Boycott Watch has often wondered why palm-oil has
received a kosher certification. After all, the two primary countries which
produce it, Malaysia and Indonesia, both boycott Israel, a topic raised in the
book Boycotting Peace written by
Fred Taub, President of Boycott Watch.
This is not to encourage a boycott war, but the fact is,
Indonesia is 86.1% Muslim and refuses to establish diplomatic relations with
Israel. Malaysia, which also has no diplomatic relations with Israel, is 60.4%
Muslim and its prime minister accuses critics as being "Zionist
agents," a clear indication of hated of Israel in both nations.
There is a specific reason the Islamic connection is
important here. Yasser Arafat was actively working to promote the Arab boycott
in Malaysia while negotiating a peace treaty with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Barak and President Clinton. This illustrated both there was no intention of
good faith peace negotiation on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, and that
non-Arab Muslim nations, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, were solicited to
become the new front in the Arab war against Israel. Palm oil, a primary
export, has therefore become an economic weapon in the war against Israel by
getting Jews to inherently support nations that hate Jews, yet getting Jews to
support nations that hate Israel via increased sale of a food because of its
kosher certification.
Demand for palm oil, which is used as a key ingredient in
everything from processed food to lipstick, has increased over the years
because cheap labor keeps the price down. Now comes Unilever, the food and
consumer products giant, which according to the Wall Street Journal article
Tuesday, April 24, 2012 titled "Unilever Takes Palm Oil in Hand" is
preparing an expansion in Indonesia with environmental safety and
sustainability as the key production mission. Boycott Watch has no doubt
Unilever will seek kosher certification for the new plant.
Knowing how the primary palm oil production countries not
only refuse to recognize Israel's existence but even work to benefit the
enemies of Israel, it is difficult to believe that any kosher certification
agency would want to work with Unilever to certify that palm oil as kosher.
The Arab boycott of Israel dates back to 1910 with the
intention of starving out the Jews before Israel could be established. In 1921
the Arab Congress for was formed with the specific objective of coordinating
all boycotts against the Jews. After the Arab states were formed, it was
renamed the League of Arab States, or Arab League as it is more commonly known.
Even today, the primary function of the Arab League is their boycott of Israel
which they reaffirm in every meeting.
"As I explain in my book
Boycotting Peace," the Arab
boycott of Israel is not only the longest running boycott, but it is designed
to prevent peace and is the root of the Arab-Israel conflict" said Fred
Taub, President of Boycott Watch. "The fact is you can't have peace with
anyone who will not sit down with you for a cup of coffee, thus any support of
the Arab boycott, including encouraging the economies of nations sworn to
boycott Israel, is anti-peace. I therefore find it ironic that any kosher
certification organization would even consider a kosher certification for palm
oil from a nation that boycotts Israel.
Despite Israeli efforts to establish peace with both
Indonesia and Malaysia, including a 1993 visit by then Israeli Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin to meet Indonesian President Suharto in Jakarta, there has been
no reciprocation to achieve peace. One may say that certifying that palm oil
kosher opens a bridge between Jews, Israel and the palm oil producing nations.
Palm oil, however, is also produced in nations that do not boycott Israel, such
as Columbia and Thailand thus the certification agencies are able to source the
product as a kosher ingredient from nations that are friendly to Israel. Jews
and anyone supporting Middle-East peace, therefore, would be right to demand
the kosher certification agencies only certify palm oil which is produced in
nations friendly to Israel. |
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