Apparently her desire to have Ben & Jerry’s boycott Israel — watered down by Ben & Jerry’s corporate owner, England’s Unilever to “just” the Jewish settlements across the so-called “green line” has brought a plethora of uncomplimentary comments, ergo the whine: “‘I’m a victim of online hate.”
THE PROBLEM MS. MITTAL FACES is that there is an abundance of evidence that she is, indeed, either anti-Semitic or anti-Israel, if one is to split hairs. Or, to take a positive spin on her position, she is an ignorant booster of the PLO/PFLP and Hamas.
According to an article in Israel National News (https://tinyurl.com/7n9se3kp) — obviously a biased, untrustworthy source — citing Stop Anti-Semitism, Mittal has racked up no less than 100 tweets in recent years specifically criticizing Israel, including one which referred to the birth of the country as a “catastrophe.”
The Israeli source notes that During May 2021’s Operation Guardian of the Walls, Mittal responded to a statement by President Joe Biden which said Israel had the right to defend itself.
“Defend itself against what? Stop condoning war crimes and apartheid,” she wrote.
It is blatantly obvious that Ms. Mittal knows nothing about war crimes or apartheid.
- Never mind that the war crimes were committed by Hamas firing missiles at Israeli civilians — and managing to indiscriminately kill both non-combatant Arabs and Jews without declaring war on Israel — both prohibited by international conventions. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_crime)
As far apartheid, it does not exist in Israel. There is zero government support or approval of discrimination due to religion, race, or sex, a requirement for apartheid by any definition. There is personal prejudice against this group or that group, but it is just that, “personal.” It is neither sanctioned nor condoned by the government.
There are jobs that Muslims (vs. Arabs in general) have limited opportunities. Such jobs typically involve national security. On the other hand, non-Muslim Arabs have found work everywhere in Israel since its founding.
Last week, Mittal told NBC News that Ben & Jerry’s had planned a full-blown boycott of Israel, but their parent company, Unilever, intervened and changed the statement at the last minute to read that their products would still be available in Israel “proper.”
She insinuated that Unilever’s business decision to continue operating in Israel, despite Ben & Jerry’s objections, was inherently racist and sexist.
“I can’t stop thinking that this is what happens when you have a board with all women and people of color who have been pushing to do the right thing,” she said.
DOES NOT COMPUTE
Ben & Jerry’s board is “all women and people of color.” The way she phrased her words, it appears that “this is what happens when you have a board with all women and people of color who have been pushing to do the right thing,” that the “right thing” to do is NOT boycott Israel.
I understand she is pillorying the English company’s management for preventing her from a total boycott of the Israeli Ben & Jerry’s franchise with her convoluted sentence.
Unilever might have been spared conflict with the governments of several U.S. states as well as the federal government; it could have had all Unilever products banned in certain states had Ms. Mittal succeeded in her ignorance.
AS IT HAPPENS, The Israeli Ben & Jerry’s franchise promises to continue selling to all markets (her action may have voided the franchise contract in any case), and Israel has an abundance of local ice cream manufacturers and also imports ice creams — there is no shortage of ice cream in Israel. (There are some Israelis who prefer another local brand, claiming it is better than Ben & Jerry’s.)
I understand the “democratic” PLO/PFLP — which has not had an election for the top job in 15 years! — and its leftist sycophants appealed to Ms. Mittal to initiate the boycott.
Question for Ms. Mittal
When was the last time you were in Israel? Were you ever in a PLO/PFLP or Hamas-controlled community?
Is there any reason Ben & Jerry’s, with help from its owner-du-jour, cannot help the “Palestinians” set up their own Ben & Jerry’s franchise.
The Israeli franchise employs about 160 people — how many are Arabs, how many are Jews — and it buys raw materials from local farmers.
Rather than illegally boycott a franchise that turns a profit for Unilever, set up a “Palestinian”-owned franchise in territory-controlled by the PLO/PFLP or Hamas; put “Palestinians” to work; support “Palestinian” dairy farmers.
But understand, that in the PLO/PFLP or Hamas territories, there IS apartheid. A Jew enters these area at the risk of his or her life. A Jew cannot buy land in either territory. A Jew cannot work at any job in the territory and most assuredly cannot hold a government or elected position.
NOW THAT’S APARTHEID
How do I know this.
I have eyes to see and ears to hear.
I am an U.S. citizen by birth. I also am an Israeli who returned after a 42-year stint in the States.
I live in Israel.
I have been hospitalized in Israel where I was attended by Jewish and Muslim doctors, nurses, technicians, and aides.
I shop at markets that employ Jews and Muslims — at equal pay for equal work.
In other words, unlike Ms. Mittal, I have first hand knowledge of life in Israel.
It is NOT the canard Ms. Mittal would have other ignorant people believe.
Who she is parroting is known only to her and her like-minded ignoramuses.
Three parrots – do they “parrot” each other?
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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