Boycott Israel, Says Man Drawing Salary From Israel

“The moral step is to boycott this racist entity,” the MK argued.

Montreal, August – A legislator earning a living from the coffers of the Jewish State called on other countries, individuals, and entities today not to do business or have normal relations with that state.

Basel Ghattas, a lawmaker from the Joint List delegation to the Israeli parliament, addressed a conference in this Canadian city that had already had the government in Ottawa withdraw its support and participation because of the event’s anti-Israel agenda. Ghattas, who also participated in the controversial Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade of the coastal territory, urged his audience to disengage from Israel to pressure the country and challenge its legitimacy. In the meantime, the lawmaker is paid tens of thousands of shekels each month as his salary for serving in the legislature, plus benefits.

“The moral step is to boycott this racist entity,” the MK argued, his words generating applause from the audience. “It is incumbent on every person of conscience to withdraw from dealings with the State of Israel, its institutions, and its representatives, no matter how lucrative such dealings may be.”

Ghattas was cheered by Omar Barghouti, a Boycott, Divest, Sanctions activist who earned an advanced degree from Tel Aviv University while campaigning for BDS. “Mr, Ghattas cogently argued for what I and my colleagues have been urging for many years,” he said.

Attendees cheered Ghattas both during and after his address, enthusiastically using their Israeli-technology-equipped mobile devices to share their experience. “The world needs to hear this loud and clear,” exclaimed local Palestinian rights activist Laila Husseini. “I’m thrilled to be here, and I’m lucky I got in in time. Traffic was just awful, so it’s a good thing I used Waze to work my way around the most congested areas.”

Not everyone was so fortunate. “I got here late because I was visiting my cousin in the hospital,” explained Rene DuBois, a left-wing activist. “I really wanted to be here on time, but she was having some reaction to medication, and I had to stay until they sorted out that she actually needed a cheaper generic alternative to the name-brand medicine they’d been administering.” Israel’s Teva Pharmaceuticals is the world’s largest producer of generic drugs, and it manufactured the product used in DuBois’s cousin’s second, successful treatment.

Ghattas voiced pleasure at his reception and the prospects for his argument finding the right attentive ears. “We need to continue demonstrating the justice and consistency of our case,” he said of the BDS cause. “It’s important to serve as a solid personal example.”