Aggressive policies isolating Israel: Academic

Press TV has conducted an interview with Mkhaimar Abusada, professor at al-Azhar University in Gaza, about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel gaining momentum in the United States over Tel Aviv’s aggressive policies against Palestinians.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: The anti-Israel boycott campaign is gaining steam most notably in the United States as well. Tell us more.

Abusada: Let me start by saying that Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians and Israeli violation of international humanitarian law has pushed many countries around the globe to activate the BDS campaign - Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel and the Israeli economy.

This campaign has a lot of popularity in Europe mainly in the UK, especially UK universities against Israeli universities. But lately and especially after the Israeli settler murder of the family of Ali Dawabsheh and the burning of an 18 months child has pushed many countries including the US which is sponsoring Israel for the past 68 years since the establishment of Israel in 1948, we see momentum inside the US among US universities and professors against Israel. And I have to say this is a very positive development in the support of the cause of the Palestinians and the momentum against Israel and against Israeli institutions and Israeli economy as a result of Israeli aggression and Israeli violation of international law.

Press TV: Would you say that year by year as time goes by Israel is getting more and more isolated in the international community?

Abusada: Definitely. If we look at the position of Israel right now in the international arena, Israel is politically isolated as a result of its aggression against the Palestinians and also its aggression against the Arab neighboring countries. And let me also add that Israel is politically isolated as a result of its opposition to the nuclear agreement between the big powers, P5+1 and Iran. This position by the Israeli government has alienated Israel politically and also pushed many countries to look at Israel as a government who is behaving above international law.

Now let me note that this current Israeli government is one of the most notorious, extreme right-wing governments in the history of Israel. This government includes a number of ministers, including the Minister of Justice. Her name is Ayelet Shaked who is publicly calling for the killing of the Palestinians especially Palestinian women and infants. And also includes another minister in this government Naftali Bennett who is the head of the Israeli party called Jewish Home who is supporting Israeli settlement expansion against the two state solution and in addition to that this right-wing Israeli government is in contradiction with the international community regarding many issues, and as I mentioned one of them is the issue of the nuclear agreement between the P5+1 with Iran.

These policies, these positions by the current Israeli government have pushed further political isolation against Israel and against Israeli diplomats all over the world. And I believe that this campaign of BDS, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel will continue as a result of Israeli aggression, as a result of also Israeli violation of international humanitarian law and also as a result of Israeli policies which are putting Israel as a country above international law.  

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