And The BDSFail Goes On

Don’t be a sad Pink Panther: BDS is failing! - Photo Credit: Brian of London
Don’t be a sad Pink Panther: BDS is failing! – Photo Credit: Brian of London

Yesterday I wrote at The Times of Israel about my recent trip to the US and Canada. Everywhere I go I talk to people. I like to mention I’m from Israel and see the reaction. I’m not pushy and I’m genuinely interested in listening to what real people think especially outside of settings where Israel or Jews are important.

Generally I encounter much more positivity than negativity. When we spend our time deep in the world of countering anti-Israel lies and fighting BDS campaigns its so important to remember these are still fringe activities.

We must avoid falling into a trap of believing anti-Israel BDS is more successful than it is! The other side is working so hard precisely because it has limited success and needs to keep repeating the same messages because on the whole they don’t stick.

Sure: university campuses are a problem, young kids are easily swayed. But they do grow up and often figure out they were lied to.

With that in mind, read, share and propagate this positive message:

The overwhelmingly positive feeling toward Israel extended to other spheres: I like to tell people I’m from Israel and see their reaction. I always encourage people to come and visit. On this trip, as is often the case, I encountered very few negative reactions. I know the negative is out there but I don’t seek it and it rarely finds me.

So as the Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron, arrives in Israel, also stressing high tech cooperation, we find the benefits of trade with Israel are too great for anyone sane to overlook. And even if we’re led to believe the EU foreign policy team wants to punish Israel (while embarrassing itself smiling with the Iranian terror overlords) individual EU countries, companies and people can’t bring themselves to turn down the benefits of working with Israel.

No matter how I look at it, the massive noise generated by global PR campaigns against Israel is not widely matched by negative feelings on the ground, especially in North America. So many people either have no firm views or are easily swayed by the positive that flows from Israel.

This is not the time to give up on our beliefs and sink into a funk: Israel is a gift to the world and I know the doomsayers are lying.

6 thoughts on “And The BDSFail Goes On”

  1. Awhile back I was walking with an Israeli in my city here in the states. We ran across a market or restaurant, the shop owner was from Jordan, my friend said “I’m your neighbor from Israel.” They had a friendly handshake and moved on, so that was cool. Actually we had a whole troupe of Israelis in town for several days and not once was the “occupation” a topic.

  2. Awhile back I was walking with an Israeli in my city here in the states. We ran across a market or restaurant, the shop owner was from Jordan, my friend said “I’m your neighbor from Israel.” They had a friendly handshake and moved on, so that was cool. Actually we had a whole troupe of Israelis in town for several days and not once was the “occupation” a topic.

  3. Norman_In_New_York

    The 2009 book “Start Up Nation” proved to be an eye opener for at least the business community, if not the public as a whole. The Crash of 2008 may have caused a worldwide recession, but Israel was out of it within two calendar quarters. (The U.S. still hasn’t recovered.) Since the book appeared, there have been a long series of mergers and acquisitions between these start ups and many of the world’s leading technology companies that have poured billions of dollars and created many jobs in Israel.So let academics divorced from reality bitch and moan. Business people invest in Israel because that’s where the profits are.

  4. Norman_In_New_York

    The 2009 book “Start Up Nation” proved to be an eye opener for at least the business community, if not the public as a whole. The Crash of 2008 may have caused a worldwide recession, but Israel was out of it within two calendar quarters. (The U.S. still hasn’t recovered.) Since the book appeared, there have been a long series of mergers and acquisitions between these start ups and many of the world’s leading technology companies that have poured billions of dollars and created many jobs in Israel.So let academics divorced from reality bitch and moan. Business people invest in Israel because that’s where the profits are.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top