European BDS

 

• 45m ago

  (20:15 GMT)

  

  Israel’s revocation of diplomatic status for Dutch diplomats largely ‘symbolic’

  The recent move to revoke the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats in Ramallah is notable in that it signals “Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation”, according to Carne Ross, a former senior British diplomat and founder of the non-profit advisory group Independent Diplomat.

  Ross told Al Jazeera that the closure of various consulates of countries that imposed sanctions on goods from illegal Israeli settlements, however, is not nearly as impactful as the sanctions themselves.

  “Throwing out a few diplomats isn’t really much of a price to make a country pay – it’s more symbolic. In some ways, it’s an act of self-harm because you’re actually explicitly and materially damaging your diplomatic relations with a country,” he said.

  The leverage that European countries are currently exerting upon Israel by banning illegal settlement goods is far more consequential, he said, adding that it “actively harms the economic welfare of those settlements”.

  “The Europeans should be considering much more material leverage because it’s very clear that the settlement policy is a deliberate policy of this government and therefore penalising the government for the settlements would be entirely appropriate,” Ross said.
• 1h ago

  (20:00 GMT)

  Palestinian politician calls for comprehensive sanctions as Israeli officials push for West Bank military campaign

  Israel’s isolation is unprecedented, but not enough on its own, says Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, who is calling for comprehensive sanctions.

  He cited calls by senior Israeli officials, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, for a campaign in the occupied West Bank identical to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

  Israel has “never been as isolated in its entire history as it is today”, Barghouti told Al Jazeera, noting recent sanctions on illegal settlements by some Western states and the cold shoulder given to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly last week.

  “What we need today is not merely statements or words. We need action,” he said, arguing that condemnations and boycotting illegal Israeli settlements did not go far enough.

  “It is the government that is carrying out these actions; it is the government that is committing the crimes,” he said. “So comprehensive sanctions and a comprehensive boycott are what we need now.”

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