Annapolis and Another Tired Threat of Arab Boycott
(This Original Essay is Copyrighted by Shelomo Alfassa - All Rights Reserved)
In the days and weeks leading up to the Annapolis conference, the media has been flooded with statements discussing various Arab leaders and states threatening to boycott the gathering. Boycotting is nothing new. History demonstrates that Arabs have had a long (yet ineffective) account of boycotting people, places and things. Still, it seems that no matter how hard they have tried, these boycotts always failed, and they remain today as mediocre attempts to make a strong statement or to take a strong position, usually one their constituents don't hold by.
In 1947, a group of Palestinian Arabs made representations to the King of England regarding their boycott of Jewish goods, seeking to gain support for their action. Yet, instead of finding support from the Brits, London advised them that their actions were inconsistent with the Geneva based International Trade Organization, and essentially told the Arabs they were out of line. The tactic of using economic and political boycotts against the Jews is something Arabs have been doing for many decades. Their boycott of Jewish interests started in the 1920's and technically remains in effect through the Arab League to this day.
In 1922, the Arabs boycotted elections which had been developed for a Legislative Council that the British had been planning. Ten years later, the Arabs boycotted the 1933 Levant Fair, a trade show designed to show the world the "Zionist enterprise in Palestine." That same year the Arabs held several other boycotts, all generally large in bark and small in bite. This includes the 1933 boycott of the opening of the Haifa Harbor and later that year the threatened boycott of the Haifa municipal elections.
In October 1933, angered by the arrival of 30,000 Jews to Palestine, the Mufti led demonstrations which became violent and led to 30 deaths and 200 injured throughout Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa and Nablus. When the British sought to investigate this, the Arabs boycotted the Inquiry Commission that convened examine the incident.
As Arab nationalism grew, Arab boycotting continued, or at least it was attempted. In 1933 the Arabs boycotted the Athletic Sports Meeting of Pupils of Government Schools. That same year, Arab leaders attempted to boycott the celebration in honor of King George, yet many Arab notables showed up, including the Mayor of Jaffa, Ramle and other cities. In February 1934, a boycott of municipal elections was prepared in Gaza by Arabs who opposed heavy taxes, even though another Arab leader said that such a boycott would be beneficial to the Jews. Later that year Arabs boycotted Jewish movie theaters in Haifa, and also used the slogan, "the Jews gain is the Arabs loss."
In November of 1936, the Arab Higher Committee issued a boycott declaration to the Royal Commission opposing the entering "of a single Jew a year" into Palestine. That same month, when their utility bills were running high, the Arabs stated they would boycott the Jerusalem Electric Company. A year later, in the Spring of 1937, while Jewish leaders attended British military parades and celebrations held in Nablus, Hebron, Jenin and Tulkarm, Palestinian Arab leaders boycotted the events. In March of 1938, Palestinian Arabs boycotted the new Technical Commission because Arabs were opposed to the principle of Partition which "would be harmful to the Arab political cause."
Starting in the early 1940's the Palestinian Arabs once again made strides to boycott Jewish goods. However, Palestinian Arabs were not the only Arabs to boycott Jewish products, often other Arab countries joined in. In February 1947, the Premier of Iraq proposed a boycott in his country to show solidarity with the Arabs in Palestine. His Baghdad based boycott was to "strangle Jewish industry in Palestine." Ironically though, even when the Arabs thought they were supporting their own cause by refusing goods and services of the Jews in Palestine, their trade links abroad both in the USA and England, found them patronizing some of the most generous supporters of Zionism.
In February of 1946, a resolution was issued by the British slamming the Arab boycott, it indicated "the boycott echoes Nazi propaganda." Of course, even if the Arab authorities (self-declared or otherwise) instituted boycotts on Jewish products, that was not necessarily the deciding factor which would halt the Arabs from desiring or consuming Jewish products. While Arab leaders voiced their opinion to stay away from Jewish products, it was not that the Jewish products were tarnished nor blemished, quite the contrary. For example, while the Palestinian Jews were having their cheese boycotted throughout the Arab world, the Egyptian government continued to place orders for Galil cheese, a type of premium Blue Cheese prepared by Jews. To ensure the Jewish cheese had no difficulty getting to Egypt, officials at Cairo communicated their needs to the Food Control authorities in Palestine. This of course came at the same time when the Palestine Post was reporting that Egypt had closed its ports to "Zionist" goods and exports--and at a time when truck loads of Jewish products and foodstuffs, being transported to Beirut from Haifa, were being hijacked and confiscated by Palestinian Arabs, most likely for their consumption.
At a point when one particular Arab boycott was needing help, the boycotters developed an imaginative public relations plan, it included developing and distributing an attractive lapel pin, designed with an olive branch. This pin was engraved with the slogan, "The Arab Land for the Arabs." Even so, the Arabs placed the order of these pins with a Jewish firm that would manufacture them.
In December of 1948, an Arab boycott of "Zionist products" was approved by delegates from eight different towns that had gathered in Jerusalem for a conference of Palestinian Arab women. This came after a boycott was issued by the Arab League in regard to the same. Yet, a "leading Arab resident in the Old City of Jerusalem" told a reporter from the Palestine Post that his coat, shirt, socks and shoes were made by Jews; and the canned food he ate came from Jewish sources. He would be forced to shut down if it was not for Jewish goods. "Those in the Arab League who decided on a strike don't worry about us," he said. "We need the Jews and they need us, we cannot live without such mutual aid."
In the days and weeks leading up to the Annapolis conference, the media has been flooded with statements discussing various Arab leaders and states threatening to boycott the gathering. Boycotting is nothing new. History demonstrates that Arabs have had a long (yet ineffective) account of boycotting people, places and things. Still, it seems that no matter how hard they have tried, these boycotts always failed, and they remain today as mediocre attempts to make a strong statement or to take a strong position, usually one their constituents don't hold by.
In 1947, a group of Palestinian Arabs made representations to the King of England regarding their boycott of Jewish goods, seeking to gain support for their action. Yet, instead of finding support from the Brits, London advised them that their actions were inconsistent with the Geneva based International Trade Organization, and essentially told the Arabs they were out of line. The tactic of using economic and political boycotts against the Jews is something Arabs have been doing for many decades. Their boycott of Jewish interests started in the 1920's and technically remains in effect through the Arab League to this day.
In 1922, the Arabs boycotted elections which had been developed for a Legislative Council that the British had been planning. Ten years later, the Arabs boycotted the 1933 Levant Fair, a trade show designed to show the world the "Zionist enterprise in Palestine." That same year the Arabs held several other boycotts, all generally large in bark and small in bite. This includes the 1933 boycott of the opening of the Haifa Harbor and later that year the threatened boycott of the Haifa municipal elections.
In October 1933, angered by the arrival of 30,000 Jews to Palestine, the Mufti led demonstrations which became violent and led to 30 deaths and 200 injured throughout Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa and Nablus. When the British sought to investigate this, the Arabs boycotted the Inquiry Commission that convened examine the incident.
As Arab nationalism grew, Arab boycotting continued, or at least it was attempted. In 1933 the Arabs boycotted the Athletic Sports Meeting of Pupils of Government Schools. That same year, Arab leaders attempted to boycott the celebration in honor of King George, yet many Arab notables showed up, including the Mayor of Jaffa, Ramle and other cities. In February 1934, a boycott of municipal elections was prepared in Gaza by Arabs who opposed heavy taxes, even though another Arab leader said that such a boycott would be beneficial to the Jews. Later that year Arabs boycotted Jewish movie theaters in Haifa, and also used the slogan, "the Jews gain is the Arabs loss."
In November of 1936, the Arab Higher Committee issued a boycott declaration to the Royal Commission opposing the entering "of a single Jew a year" into Palestine. That same month, when their utility bills were running high, the Arabs stated they would boycott the Jerusalem Electric Company. A year later, in the Spring of 1937, while Jewish leaders attended British military parades and celebrations held in Nablus, Hebron, Jenin and Tulkarm, Palestinian Arab leaders boycotted the events. In March of 1938, Palestinian Arabs boycotted the new Technical Commission because Arabs were opposed to the principle of Partition which "would be harmful to the Arab political cause."
Starting in the early 1940's the Palestinian Arabs once again made strides to boycott Jewish goods. However, Palestinian Arabs were not the only Arabs to boycott Jewish products, often other Arab countries joined in. In February 1947, the Premier of Iraq proposed a boycott in his country to show solidarity with the Arabs in Palestine. His Baghdad based boycott was to "strangle Jewish industry in Palestine." Ironically though, even when the Arabs thought they were supporting their own cause by refusing goods and services of the Jews in Palestine, their trade links abroad both in the USA and England, found them patronizing some of the most generous supporters of Zionism.
In February of 1946, a resolution was issued by the British slamming the Arab boycott, it indicated "the boycott echoes Nazi propaganda." Of course, even if the Arab authorities (self-declared or otherwise) instituted boycotts on Jewish products, that was not necessarily the deciding factor which would halt the Arabs from desiring or consuming Jewish products. While Arab leaders voiced their opinion to stay away from Jewish products, it was not that the Jewish products were tarnished nor blemished, quite the contrary. For example, while the Palestinian Jews were having their cheese boycotted throughout the Arab world, the Egyptian government continued to place orders for Galil cheese, a type of premium Blue Cheese prepared by Jews. To ensure the Jewish cheese had no difficulty getting to Egypt, officials at Cairo communicated their needs to the Food Control authorities in Palestine. This of course came at the same time when the Palestine Post was reporting that Egypt had closed its ports to "Zionist" goods and exports--and at a time when truck loads of Jewish products and foodstuffs, being transported to Beirut from Haifa, were being hijacked and confiscated by Palestinian Arabs, most likely for their consumption.
At a point when one particular Arab boycott was needing help, the boycotters developed an imaginative public relations plan, it included developing and distributing an attractive lapel pin, designed with an olive branch. This pin was engraved with the slogan, "The Arab Land for the Arabs." Even so, the Arabs placed the order of these pins with a Jewish firm that would manufacture them.
In December of 1948, an Arab boycott of "Zionist products" was approved by delegates from eight different towns that had gathered in Jerusalem for a conference of Palestinian Arab women. This came after a boycott was issued by the Arab League in regard to the same. Yet, a "leading Arab resident in the Old City of Jerusalem" told a reporter from the Palestine Post that his coat, shirt, socks and shoes were made by Jews; and the canned food he ate came from Jewish sources. He would be forced to shut down if it was not for Jewish goods. "Those in the Arab League who decided on a strike don't worry about us," he said. "We need the Jews and they need us, we cannot live without such mutual aid."
Leave a comment