Let’s Damage the Israeli Economy (Support BDS Movement)

One day I decided to support the BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanctions) movement against the State of Israel because I hate Israel and I have spent all my life hating Israel and Jews. Allah gave me a chance to take my revenge for Palestinians from Israel by supporting BDS and I was going to hit Israel hard by thoroughly damaging her economy. I was not a hypocrite and I would support BDS through my actions by boycotting all stuffs and inventions made by Israel because I wanted to show Israel that I alone was enough to damage her financially.  I knew Israelis would call me a terrorist because I was going to launch economic terrorism against the State of Israel by supporting BDS in a proper way. I then contacted the BDS movement to send me a list of things that I should boycott in my daily life. I received a list via email, I printed it and stuck it on the kitchen wall. I ordered my family to start strictly running their lives according to this list or they would lose my trust, favour and Allah will not be happy with them.

From now on, I was the part of the BDS movement along with my wife and our children and I was ready to start implementing hard boundaries around me and my family. I wanted to be an example for other people as to how to follow the BDS accordingly in order to damage the Israeli economy in a proper and a right way.  Last night, I decided to wake up early in the morning but didn’t because I could not set an iPhone alarm, of course, as it was made with technology from an Israeli company. So, I woke up late. Thanks G-D, it was my day off from work! I was very happy that I did not touch first Israeli invention (iPhone alarm) and even I preferred to be late (which was not my first choice though).

Hang on just a minute, I work for the ICTS (UK) Ltd which is an Israeli company, according to the BDS list!! I immediately sent an email to the company giving them my immediate resignation with a solid reason that it is an Israeli company and I cannot work with the company that supports Israel to kill my Palestinian people. The resignation was accepted by the midday. I am now jobless but it is not a problem, it was a little sacrifice in solidarity with my Muslim brothers and sisters.

In the morning, I went straight into the washroom but, hey!!! I cannot use Colgate toothpaste because it is mentioned in the BDS list, so finally I just wash my mouth with plain water. I hate Israel, why does my favourite toothpaste have to be made by a company that does lots of business with them? Anyway, life was running just fine without these things before, so why not now. I felt easier when I thought of this.

I decided to have a lovely breakfast, some toast, a fried egg, halal sausages and fresh apple juice. I asked my wife to make this lovely breakfast for me please. She went straight into the kitchen and suddenly came back to me with the bad news that she cannot use the toaster because it is made by a company called Russell Hobbs that does business in Israel. I asked her to make a juice for me but she refused because the juicer was made by the same company. I asked her to make a tea but the kettle was an Israeli product too. I finally shouted “Fine…I am not going to have breakfast at home!! I am going to have it outside!!!”

I went out of my house and sat in the car, oh my G-D, I in shock as realised that my brand-new Volvo is an Israel supporting company. Now I must give up driving my car anymore. I decided to walk to the nearest store for breakfast, about thirty minutes’ walk from my home. I was so hungry and tired when I finally arrived at the shop. I entered and ordered a healthy breakfast with a hot tea. I sat at my table to see the list again. I literally shouted “whaaaaat the… Starbucks does business in Israel!!” I suddenly cursed the shop where I had just ordered my breakfast because I now realised it was on my list. I was so upset and angry at Israel, they bloody ruined my breakfast. I slowly walked to the next store, a Tesco, to buy something to eat but looked at my list and could not enter into the Tesco because it contributed money to Israel. I even cannot enter into ASDA and Waitrose to buy any household stuff. But, my aim remains strong with my Iman (belief), so I told myself to remember what happens if you do not have breakfast in solidarity with Palestinians!!! It made me stronger to recognise that I finally did a little damage to Israel in the morning.

I went back home, tired, and hungry. I did not have enough energy to call my wife. When I entered my home, I saw an ugly lady in my home. “Who in the hell this ugly woman that is in my home?”  I tried to recognise her and finally I screamed, “Is it you, my wife? What happened to you? You were so beautiful as always but what happened to you now?”  She cried “This is because I cannot use my makeup, lotion, dandruff shampoo, creams and all other stuffs that made me beautiful because these stuffs were made by Israeli companies.” She did not use the products such as L’Oréal, Revlon, Johnson & Johnson and all the others. I said not to worry, “…your heart is so beautiful with belief and it’s all I need,” but she refused to go out anywhere without makeup. When I wanted to get changed and opened my wardrobe, I found it empty, no shoes on the shoe racks. I shouted to my wife and asked where my clothes and shoes are. She said she donated them all to charity because they were purchased from M&S, Delta, Gap, Nike, Adidas, Boss, Levis, and River Island. I could not even find my undergarments because I bought them from Calvin Klein and Armani which are either Israeli companies or support Israel in killing Muslims. I was so angry and screamed at my wife “What am I going to wear now?” She said “Islamic thobe (long robe in cloth that Arabs wear)”.  I was so upset at first but then became happy that finally I am going to wear my Islamic clothes, not Israeli clothing anymore.

Oh, My G-d!!! Where are my laptop, printer, my phones and even plasma TV? It seems my wife called a charity shop to collect all things from our house because they all were made by Israeli companies, or their systems were invented in Israel for companies such as IBM, AOL, Intel. And then there were those TV channels such as Sky, Star, Fox, National Geographic Disney and CNN. I became mad, banged my door shut behind me and left home to pick up my kids on a bus because I could not drive my new Volvo.

My kids were very upset with my new lifestyle without using Israeli products at all in solidarity with Palestinians.  They could not watch TV programs and cannot drink Coca Cola, Pepsi, 7-Up or Sprite and Fanta, not even drink water from the Eden Company. They were missing eating at McDonald and KFC. My little child was crying when I strictly banned her having a Kit Kat chocolate bar, her most favourite chocolate.

That day I missed reading The Daily Times, The New York Post and Telegraph newspapers online, but my mission to support my Palestinians was strong and hate towards Israel became more powerful because I sacrificed enough to damage her financially. My family was not happy with my decision because they lost everything in one day from our car to watches, from bedroom to kitchen stuff and from entertainment to study. My children lost the expensive toys that I bought for them at Toys R Us and Selfridges and they even cannot play games because their mother threw the Play Station in a giveaway bin. I was also so furious and upset with the situation and not certain about how to handle the situation. I finally decided to seek help from Allah and walked to my local mosque. I entered into the mosque and prayed to Allah because He is the only who can show me the right path in order to support my Muslim Palestinians. When I finished my prayers, I saw a young Palestinian who was with me the other day to protest in favour of the BDS movement. I did not notice it that day, but today…  He was wearing some M&S shirt and trousers, Nike shoes and had a hat on his head with Gap written on its front. I did not ask him anything but I did follow him. He entered into the KFC shop which was on the opposite side of the road and started eating and talking to his friends by using an iPhone.

I could not control myself and entered into the KFC and started a bombardment of questions about why did he wear this, why is he using that and why is he eating KFC.  I further explained to him that in a day what I sacrificed for the BDS movement, I had literally thrown myself from top to floor and even given up my job as a manager in a security company.  He sat silently, listening to everything. He suddenly started laughing. I asked him the reason for his laughter. He responded, “Brother, we are not stupid like you who has given up everything we earned. We support BDS but we cannot scarify ourselves and our family life. We are living in the West and we only do strikes and protest against the apartheid state of Israel. If we lose everything, then how could we fight our BDS war against such a powerful enemy? So, it is better that we use our wisdom and fight Israel while making ourselves economically strong.” I replied, “Making ourselves economically strong by using their products???!!! So how could we fight against Israel through the BDS movement if we use their inventions? It’s pure hypocrisy, isn’t it? I lost everything for your cause and you cannot even join the mission by acting on it properly like I did in one day, as it was your cause, not mine, to start with.”

“Did I tell you to lose everything for us? We are not so stupid like you, Brother! Do not waste my time, I have to attend the BDS protest tomorrow morning just outside the Israeli Embassy and you are free to attend and tell people about your sacrifice in order to motivate other people like you. I really appreciate your sacrifice for us Palestinians. May Allah reward you in this world and the hereafter.  I have to call others on my Facebook page. Salaam.” He opened his Facebook account via his new iPhone 8 and then disappeared.

I was so exhausted and stressed out as I had just lost everything in one day to support these hypocritical people. I decided to stop following the BDS movement and walked quickly towards my home. I was ready to tell my family that from tomorrow we will live a life like we were living before. As I entered in my home, I called out to my wife and children, but there was a complete lull in my house. I checked every room but could not find a single member of my family, so I ran upstairs and entered my bedroom where I found a letter on the top of my study table. The letter was written by my wife.

“My dear Husband,

I am very sorry to inform you that I am leaving you and your house with my children for good. I, along with you, spent more than 17 years to make this house from saving a penny and you ruined it all in a single day. You are neither a good husband nor a good father, people think positive and go forward for the sake of the family’s bright future but unfortunately you destroyed your own family deliberately. You were seeking to hit Israel economically, but by following this you economically destroyed your own family for others. I think, it is a better way for me and my children to keep a distance from you. May Allah show you the right path and open your eyes.”

Ameen,

Your beloved wife and children”

The letter dropped from my hands to the floor; I was just frozen like a statue, tears suddenly flooded from my eyes and I was shocked. I could not decide what to do. I was entirely responsible for the destruction of my family and its future by following BDS movement. A day before, I had everything, my home, my beautiful and smiling wife, my innocent and loving children, my job and my bright future. Just in a day, I lost everything. It was like I had committed suicide by following the BDS movement. This was not a Boycott Divestment Sanctions but it became a Begrudged Deranged Suicide Movement for me that ruined me and my family life financially and socially.

I was just realising that today I became one of thousands of Palestinians workers who lost their jobs in Israeli markets affected by the BDS movement but there was a huge difference between me and those that lost their jobs because of others who were following the BDS movement but because I ruined everything personally by choosing to follow to the BDS movement accordingly.

My advice to those who follow the BDS movement-if you follow the BDS Movement and please to choose to follow it as I followed, boycott Israel completely as I did in a day, remember before boycotting Israel, see the lifestyle of the leaders of BDS Movement. Look at how the leaders live, including its founder Omar Barghouti, who is exercising full Israeli rights. He founded the BDS movement in 2005 but kept right on studying at Tel Aviv University when he began his master’s degree in 2009, he has a house in Israel, and holds an Israeli green card residency. He should have given up his Israeli residence and his free study before starting the BDS campaign against the State of Israel. If you truly want to follow the BDS movement, please think 100% before doing anything about it. Why should you be expected to lose everything to boycott Israel completely when the leaders don’t?  I am sure you could not survive even one day by supporting the BDS movement the way it should be according to Barghouti and the other movement leaders.

This is the fictional story of someone- who decides to support BDS properly by his real actions. My aim is to educate my people that if you want to support BDS and do it as this individual did in his life, consider the cost and the hypocrisy of the leaders first.

About the Author
Mr. Noor Dahri is the Founder and Executive Director of Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism- ITCT, a UK based Counter Islamist Terrorism Think Tank. Noor was born and raised in Pakistan. Noor Dahri has also worked with the London Police department for the last seven years. He has studied Forensics and Criminal Psychology from Oxford – UK and Counter Terrorism from International Institute for Counter Terrorism ICT- Israel. He is an author of "Terra Nullius: The Rebirth of a Land Without Peace"
Related Topics
Related Posts
Comments