Loose Cannons

Those power hungry, but well meaning unions again.
Calling Israel an "apartheid state," the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) demanded the recall of South Africa's ambassador from Tel Aviv, a boycott of Israeli products, and general sanctions against the Jewish state, in protest over Israeli policies in Gaza and the West Bank.
Go ahead; slice that nose off, if you have the spine. Though in this case, its more like blowing off the head to spite the nose.
A trade boycott could have serious implications for South Africa, since Israel is the top destination for the country's exports. Israel's exports to South Africa totaled $239.9 million in 2004.
This union has almost 2 million members, I'll bet the unions will find a way to hold their tongues if the members suddenly decided to withhold membership fees, based on the fact the unions are not acting in the interests of their members, but rather engaging in political grandstanding.
David Saks, the acting national director of South Africa's Board of Deputies, the Jewish community's governing body, said that his organization "views COSATU's statement with extreme concern. We believe it displays extreme double standards, ignoring altogether or playing down the countless acts of provocation from the Palestinian side, while one-sidedly depicting Israel as a militarist bully. The statement is provocative and unfair."

In addition, Saks strenuously objected to COSATU's use of the term "apartheid" in describing Israel, saying that the label is a "gross distortion of the historical fact and baseless slander against the Jewish state."
But it seems it's just a few leftists merely slinging a bit of mud to make themselves feel warm and fuzzy. A bit like America haters publicly chastising the yanks but privately thanking them for doing the dirty work.
Israel's ambassador to South Africa, Ilan Baruch, said, "All our past attempts to open up a dialogue with COSATU showed us that they have no genuine interest in a dialogue with the embassy or with Israeli trade unions."

South African deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad was unavailable for comment as of press time, and calls to COSATU leadership were not returned.
Throw a few slurs, then run for cover and till it boils over, and when the coast is clear come out again and score a few points.

No comments:

Post a Comment

All comments containing Chinese characters will not be published as I do not understand them