Buy for Israel

Editorial

During the past 22 months of Palestinian violence inflicted against Israel, members of the local Jewish community have asked, "What can I do to help Israel?"

At the same time, enemies have asked the antithetical question, "What can I do to harm Israel?"

In Norway, a pro-Palestinian coalition of political youth organizations, trade unions and solidarity organizations is answering this question by organizing a grassroots boycott of Israeli products. (See the Web site, www.boikottisrael.no/eindex.html)

Though not supported by the Norwegian government, the boycott could inflict noticeable damage. Recently, the secretary general of Histradut, Israel's national labor union, remarked that a Norwegian boycott could cost Israeli businesses $15 million in lost revenue.

Already, a segment of Norway's Confederation of Trade Unions, acting unilaterally last month, turned away a shipment of thousands of pounds of Israeli potatoes.

In response, the Anti-Defamation League has called on the AFL-CIO to condemn this action by the Norwegian trade unionists. In addition, Israeli officials are working against pro-Palestinian efforts to spread this boycott beyond Norway's borders - to Sweden, Denmark and other European nations.

On these shores, faculty from the University of California Berkeley, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton and Tufts are answering the question, "What can I do to harm Israel?" by pushing for divestment from Israel. They want to use the economic power of U.S. colleges and universities to pressure Israel to change its policies concerning the Palestinian people.

Locally, Israel advocates can answer the question, "What can I do to help Israel?" by using our economic power as a weapon against threats of boycotts and divestment. How? Buy Israeli products. The Web page www.shopinisrael.com offers a wide variety of Israeli products we can purchase from the comfort of our homes.

Via the Web, we can buy artwork from Eden Gallery in Jerusalem, health and beauty products from Jericho Cosmetics, antique silver watches, bracelets and rings from Daphna's Jewelry.

In an increasingly global economy, other nations benefit from our community's economic power. We should use this might, not only to buy what we want and need, but more importantly, to assist a nation we love and support, shoring up her economy during her protracted war against terrorism.

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