DUTCH ISRAEL BOYCOTT GROUP FINANCIAL DAMAGE

Bright news out of the Netherlands, for a change.

Quote:
A Dutch consumer rights group promoting a ban on Israeli goods is planning to take legal action against one of the Netherland's largest Jewish institutions for alleged "abuse" of the postal system. The Jewish group denies foul play.

[Editorial interruption: It is not entirely clear what action they can take, as the alleged foul play is strictly according to their own playbook.]

Peace, which is advocating a boycott of Israeli goods from the West Bank, says the umbrella group for the Jewish Orthodox communities in the Netherlands, NIK, deliberately caused it losses of thousands of euros.

[Denied by the NIK, and with excellent reason.]


Pro-Israel boycott group: Dutch Jewish leadership 'abusing' our postal system
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1078875.html



"For two weeks now we have been receiving empty envelopes which we put out for people to support our campaign,"


Peace argues that NIK did this by using its Web site to encourage people to send thousands of Peace's prepaid envelopes through a mailing service that allows anyone to send mail to certain organizations at no charge, since the organizations pay the postal fees after delivery.
"For two weeks now we have been receiving empty envelopes which we put out for people to support our campaign," said Peace chairman Joost Hardeman. "We of course had to pay for this traffic. This illegal manipulation by NIK of the Royal Mail service has forced us to cancel our mail arrangement, and we are preparing a lawsuit against them to cover our costs."

The Amsterdam-based group is also planning to take legal action against two operators of pro-Israel Web sites, including a blog, that advertised Peace's prepaid mailbox.

Ruben Vis, secretary general of NIK, confirmed that the address of Peace's prepaid mailbox was posted on his organization's site, but said that was part of a report about Peace's claims that the Israeli Embassy was pressuring a publisher to drop a pro-boycott ad campaign. The embassy has denied this.

"Certain individuals may have decided to mail back to Peace their own prepaid envelopes, but NIK is certainly not involved," Vis said.


Hardeman, who is Jewish and says he supports Israel but opposes its occupation of Palestinian land, said Peace will nonetheless attempt to show NIK is to blame for "the abuse of the mail system."

[Editorial interruption: Joost Hardeman may very well be a classic self-hating Jew. That type often collaborates with anti-Semites, Jew haters, and anti-Israel action groups. This blog does not know Joost Hardeman, and while we are fully prepared to despise him and his entire circle, we reserve judgment; more research is needed.
We do hope, however, that the bastard never enter the US, and have ill-luck and misfortune all of his days - consider these sentiments as a glorious gasp of whatever remains of my Christian fellow-feeling (not a significant factor in my mental make-up, largely due to the repulsive xenophobia and hatred of other beliefs evinced by the 'fine Christians' among whom I lived while a temporary resident of the Netherlands. I'm still furious at my classmates for telling me on a daily basis that I was going to hell, and at their parents for encouraging their brats to believe that it was virtuous to voice that sentiment.]


The Israel Products Center, a Netherlands-based online store specializing in Israeli goods, recently complained to the Dutch advertising ombudsman organization that Peace's campaign against Israeli products has caused it financial damages because it directly targets their livelihood and brand.


[Source: HAARETZ.com http://www.haaretz.com/
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1078875.html ]


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HOIST BY THEIR OWN PETARD

It seems obvious to this blogger that Hardeman's odious clique got shafted by their own doing. Fitting, even, that their own prepaid envelopes be used PRECISELY as intended - to send them a message.

Considering the well-deserved reputation the Dutch have for being money-grubbing skinflints, penny-pinchers, and hard-nosed financialists, this result is particularly delicious.

[Jaja, beste Nederlanders, wat betreft handel and financiën zijt gij allen berucht omwille uw wrekkigheid, gierigheid, en ethische mankementen. Dat is al vele eeuwen bekend. Meer nog dan zelfs Lombardiërs en Schotlanders. Maar ulieden beschouwen dat van uzelven natuurlijk als een prijzenswaardige nuchterheid, wijl ge het toch van anderen met gene gratie veelt. Tismewat. Tsja.]


And regarding boycotts, this blogger is more likely to purchase products if they are of Israeli origin than of European origin - excepting tobacco products and Irish whiskey.
Reason being that I would much rather support those who are on our side, than those who have spent the years since world wars one and two calling us names and damning us for not being exactly like them - a European habit which anyone who has lived there will recognize as the single cultural characteristic which unites Europeans. Without that hatred for America, they might have nothing at all in common, at least not to the degree that it makes them all warm and gushy inside.


[Well, except soccer, that is. Nothing is quite so charmingly European as a full-scale soccer riot, especially one that causes thousands of Euros of damage, and fills holding cells and hospital emergency rooms to overflowing.
These are admirable manifestations of European excellence, and splendid spectacles besides.]


I truly hope that the envelope thing puts the boycott-bastards out of business.