Huh?
Yeah, that was the condition for them to be accepted into the WTO club:
Saudi Arabia has agreed to end all economic boycotts of Israel, allowing the World Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday to admit the oil-rich kingdom as its 149th member, diplomats said. Saudi officials did not comment on the Israel boycott, which had been the key obstacle during the kingdom’s 12-year bid to gain entry. U.S. and Israeli officials said the boycott issue had been resolved. “I am very satisfied with the fact that Saudi Arabia has complied with all the rules of the WTO,” said Itzhak Levanon, Israel’s ambassador to the global trade body.
The Washington Times via The Religious Policeman
Now Mohammed Khalid and the rest of the Bahraini parliament can go get stuffed.
Comments
Saudi ends Israel boycott
That sucks big time… Eventually the rest of the arab world will follow the same path. By that i mean back stabing Palestine. And they call themselves Muslims!!!!!!
Waffles
Saudi ends Israel boycott
wow… I’m speechless… I don’t see a lot in Bahrain nor the rest of the Muslim world agree to Mahmood’s comments on this topic… Just simply amazing…
Saudi ends Israel boycott
About time we let go of the empty rhetoric…. I sincerely believe we can better serve the cause of the Palestinian people (not that it was ever high on the list of the Saudi governments priorities sadly) by openly engaging with Israel rather then placing it in the back burner and in doing so also ignoring the plight of the Palestinians.
By now every Arab country has just about back stabbed the other in turn. We should bravely assess our relationships and strengthen them with ties of mutual interest instead of dreaming that mere religious, cultural or blood ties can hold us together, they are a start but certainly not enough. It is also naive to think that most if not all Arab and Muslim countries haven’t had dealings with the Israelis even Mahmoud-Wipe It Off The Map-Ahmadinejad’s Iran bought weapons from it during the Iraqi Iranian war…. Yes I think its time the mistress meets the wife.
A Saudi
Saudi ends Israel boycott
oh that’s just great. AS IF we didn’t have enough tragedy already. yeh, lets give the terrorists more excuses to bomb us. israel should be wiped off the globe.
Saudi ends Israel boycott
[i]”We will live to spread hatred for Israel amongst our children and will continue to do so, because we will never forget the sorrow and sadness Israelis have spread over the past decades.”[/i]
Mahmood, this is what I read in the “stuffed” link you provided above. Is this true? Really? It’s shocking to see that people hate other people without even knowing them. I feel so blessed that I don’t have that poison inside of me….
Tsedek
Israel
Saudi ends Israel boycott
It makes me laugh, when I read the Britian and the US screwed up the middle east. Its like Truman did it so forever the US is responsible. I would not if it were up to me give the PLO a dime. The entire state is being feed with US dollars and they burn our flag and calll us names. Billions of dollars that could be used right here. I have no problem feeding the children of the world and I wish Palistine no ill will. It is a no win situation for us, if we try to stop the violence were bastards and if we ignore it were bastards. I beleive that the people of these areas leave to look for a better life and leave behind the people who have no desire to get ahead and make a life. Look at how the destroyed the greenhouses that were left in tact, at the time of the pull out. I wonder what would happen to the world if we simply closed our borders and quit trying to feed the world. If the ME countries would be more open with the Jews, they could learn so much to improve their lives and create jobs to feed and take care of themselves. There is but one God and I believe he made us all different to enjoy. This free will thing is out of control though making choices that are intended to kill and maim is not what he had in mind I am sure.
Cherryl
Saudi ends Israel boycott
Mahmood thank you for your answer. It sort of feel like the same style extremist jews in israel wish to keep up the front as if all palestinians are terrorists and we should hate them. Luckily for israel however, they are a small minority and have no influence. Hate is the devil. Whether it comes from inside or out.
Tsedek
Re: Saudi ends Israel boycott
Tsedek unfortunately yes. There is far too much hatred associated with this issue that has been going on for thousands of years, and it have resurfaced once again after the trade talks as you have seen that politicians all over the Middle East are using this “forced” recognition of Israel as their Joker card with their people. They think that by perpetuating hatred they can retain their seats. It’s avery emotive subject that will not go away easily. There is hope however.
Saudi ends Israel boycott
A Saudi is absolutely right.
There are always two sides to every problem. That is the duality of life.
It is not possible to just blame the Israelies for everything. Bothe sides are to blame and so also the British and Americans for going everywhere and scewing things up. Remember like Pakistan, Israel never existed. It was created with the interference of the British who are good in messing things up after conquering, raping and then breaking up countries and making them join the common-wealth, get it COMMON WEALTH with the qeen continuing to try to be a head of state….sorry I am rambling on…..
It is time Americans disbanded Israel and then Palestinians. Draw a line from East to West and divide the country. Develop a sea port and airport for the Palestinians and help them to establish a stable government and economy and pay for it with the same money that they use to supply weapons to the Israelies and send half the bill to the British and the Russians.
Saudi ends Israel boycott
I think history has proven before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, that no other nation nor people treated the Jews as good as the Muslim world has done… While they were being masacred in Europe and the Christian world… They were treated fairly during all times of the major Muslim empires, some of them even held key government positions throughout the centuries… Example, they were treated fairly in Andulisa, before Esabella and Ferdinaned came along… As a result, before making such comments, please look up your history and ours…
Peace
[quote]I wonder what would happen to the world if we simply closed our borders and quit trying to feed the world. If the ME countries would be more open with the Jews, they could learn so much to improve their lives and create jobs to feed and take care of themselves. [/quote]
Saudi ends Israel boycott
i’m sorry, but you do realise that the boundaries and existence of very few modern states in the middle east (NOT only israel) actually existed prior to WWI. many of the middle east’s current issues are directly traceable to the post ottoman/colonial break-up of the middle east. additionally, you must also realise that palestine as a nation-state and palestinians as separate people (from say jordanians) is also a very recent development (actually began with arafat in the 1960s).
what would be great is if both sides could see that outside powers (whether it be the west or other arab states) have been controlling both palestinians and israelis for way too long and if we could actually work together to figure out what is in our (palestinian & israeli) best interest and not serve the interests of foreign presidents and sheikhs.
as mahmoud wrote in his posting, way too many heads of state are using israel and palestine for their own purposes. how many of those heads of state actually truly care for the people on the ground?
Re: Saudi ends Israel boycott
Yep and when the go those nukes they dont have will probably take the whole middle east with them.
Re: Saudi ends Israel boycott
[quote]While they were being masacred in Europe and the Christian world…[/quote]
Or by Mohammed.
Should I once again drag out that Hadiths where Mohammed massacred the Jews or spread hate about them?
[quote]Example, they were treated fairly in Andulisa, before Esabella and Ferdinaned came along[/quote]
Wrong. Go read up on some Spanish History. The ‘golden age’ of Andalucia was very short lived before the Moroccans took control and enforced the Jizyah state on the infidels in Spain. Before that point, even the ‘golden age’ was still Muslims and Dhimmis; but at least then, the Dhimmis has humane Muslim masters.
Sadly, ‘humanity’ is quickly being shown to be in short supply amongst Muslims these days.
Most present company excluded, of course.
–Ethan
Saudi ends Israel boycott
Yes please drag those hadiths for us, that tought Muslims to live in peace with the Jews, even when Andalucia fell, both the Muslims and Jews migrated to Northern Africa.
Or please drag those hadiths, that tought the Ottomans to welcome all the Jews whom were persecuted in Europe and especially Russia.
Or drag those hadiths in which the Muslim Empires protected the Musilm and Jews who were attacked by the Crusades “warriors of God”.
Re: Saudi ends Israel boycott
Well, as a Jew, I can definitely attest to the virulent hatred of all Jews by all Arabs and Muslims.
A stark and terrifying example in my own life ocurred just recently when my wife and I were at dinner with our friends Leslie and Munir. Munir, who is Egyptian, was pouring wine into our glasses (a very nice, soft, Montepulciano D’Abbruzzo from Tuscany), and he CONSISTENTLY gave his wife and mine more than me. I still haven’t forgiven him, and have been plotting my sweet revenge for several weeks now.
Although none of us are Christian, we are in the habit exchanging small gifts during the Chritmas holidays (this is a New Yorker, Chanakuh bush, Eid tree kind of thing – it’s complicated, don’t make me explain). I shall contrive to wrap his gift in such a way that it is very hard to open. Only then will the insult to my ancestors be finally satisfied.
Jared in NYC
Re: Saudi ends Israel boycott
tsedek ..
i dont think that the right wing extremists in israel are in any more of a minority than the right wing extremists in the arab world .. they exist in significant numbers .. enough to influence policy .. your battle is within your own borders with your own kind. much like ours ..
jj
Re(1): Saudi ends Israel boycott
Ethan darling ..
Methinks the scolar doth protest too much …. a few points ..
1. Bani Israel in the Qoran is not a reference to eretz Israel of the 21st century.
2. The Jews were certainly much better treated by the Moslem Middle East than they were by the white Europeans .. no ghettos, no start of david, no holocaust. Until 1948 that is.
3. The issue people have post 1948 is with Zionism. Dont fall into the trap and accuse Moslems of being ‘anti semtitic’ on the basis of plain old anti Jewish hatred. The Moslems and the Jews have MUCH more common in terms of culture, values and lifestyle than either do with Christianity. And anti semitism originated in the West. (We in the ME all know that Arabs are Semites).
JJ
Saudi ends Israel boycott
Well –
We know that Mohammed ordered the killing of Abu Afak, an old Jewish man. Mohammed ordered the killing of Asma Marwan after she criticized him for killing Abu Afak.
We know that Mohammed ordered the attack upon the Banu Qaynuqa Jews; and after their surrender, ordered that their hands be tied behind their backs. The massacre of over 700 helpless men, was prevented only by the intercession of Abd Allah b. Ubayy b. Salul.
We know that Mohammed ordered the killing of Kab Ashraf and gave permission to Muhammad bin Maslama to lie, if necessary, to achieve the killing.
We know that before the battle of Uhud, Mohammed ordered his followers to “kill any Jew that comes under your power”. Muhayyisa b. Masud used this as a justification for murdering Ibn Sunayna, a Jewish merchant who had done business with his family.
We know that Mohammed ordered the attack against the Banu Nadir Jews and gave permission for the wanton destruction of food (i.e. palm trees), abrogating his previous teachings.
We know that Mohammed ordered the throat slitting of at least 800 surrendered Jewish prisoners (males having reached puberty) at Qurayza, who already had their hands tied behind their back. He took as slaves the Qurayza woman and children. We know that even today, Islam permits the rape of war booty, so I’m not going to mention what happened to the women/boys back then.
We know that Mohammed ordered al-Zubayr Al-Awwam to torture Kinana al-Rabi, a Jewish treasurer of Khaibar, with the words “Torture him until you extract what he has.” He was murdered by Muhammad b. Maslama, via decapitation, after the torture.
And all that love and goodness was while Mohammed was still alive.
We know that Joseph HaNagid, the Jewish vizier of Granada, Spain, was crucified on December 30, 1066 by an Arab mob. Muslims in the area then killed over 5,000 Jews (and/or people living in the Jewish quarter).
We know that Arab mobs rioting in Fez, circa 1465, slaughtered all but 11 Jews in the city.
We know that the Muslim king of Morocco, Idris I, massacred Jews in Morocco.
We know there was a pogrom in Libya, circa 1785, where Ali Burzi Pasha ordered the murder of Jews. Algeria recorded that Jews were massacred in 1805, 1815, and 1830.
Have things changed recently?
Well, we know that 20th century Islamic Anti-Semitism includes the pogrom in Hebron, the Islamic support for the Holocaust, the expulsion of Jewish communities from North Africa, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey; even the repetition of the blood-libel myth or, the dissemination of a known/admitted forgery like Protocols of the Elders of Zion in Muslim countries.
I guess it all depends on what your definition of ‘peaceful living together’ is…
Re: Saudi ends Israel boycott
Dear Anonymous,
I’d like to say to you, gently, and with respect, that there is no utility in mining distant history for the consistently ugly things that human being have done to each other in order to cast present judgement on individuals or groups. None. Nations may sometimes feel the need to behave in this way, but I deeply hope that as individuals we can avoid this trap. All of our lives grow richer with friends and experiences when we’re able to do this.
Jared in NYC
Saudi ends Israel boycott
Jared, you can’t deal with the present without understanding the past. Instead of welcoming the re-establishment of Jewish Independence in Palestine, the Arab world chose to invade in a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing. A failed attempt to wipe out the Jews. It would have been better for all if instead they read their Korans and welcomed Jewish independence:
17:104 And We said thereafter to the Children of Israel, “Dwell securely in the land of promise”
The Quran went even further to consider the Promised Land as the permanent inheritance for the Israelites (26:59 Thus it was, but We made the Children of Israel inheritors of such things (the promised land) In addition, the Quran considered that G-d wrote the Promised Land to the Israelites as a final contract (5:21 “O my people (the Jews)! Enter the holy land which God hath assigned unto you).
In addition to the above and according to the some other unambiguous Quranic verses G-d will gather the Israelites again into their promised land before the end of the world (Quran [17:104] And we said to the Children of Israel afterwards, “scatter and live all over the world…and when the end of the world is near we will gather you again into the Promised Land�).
The invasion of 48 is the cause of all the problems and it is responsible for the refugee problem. It is silly to expect Israel alone to solve a problem created by an Arab invasion whose aim was the total ethnic cleansing of the Jews.
Saudi ends Israel boycott
I think it is reasonable to want to remove a colonising force from your home land. No colonising force has succeeded in hangin on his gains in the long term. The behaviour of the Israelis (one should try to mix up Jew and Israeli) hs been deplored internationally. The quote from the Koran is interesting “when the end of the world is near we will gather you again into the Promised Landâ€?).” because some muslims see the creation of the space called Israel and signalling the end of the world. Any views?
Saudi ends Israel boycott
Gee… I wish all the muslims had read Qauran and were half as literate as muslims here, at this blog. In that case it would be definitely the world of Muslims on the entire Earth and no oil would be needed to sustain that. And I wouldn’t complain. Whereas now…
Another thing I am wondering about – back in Russia, in the region I used to live, the whole nation (Muslims too) were once moved 3000 km. to the North-East. And their houses were occupied as time went by, by other people living nearby. But in 20 years that nation was returned. And there was a lot of trouble. I, generally, thought – they were right in demanding their lands and properties back. But now, that I’ve read some posts here, I am thinking – they were probably just colonising force… Roughly… afterall 20 years is definitely less then 2000.
I am neither jew, nor muslim. I beieve in god though.
Re: Saudi ends Israel boycott
Haha, “the British” should pay? Not on your nelly, mate. I wasn’t born until nearly 30 years after Israel was created and I’ll pay for the deeds of my forebears when the Italians pay for the deeds of the Romans, the French pay for the deeds of the Norman Empire, and – oh yes – the Turks pay for the deeds of the Ottoman Empire. And if your concern is to force peoples to leave lands originally gained through conquest well, hey, let’s do a hot shoe shuffle on that one: the Jews can leave Israel, all non-Native Americans can leave the Americas, the Arabs can leave Egypt, Algeria and North Africa in its entirety … etc.
Not going to happen. The past is what it is. Get over it.
Re: Saudi ends Israel boycott
Your are right, colonizing forces have not succeeded and that explains Israel’s existence today. Assyrian imperialists conquer Israel. Take many away as slaves, yet Jews return and rebuild..Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and take many away as slaves, yet Jews return and rebuild…Alexander the Great conquers Judea/Israel, Jews revolt and re-establish their independence…Roman’s rule over Judea/Israel, Jews rebel against and Rome destroys Jerusalem, burning it to the ground. Harsh Roman occupation continues with many crucifixions and martyrs…then Jews revolt against Rome again (Bar Kochba revolt). Revolt fails and Romans carry out extensive ethnic cleansing, hunting down every hiding Jew and murdering them. Judea is renamed Palestine (in memory of the ancient foreign invaders from the sea) in an imperialist attempt to wipe out the memory of people of the land – the Jews. Jews are forbidden to live in their holy city – Jerusalem. Rome becomes Christian. Jews are weak, yet return as able. Muslims conquer. Jews return to Jerusalem under Islam. Dome of the Rock is built over site of the Jewish Holy temples. Crusades come. Crusades go. Ottomans take over. More Jews return. The third independent Jewish state is created. Yes you are right. You can never succeed in removing the Jews from their homeland. That is true and that explains why the Koran recognizes Jerusalem for the Jews. We know this is all a game played by those who can’t handle Jews being independent. Israel sits on 25% of Palestine. The PA territories and Jordan sit on 75% of Palestine. It is time to let Israel live in peace. If you do that, you will open the door to an Islamic / Judaic renaissance in the middle east with Israel and the new Palestinian State leading the way.
Saudi ends Israel boycott
Your are right, colonizing forces have not succeeded and that explains Israel’s existence today. Assyrian imperialists conquer Israel. Take many away as slaves, yet Jews return and rebuild..Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and take many away as slaves, yet Jews return and rebuild…Alexander the Great conquers Judea/Israel, Jews revolt and re-establish their independence…Roman’s rule over Judea/Israel, Jews rebel against and Rome destroys Jerusalem, burning it to the ground. Harsh Roman occupation continues with many crucifixions and martyrs…then Jews revolt against Rome again (Bar Kochba revolt). Revolt fails and Romans carry out extensive ethnic cleansing, hunting down every hiding Jew and murdering them. Judea is renamed Palestine (in memory of the ancient foreign invaders from the sea) in an imperialist attempt to wipe out the memory of people of the land – the Jews. Jews are forbidden to live in their holy city – Jerusalem. Rome becomes Christian. Jews are weak, yet return as able. Muslims conquer. Jews return to Jerusalem under Islam. Dome of the Rock is built over site of the Jewish Holy temples. Crusades come. Crusades go. Ottomans take over. More Jews return. The third independent Jewish state is created. Yes you are right. You can never succeed in removing the Jews from their homeland. That is true and that explains why the Koran recognizes Jerusalem for the Jews. We know this is all a game played by those who can’t handle Jews being independent. Israel sits on 25% of Palestine. The PA territories and Jordan sit on 75% of Palestine. It is time to let Israel live in peace. If you do that, you will open the door to an Islamic / Judaic renaissance in the middle east with Israel and the new Palestinian State leading the way.
#
What will i say to my children when they will ask me one day: What did you do to help The Palestinians?
I will tell theim, that i have always boycotted -Israel- The Brutal Apartheid Zionist Occupation of Palestine and the ethnic cleasing of our brothers and sisters. Just as many boycotted South-Africa to liberate African people from apartheid.
I will also tell theim that silence kills, and that those who never stand up for justice will end up being part of the problem not the solution.
And to finish, i will tell theim that dignity is not a commodity to be found in shopping malls, but in a courageous human heart.
God bless you all.
Let the zionist scum contamine it self and watch their offspring coming down like flies, like their concious, they stink. IsraEL GO TO HELL.
Where has the efforts of other Arab countries got the Palestinian people?
Where have the efforts of the palestinian people got themselves?
Why is that?
What can change?
Arab countries can provide training, expertise and consulting to the Palestinian people in Gaza to build it into a stable, economically successful zone, which is attractive to business and tourists. It could be a showcase of what the Palestinian people could achieve.
Is this not a far more positive message than the corruption of past leaders of the palestinian community?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Gaza shone like a beacon to the people of the world?
Isn’t the whole boycott thing rather irrelevent? If I recall, both Coca Cola and British Leyland were on the boycott list. However, Land Rover, because their vehicles were useful to the Arab countries, managed to slip through the boycott. Likewise Coca Cola. That was boycotted for a very long time, until a Saudi shaikh decided that there was a great deal of money to be made by selling the product.
Saying that the boycott is down will not automatically mean that Arab countries will start buying Israeli goods. Unless the goods happen to be some of the best in the world. UZI comes to mind. . .
Yours cynically
Anarchist