06 June 2007 - Some interesting products (not) to boycott

It turns out that one of the biggest consumers of Israeli goods in South Africa is—surprise, surprise—the government itself. In addition to all those computers with Intel chips, cell phones, Internet security programs, lifesaving pharmaceutical drugs, etc., etc., here are a few Israeli products bought by the South African government that it might not want to do without.

How about this Israeli-made tow truck, with neat side-hydraulic action? These are used to control illegal parking in Cape Town. OK, so this is not likely to be one of the most popular Israeli technologies out there, but the government uses it.



And hey, how about those passenger buses at South African airports? Have you ever seen stickers like the one below on the windows? Actually, the one below is just a random sticker I pulled off the web, but there are lots of Hebrew stickers on the buses at the airports, telling you not to throw trash out the windows or that you should give up your seat to the infirm. Guess where those buses are imported from?



This next one is not, technically, a government project, but one that certainly seeks to promote the government’s development objectives. Israel, together with corporate sponsors in South Africa, is teaching local farmers to use drip irrigation systems to improve crop yields, promote agricultural productivity, and improve environmental sustainability. Boycotting this means literally taking food off people’s plates.



So, guys… still want to boycott? I thought not. I guess the boycotters will just have to stoop to targeting Jewish-owned retailers like Pick n’ Pay. If they do, bear in mind that Woolworth’s sells excellent Israeli tomatoes, labeled as such.