Support the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement? That might fly well on American and European university campuses, but don’t try floating the idea in the Arab world.
According to Caspar Veldkamp, Dutch ambassador to Israel, Arab and Muslim countries around the world maintain rich economic ties with Israel, often facilitated by Holland. Many of the countries do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel,
Israel Radio reported in Arabic that Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, in addition to several Persian Gulf nations, all trade quietly with Israel. Veldkamp added his government has acted to prevent Dutch banks from boycotting Israeli banks, and that the parliament in The Hague recently voted to strengthen economic and trade ties with Israel.
The report also noted that Wednesday, about 100 businesspeople, start-up entrepreneurs and business representatives will attend a bi-lateral Innovation Day. The exhibition will focus on medial innovations for senior citizens.
