Campaigns demanding a boycott of Israel are naive, unhelpful and perhaps even destructive, writes Yoav Sivan
The release of the Hollywood blockbuster Blood Diamond, which concerns militias funded by diamond mining in Sierra Leone, has triggered the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) to urge Irish consumers to also boycott diamonds crafted in Israel.
Understandably, calling for a boycott of Israel is trendy as ever, at least it seems in Ireland where I recently attended a political conference as a representative of Meretz which is affiliated with the Irish Labour Party.
Other examples of Irish anti-Israeli campaigns keep piling up: an attempted academic boycott of Israel was launched last September while demonstrations against Israeli-made plastic garden furniture on sale in Atlantic Homecare stores resulted in the products temporarily being taken off the shelves. And now the topic even threatens to hit the mainstream with the news that Aosdána is to debate a cultural boycott of Israel.
That Israel's inability to withdraw to the Green Line offends Ireland's sense of justice is commendable.
As an Israeli peace activist I share the same sentiments myself, especially the all too familiar frustration at what at times amounts to Israeli incompetence in influencing the course of events in the region. Yet the channelling of such frustrations into boycott campaigns is not just naive but also unhelpful and perhaps even destructive.
Israeli plastic chairs are not necessarily made by right-wingers nor are they a secret ingredient in military operations. Boycotts of Israeli universities overlook the fact that academics have been at the forefront of the Middle East peace process.
The case against the boycott of Israeli diamonds is even clearer. The IPSC argues that the tax revenues from the lucrative Israeli diamonds potentially contribute to the budget for arms and weaponry. This is true, but so do revenues collected from any other Israeli company. And embarrassingly for the IPSC and the Israeli tax authorities, diamond polishing workshops have the reputation of being under-taxed, hence failing to contribute their fair share of Israel's military budget, compared, say, to software houses.
Broadening the Blood Diamond campaign to include countries like Israel may undermine or even nullify the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme which is an effective means of limiting access of rebellious groups to funds. If people follow IPSC's lead, the stand of the international community against insurgents in Sierra Leone might be weakened.
The proposed cultural boycott is an even bigger affront to our efforts for peace. Cultural relations cannot be construed as sponsoring military action or of building support for Israeli occupation. Art is a means of dialogue. It is part of how countries and societies communicate, how people exchange ideas and learn about each other. Culture is not a mere reflection of society's strengths but also, and perhaps more importantly, it is where its weaknesses are identified and analysed. Israeli writers and artists are our sharpest critics; they articulate our problems and constantly challenge us to improve and to fix our wrongdoing.
Therefore, a boycott of Israeli artists and academics would send a message that Ireland is not pro-peace but simply anti-Israel. This in turn weakens the peace camp position in Israel. If Europeans are not willing to engage in a dialogue with us, why should our sworn enemies be?
After 10 days in Ireland it seems to me that Ireland's considerable engagement with the Palestinian cause serves more as a benchmark of political correctness in the internal Irish political arena rather than reflecting the true need of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas for meaningful international support.
The left in Israel welcomes Irish interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But there are better ways to engage with the issues than wrapping oneself up in a Palestinian flag or shopping with a selective goods list. Not that I am asking you to wrap yourself in an Israeli flag instead or, God forbid, to stop to criticise us - indeed I am willing to challenge anyone to a criticise-Israel-contest! But in order to criticise - and to influence - it is necessary to engage in real dialogue and to fully understand the issues.
If there is one idea we all share it is that Israelis and Palestinians should be partners. Doesn't the same lesson apply also to the Irish and Israelis?
• Yoav Sivan is a member of the Meretz social democratic party and a member of the presidium of the International Union of Socialist Youth