Why boycotting Israel also hurts the Palestinians
In an interview with Al-Monitor, President of the Manufacturers Organization of Israel Shraga Brosh says that the BDS movement against settlement products hurts first and foremost Palestinian workers.
The economic cost that Israel is paying for the current wave of terror can be seen in how the malls have emptied out. The consumers are not only scared to shop there, they aren’t in the mood to shop. Just like after every outbreak of violence, statistics will soon be released to back up these observations. “Add the fact that certain countries already boycott us for political and ideological reasons, and the negative impact on the economy could be very significant,” said Shraga Brosh, president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel. In an interview with Al-Monitor, he calls on the government to include businesspeople in the country’s official public diplomacy campaign overseas, claiming that this tactic already proved itself during the first and second intifadas.
Brosh is also owner of a factory that produces synthetic fibers. Situated in the Barkan Industrial Zone in Samaria, the plant employs dozens of Palestinians. So far, work there has continued as normal, he said. That’s what happens when there are economic incentives and families to support: Politics gets pushed aside.
