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tweakabelle -> RE: Netanyahoo labels BDS a "strategic threat" (6/5/2015 5:16:12 AM)
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Another stunning success for BDS!
Today French telecommunications giant Orange announced plans to terminate its activities in Israel as soon as legally possible. The UK's Guardian reports:
"The French telecoms giant Orange has indicated that it intends to terminate its relationship with the Israeli company that licenses its brand in the country – and would end the relationship “tomorrow” if it could. The comments – made by the company’s CEO, Stephane Richard – have emerged amid a sharp push back by the Israeli government against growing calls for an international boycott of Israel over its continuing occupation of Palestinian territories.
They were angrily condemned by the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who called on the French government to “distance itself publicly from the miserable statement and the miserable action of a company that is partially owned by the government of France.” Although Orange only licenses its name to the Israeli company Partner, the threat – if carried through – will be seen as a major success for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement which has been campaigning on the issue in both France and Egypt.
Orange, in which the French government has a quarter stake, has been under pressure in France as well as in Egypt to terminate its relationship with Partner over its supply of services to Israeli settlements regarded as illegal under international law.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/04/orange-says-it-plans-to-terminate-contract-with-brand-partner-in-israel (my emphasis)
The phrase 'being on the right side of history' is rather fashionable at the moment. There seems little doubt as to what being on the right side of history means in the Palestine/Israel conflict, as Orange's action shows, and the growing tsumani of BDS goes from strength to strength.
When will the Israelis realise that they cannot continue to flout international law with impunity, to deny Palestinians their rights, especially their inalienable right to self determination ? Israel may have the upper hand militarily, but as the US discovered in Iraq and the Russians discovered in Afghanistan, winning wars doesn't ensure the one wins the peace that inevitably follows war.
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