“These are Arab watermelons,” he said with some feeling. He pointed to the sticker on the melons, which, although it boasted an Israeli mobile phone number, was written in Arabic. “These are not Jewish,” he said. “And they are sweet.”
Watermelons with a nationality!
What I don't understand from the point of view of Palestinian or Jewish workers is the deliberate endangering of employment opportunities for workers facing high levels of unemployment. A large number of Arab workers are employed in Israeli villages across the Green Line and enjoy the full protection of Israeli labour law. The money they earn goes right back into the Palestinian economy. They work in these villages alongside Jewish workers thereby possibly building some roots of cross-national worker solidarity.
In addition, the boycott clearly is in violation of the Paris Agreement (Annex IV of the Gaza-Jericho Agreement). This agreement (which does not distinguish between Jewish villages on one side or the other of the Green Line, states (in part):
Both sides will attempt to maintain the normality of movement of labor between them
and later
Each side will do its best to avoid damage to the industry of the other side and will take into consideration the concerns of the other side in its industrial policy.
As workers, we should be opposed to such a boycott - it only hurts workers and their families. Moreover, by undermining already signed agreements, it only weakens the prospect for peace. For peace to be assured, signed commitments need to be honoured.
Unfortunately, this latest "provocation" got little play in the mainstream press.
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