Petition to reopen the Israel Boycott Office in Bahrain

I have to admit it: I find it hard to understand what these people are after!

Signature drive to reopen Israel boycott office

Sunday, July 6, 2008 Bahrain Tribune

The Bahrain Society Against Normalisation with the Zionist Enemy has collected over 100 signatures on a petition for reopening of the Israel Boycott office in Bahrain.

A society official said they had sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, in this regard but had not received any response yet.

The office was set up in 1963 and closed down after Bahrain signed the Free Trade Agreement with the US in 2004. The society has staged several anti-Israel protests, starting with a demonstration against the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip in January and another in March when Gaza Strip civilians were attacked by Israeli forces.

“We will continue to collect signatures on our petition,” the society member said. The petition is expected to be submitted to His Majesty the King, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Palestinians in Bahrain are pushing for a boycott of Israel by Bahrain and other Arab nations. The society has also called on parliament and the government to comply with Law No. 5 for 1963 regarding the setting up of offices to boycott Israel.

Bahrain has been urging both sides to resume negotiations to restore all Palestinian rights.Parliament approved a law to reopen the office to monitor local markets against the Israeli goods. It is yet to be ratified by the authorities. Last October during a weekly session, MPs flashed pictures of a woman being attacked by an Israeli police dog and Israeli policemen holding a Palestinian in custody.

The Shura Council denounced the Israeli attack on civilians in Gaza strip, describing it as “barbaric and heinous”, while several parliamentary blocs lobbied the authorities for the termination of all contacts with Israel.

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