Monday, June 17, 2013

Brainiancs Convene in Londonistan to Ponder the BDS Phenomenon

Apparently, some academics are having a tough time figuring it all out:
LONDON – The British capital will host this week a major international academic conference looking at the issue of boycotts, with a focus on the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel. 
The three-day conference will take place at University of London’s Birkbeck College, and is being hosted by the Pears Institute for the Study of Anti-Semitism at Birkbeck, in conjunction with the International Consortium for Research on Anti-Semitism and Racism. 
“Boycotts have been a longstanding form of protest. By addressing this history from the eighteenth century to the present, the conference will break new ground,” Prof. David Feldman, the director of the Pears Institute for the Study of Anti-Semitism at Birkbeck told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
“In taking this long-term view, we will be able to achieve a better understanding of the causes, rhetoric and impact of boycott movements in the past and, at the same time, shed light on boycott movements in the present day, including the current movement to boycott Israel,” he added. 
In an attempt to investigate how boycotts work to weaken and delegitimize their target in order to fulfill their objectives, the conference will explore the history and make-up of boycotts. 
The findings will be applied to the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel – widely known as the BDS movement – in order to see where the movement would be classified in reference to the debate on contemporary anti-Semitism...
I can save the smartypantses a whole lot of time and needless cogitation: re the debate on contemporary anti-Semitism, the BDS movement can--no, must--be classified as Zionhass.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

When I returned from Jerusalem I discovered a message from Dana. She asked me to relax and not be concerned anymore about the tumult I was going through w the cat but that she had contacted the clinic at the contact info I posted. She directed the clinic to send all future bills and outside testing/scanning expenses to her. She also announced that she'd gladly adopt the cat. She then asked me to return to my vacation and enjoy Israel. For the next month and a half Dana called the clinic in Israel every day until she was finally told that a miracle had unfolded and that the cat fully recovered and had full use of all her legs. Then came the time to return to Israel and pick the cat up. Though Dana wanted to go herself, I refused to allow her and I was determined to return and pick her up and bring her to Dana's house myself. Dana pleaded with me to allow the foundation that she and her husband Eric run pay for all the travel expenses... Eric was deeply involved in this mission as well. But this is not the only such interaction w Israel the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation has had. They also support another project which offers a beautiful sanctuary in Israel to donkeys that have been abandoned by their owners after they've been discarded by their owners for reasons ranging from old age or infection etc.
That Dana had the wisdom to include Kristen Davis which was sure to fill the hall with people who could help this cause is something you mock. Or that any other number of doers were there seems to be an act of folly. I wonder just how much you accomplished for goodness in the world on that day or the day you boasted about sailing.
Dana & Eric both are fully aware of my extremely Zionist and nearly uncompromising postions but they too were capable of treating me with respect. Eric knows that I may not agree with much he believes in or writes about. But it is libellous to accuse him of being anti-Zionist! He does support Israel. A safe and secure Israel living side by side a Palestinian state. I do not agree w much he writes about even if it is always deeply interesting. But you sir owe these good people, "queens" the rich and able who do Good things, the ones who struggle to make ends meet but volunteer their services in cases or still contribute whatever they can. But mostly you owe a massive apology to Dana Margolis who worked so hard to put this event together all by herself. Your damning and recklessness also blindly attacked the Eric S. Margolis Family Foundation with fraudulent claims about Eric's position on Israel. What Good have you brought forward? To disparage those who do so much for Goodness in this world is a sin.
I'm certain Eric won't notice your boycott of his company. But I do suspect that competing companies provide products that might give your brain better function... try Brahmi or perhaps better yet Ashwaghandha
Mark Steinfeld & Nesi the proud Israeli cat