For the enemies of Israel, an excuse to call for action against the Jewish nation is not required, but when one is provided, it simplifies the end goal. In line with this, a group of international notables are calling for a military boycott of Israel following the counterterrorism offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

The letter calling upon the international community to support the effort speaks of the “latest round of Israeli aggression against 1.5 million Palestinians in besieged and occupied Gaza Strip” but conveniently fails to mention twelve years of rocket attacks into civilian population centers.

The Guardian reports the latest anti-Israel effort enjoys the backing of 52 signatories, including the Nobel Prize laureates; Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. Other signatories include authors, playwrights, and even Stéphane Hessel, a former French diplomat and Holocaust survivor who helped edit the universal declaration of human rights. Also among the proud signatories is John Dugard, a former UN official in “the occupied territories” along with Luisa Morgantini, a former EU Parliament president.

Ronnie Kasrils, a former member of the US Congress is also among the supporters, as is Caryl Churchill, a former South African minister.

Both the United States and the European Union are targeted as well, with the former cited for its military aid to Israel while the latter is guilty of too much financial assistance to the Jewish state’s military research programs.

The letter includes a quote from Nelson Mandela, “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)