatool. It has, as such no merit nor credibility. We all know the drill by now. Israel is misunderstood. Israel is delegitimized. People are not against the occupation. They want the state of Israel gone. It's all anti-semitic. And in any case WHICH other army is as moral as the IDF no matter how many times they prove the opposite...and so on and so forth
8. Destroy Arab occupation of Middle East with 100% oil embargo
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (06.11.14)
9. Who supports "Breaking the Silence"
Alexander Scheiner ,   Israel   (06.11.14)
The main supporters of „Breaking the silence” are the global NIF and its propaganda and education arm “Shatil”. Then JStreet and “Jews for Piss”, RHR and some European self hating Jews groups such as the JVJP.CH. Please read the book www.financingtheflames.com by Edwin Black for well documented information.
10. #1: it's not only about criticising Israel
(06.11.14)
I've read many blogs and articles of these BDS and other activists. It's not only about the wall, checkpoints and the "occupation". These activists totally adapted the Palestinian narrative which perceives the very existence of Israel, no matter in which borders, as illegal. Historic facts are not known or distorted by them. The 1947 UN partition plan is irrelevant. The fact that the UN voted on resolution that called for the establishment of a JEWISH and an Arab statre in Palestine - and that's where the legality of Israel stems from. A whole new and false false history of the Arabs in Palestine ("Palestinians") emerged which these activists adopt without questioning. Just a few examples: 1.I commented on a blog by an activist who was sure east Jerusalem has always been the capital of the Arabs in Palestine. 2. Another activist wrote with anger that Israel terrorize the lives of the "Palestinians" in the west bank for 6 decades - which is of course nonesense, since Israel anyhow controls the west bank only since 1967. 3. These activists aren't aware of the fact the Jordan ruled the west bank and east Jeusalem until 1967 after it conquered it in 1948, and of course it didn't establish a state for the "Palestinians" and it chased out all the Jews from the old city of Jerusalem and banned them from praying at the western wall. 4. These activists aren't aware of the massive terror wave by the "Palestinians" against Israelis that prompted the building of the wall and checkpoints. 5. These activists aren't aware that the "Nakba" was a result of the Arabs ("Palestinians" and Arab countries) attacking the 600,000 Jews that lived in Palestine in 1948, etc. etc. etc.
11. admiration
tiki ,   belgium   (06.11.14)
for someone changing his ways when seeing he was wrong. These dumb Israeli supporters of the BDS movement are despicable, for they haven't grasped that those in the movement have the same plan for them as for the rest of Israel's population. This is what happens if you don't learn from your own history and Jewish history is full of weaklings sleeping with the enemy to better themselves.
12. faith and argument
nunu ,   jerusalem   (06.11.14)
when it is wrong you must change it by action if it is difficult by speaking if it is difficult it is by heart .. and this is the wakest point of faith
13. who is the useful idiot
(06.11.14)
Yemini insults the members of Shovrim Shtika, Shalom Achshav and similar organizations by calling them useful idiots. But they are not idiots at all. These people make enormous salaries for doing nothing but inventing and spreading the most venomous anti-Israel propaganda. Yemini admits that "a long time ago" he supported these organizations because he honestly believed they wanted to strengthen the IDF. Who is the idiot then?
14. #2: Yemini said he once supt'd Breaking the Silence not BDS!
Itzik ,   Israel   (06.11.14)
Try rereading in full context: "A long time ago, when the organization first became active, I was among those who came to its defense." By which Yemini means Breaking the Silence.
15. #7: Let BDS speak for itself
Itzik ,   Israel   (06.11.14)
Rather than believe your own propaganda tool, all we need do is read what the BDS movement leaders themselves say what their goal is: "Definitely, most definitely do we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No rational, not-sell-out Palestinian will ever accept a Jewish state in any part of Palestine." - Omar Barghouti (co-founder BDS movmnt) “BDS does mean the end of the Jewish state.” – Ahmed Moor, leading BDS activist “[T]he real aim of BDS is to bring down the state of Israel… Justice and freedom for Palestinians are incompatible with the existence of the state of Israel.” – As’ad Abukhalil, leading BDS activist “BDS represents three words that will help bring about the defeat of Zionist Israel and victory for Palestine.” – Ronnie Kasrils, South African BDS leader. “I think the BDS movement will gain strength from forthrightly explaining why Israel has no right to exist... BDS’s stated goals (ending the Occupation, equality for non-Jews and Jews, and the right of return of the Palestinian refugees) logically imply the end of Israel as a Jewish state…" - John Spritzler, Pro-BDS Author “Shoot the Jew” – chant by BDS protesters in South Africa, defended by South African BDS organizer Muhammed Desai
16. Humanitarian core Values
Zechariah   (06.11.14)
The Arabs and Jews eventually need to coexist so Human Rights abuses are counterproductive .Whilst Nationalism like Herdalism is very Powerful there has to be Limits to Murder Injuring and Humiliation of an opponent .
17. Useful idiot?
graczek ,   Maryland, USA   (06.11.14)
The supporter of the existence of the illegal state that calls itself "Israel" is the real useful idiot.
18. #5 unreal Ali
(06.11.14)
My guess is you are an Israeli Leftist. If you were a real Palestinian you would know that the PLO and Hamas Charter talk about ALL the occupation, the one that started with the Zionist Invasion of 1880.
19. Why fear the truth? idf lack of morals
(06.11.14)
20. Congratulations for a virtuoso performance
Yossi ,   Jerusalem   (06.11.14)
you managed to squeeze more lies into one sentence than the number of words in it.
21. ;) ,...
split ,   US   (06.11.14)
"The Israeli army is making an effort, more than any other army in the world, to prevent hurting innocent people" ,... Obviously just to name one, google "Not guilty. The Israeli captain" ,...
22. #17 graczek
Eaglebeak ,   Left Coast, USA   (06.12.14)
Wow....you just called God an idiot.
23. Ali 5
alsky ,   toronto   (06.11.14)
we learned how to do that from you
24. #5 the occupation
ralph   (06.12.14)
It's all about you and your fellow Palestinians telling Abu Mazen that he has to sit down with the Israelis and reach a solution. It's no use just sitting back and always blaming the other side. Show some initiative yourselves
25. #5
Andi ,   Israel   (06.12.14)
Most in Israel don't like the occupation. Even the pro-settlement minority want to annex areas, so even they don't support the status quo The question is HOW to end it, and Hamas make any further territorial withdrawal by Israel impossible.
26. Great article
Ross ,   NY, NY   (06.12.14)
27. 8 not mine.
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (06.12.14)
28. PERSIAN CAT
DANNY TAWIL. ,   ENGLAND   (06.15.14)
29. Haaretz readers have invaded Ynet
jarredZ ,   Hong Kong   (06.16.14)
Iranians and palestinians who have the worlds worst human rights records have come here to troll this site.Iran that is run by these murderous mad mullahs,palestine that is run by corrupt murderous despots who don't value human life.These are the trolls that come here to lecture us.......
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