Israel Wages War on the Palestinian People while the World Stands Idly By
As the Israeli war against Gaza continues into its third week, I remain stunned at the callous disregard for human life shown by the IDF. White phosphorous bombs are dropped on innocent civilians, hospitals are destroyed and U.N. compounds are attacked. Only a short while ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reports that the Shifa Hospital in Gaza along with one of the two Palestine Red Crescent warehouses in Gaza were shelled and set ablaze. The Israeli military is unconcerned about the human tragedy it has committed in its war against Hamas and the Palestinian people.
Diplomacy has failed to stop the killing. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is manipulating his puppet, George Bush, thumbs his nose at the U.N. and the global community and ignores calls for a cease-fire. While it is my guess that this war will come to a halt on or about January 20th, the specter of continuing killing and abuse of innocent people will continue. This will be compounded by the ongoing economic embargo imposed on the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people in the coming period.
What can be done?
One possibility is to return fire with fire. Not in the literal sense but in the economic one. One approach to pressuring Israel to change its venal behavior is to express your outrage at various entities associated with the government. Conversely, waging peace and prosperity holds promise when it’s increasingly obvious that war fails. Hear me out.
Boycott Israeli Companies
There are, of course, many companies based in Israel: Teva Pharmaceuticals, Elbit Systems, El Al Israel Airlines, Check Point Software technologies, to name a few. All told, there are about 90 public companies based in Israel. Investors in these companies should communicate directly with investor relations staff at these companies and express their concerns with this situation.
Sever Ties with Israel Bonds
There is also the Development Corporation for Israel, which sells Israel Bonds to American investors. State of Israel Bonds has been an integral part of Israel. Joshua Matza, an 18-year member of the 
Knesset and minister of health in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, has served as president and CEO since 2002.
Larry Berman, Executive Director of Israel Bonds in the U.S. should hear from people concerned about the current situation in Gaza. He can be reached by phone at (312) 558-9400 or by email at corporate.institutional @IsraelBonds.com.
Divest Pension Holdings Invested in Israel
If you are a union member, it is likely that your pension plan has invested in Israel Bonds. Contact your pension fund administrator or your business agent and urge them to contact Israel Bonds and demand that the Israeli government stop the killing of innocent people.
Suspend U.S. Government Business and Aid with Israel
The U.S. government should suspend all business with all Israeli-based companies. In addition, all companies doing business in Israel should suspend their business activities until both the military and economic war against the Palestinian people is resolved.
Each of these options may or may not work given the fluid conditions in Gaza. Since I began writing this post, there is now talk that Israel may wrap up its operations prior to the Presidential Inauguration on Tuesday. However, the fallout from Israel’s actions will continue and the economic war waged by Israel against the Palestinian people will undoubtedly continue.
For those people truly angry about the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza, focusing the anger in non-violent means, including economic pressure is the only solution. The alternative is to reinforce the violent ineptitude of Hamas. More importantly, a real resolution to what is otherwise an intractable problem can only be achieved if Israel seeks to address the problems with Palestine by means other than total annihilation.
Call for Economic Justice for the Palestinian People
Taking a more positive approach to the conflict, creating another means for hope and prosperity for the Palestinian people as an alternative to the promises of Hamas is critical if any lasting peace is to be achieved. Economic justice can effectively undermine Hamas and other radical elements in Palestinian society. This means not only humanitarian aid in the short-term but real investment in economic development in the long-term.
Does Israel have the courage to take on this challenge?
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