Boycott Egypt !

No, I’m not suggesting that, but there is an amusing spoof doing the rounds.

It argues that because of Egypt’s terrible treatment of Palestinians, the building of a wall at the Egyptian end, the handling of the recent convoy and general nastiness that they should be boycotted.

Surprisingly, the usual suspects are against it, so it’s not the treatment of Palestinians which invokes a boycott or the threat, but **who** does it.

Apparently from this mindset, it is unbecoming for Israelis to ever do anything nasty, but is somehow more acceptable when it’s done by Egyptians.

Make your own mind up:

”Jews for Boycotting Egyptian Goods

News Release

No. NR – 238

LONDON, January 14 — A new boycott campaign against Egypt that will require the cooperation of every lover of Palestine has been launched by a group of prominent British Jews, it was announced today.

“It is high time we exposed the crimes against humanity committed by the modern pharoah of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, who is caging in the long-suffering Palestinians of Gaza with an apartheid wall of 100 metres in depth made of steel, ” stated primary school teacher Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi.

Speaking to dozens of activists in a Walthamstow church, Ms. Wimborne-Idrissi stated that Egypt has prevented over 30 million pounds worth of British medical equipment and drugs from entering Gaza. Just recently, that country had bloodied the limbs of hundreds of Viva Palestina activists for bringing a convoy of much needed food and medicines to Gaza and deported British Respect MP George Galloway for leading this convoy.

The former Reuters news correspondent deplored the callous disregard by the Egyptian leadership of the plight of their Arab brethren in Gaza. “It is simply incomprehensible that the government of Egypt is applying this brutal blockade against Gaza,” she declared. As a consequence, her new organization — Jews for Boycotting Egyptian Goods (J-BEG) — will be demanding that all UK importers halt immediately their purchases of cotton yarn and garments, rugs, fertilisers, dates, figs, and sheet metal from Egypt. In addition, all UK firms with investments in Egypt will be pressured to transfer these to other countries.

“We are confident that the UK public is prepared to support our initiative until the the racist Egyptian siege of Gaza is broken,” Ms. Wimborne-Idrissi affirmed.

“The welfare of the beleaguered Palestinians in Gaza must be our number one priority,” she stated.

The new boycott campaign is supported by Viva Palestine, the Palestine Solidarity Committees of Britain, Ireland and Scotland, MP George Galloway, Jews for Justice for Palestinians as well as by the democratically-elected Islamic Resistance government of Gaza.

J-BEG co-founder Tony Greenstein, a veteran crusader for the rights of the unemployed, pointed out that the illegitimate Mubarak government of Egypt is being targeted by his comrades with arrest warrants should they step foot on British soil. Under Britain’s laws of universal jurisdiction, war criminals and their ilk are liable to arrest upon the deposition of a citizen’s complaint before a UK magistrate.

He emphasized that his group’s actions were in complete fulfilment of the treasured Jewish tradition of seeking justice for suffering humanity. Moreover, it has the complete approval of his London legal advisers ITN Solicitors, specialists in criminal law.

“As for our Christian and Muslim friends amidst the general public, we do sincerely hope they will be moved to embrace the boycott of Egypt in the finest tradition of ‘love thy neighbour as thyself,’ ” Wimborne-Idrissi and Greenstein concluded.
…”

As I said, it is a spoof and a bit of a wind up, and in many ways tasteless, but it is slightly comical to see how pro-Israeli boycotters react to it, one standard when it comes to Israelis, another for Egyptians. Quel surprise?

[Before anyone asks, I thought that the Egyptian handling of the convoy was unnecessarily heavy-handed, despite the fact that one of their soldiers was killed.]

China and Gay Pride.

The authorities in China have cancelled the first Gay Pride Festival there, according to the BBC:

“A Chinese gay pageant, said to be the first held in the country, was ordered by police to close an hour before opening, organisers say.

The Mr Gay China event was thought to mark a new openness toward the gay community in China.

Organisers said police informed them it could not go ahead because they had not applied “according to the procedures”.

Homosexuality was illegal in China until 1997, and officials described it as a mental illness until 2001.

The event’s organiser, Ben Zhang, said he had been hoping the event would mark another step towards greater awareness of gay people in China.

One of the judges, Weng Xiaogang, told the AFP news agency: “In my opinion, I believe it [the cancellation] had something to do with the issue of homosexuality.” “

Update 1: Sydney Morning Herald has additional coverage.