This week's postings on JfJfP.com

In the week April 13th-19th, 2015, two of our signatories have a go at the Board of Deputies’ statement ‘A Better Way than Boycotts’. It is possible that the Deputies really do believe that they have a strategy for ending the Occupation and ensuring human rights, in the best Judaic tradition, throughout the lands that the Israeli state controls. But Robert Cohen writes the BoD a letter pointing out that nowhere in their statement do they “acknowledge that Israel continues to perpetrate an illegal occupation of the West Bank (now in its 48th year) or an illegal blockade of Gaza.” And Mike Cushman, in a comprehensive forensic prosecution of the BoD statement, argues that the BoD pretends to offer a disinterested analysis but is made up of such false arguments and connections that it is obvious it’s a simply a pro-Israel propaganda statement (and that BDS is hurting).
Only critics of Israel are ‘external’ not its cheerleaders and funders
Board of Deputies – only mushy carrots to offer

The pro-Israel loyalty /pressure continues in
Again – support for Palestinians drives away Labour voters
This is the anti-Labour Evening Standard taking its lead from the Jewish Chronicle. The born-and-bred in UK  Labour leader betrays ‘his country’ (Israel apparently – while his immigrant father betrayed his country, viz Britain) by criticising Israel. Intellectually bankrupt.

Oddly, nobody suggests that Jewish pro-Israelis who use their loyalty to Israel to fight battles with legitimate – if sometimes skewed –  British citizens who make critical comments about Israel are treacherous. The pro-Israeli  Sir Mark Pepys (retired) has been organising attacks on the editor of the Lancet, Richard Horton, for publishing a letter critical of Israel’s attack on Gaza last summer.  This has sparked a Hands off the Lancet response.
Doctors take the gloves off

Also responding to the pro-Israeli attempt to close off free speech, the organisers of the cancelled Southampton university conference on the legal basis of Israel’s creation went to the High Court to protest the cancellation. They lost, but according to Daniella Peled this crushing of free speech was not a victory for the pro-Israel attackers.
Legal win, moral defeat for pro-Israelis

The electoral victory of Netanyahu on the basis of accepting permanent occupation of Palestinian lands and rejecting a two state solution has produced fewer reactions than might be expected.  It has been the mantra on which USA and W. Europe have long justified their inertia over illegal occupation. But its failure has been gaining new supporters for BDS amongst people despairing over the violence used to enforce the occupation. The new Episcopal Committee for Justice in Israel and Palestine, USA’s Episcopal Church, recommends now is the time for divestment from any company profiting from Occupation.
Church pushed to place itself within BDS movement

Ynet’s Sever Plocker blames both sides for the continuation of the status quo but is most convincing when he nails why Israel wants to continue the Occupation
Judge by what they do not what they say

There’s Occupation – and mass murder. A group of Israeli women, Women Wage Peace, are appalled at the death sentence for people in Gaza:
Women try to break political silence on Occupation

There are signs of breaking the status quo: the French government has decided it will present the Palestinian demand for state recognition to the UN Security Council:
France steps up to the plate on Palestine

Meanwhile, the success of Joint List is continuing to buoy West Bank Palestinians and leftist Israelis:
Joint List draw Israelis out of their villages

while Israel’s ‘security needs’ continue to damage Palestinian lives
Israel’s crowd-control tactics are blinding Palestinian minors
Palestinian children bring home the Israeli harvest

And there is Gaza fatigue (see above Women Wage Peace.)
Things are worse than ever in Gaza