Protest against Disney's "Jerusalem, Capital of Israel" exhibit
The Arab and Muslim interest-groups in the U.S, with the support of the Arab League, threaten Walt Disney with a boycot. The entertainment-giant to open an exhibition in Florida which presents Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Walt Disney keeps at its position that the "Millenium Worldvillage Exhibition" will present the cultures of 40 countries, "without political aims".
However, the status of Jerusalem is one of occupied territory. From 1947 through 1996 the UN Security Council has issued 21 resolutions regarding Jerusalem. The General Assembly has also issued similar resolutions (from 1947 through 1992 54 resolutions, excluding those which the US did veto). These resolutions were either issued because of Israeli policies and measures regarding Jerusalem in particular or they referred to Jerusalem in the context of the occupied territories. These resolutions emphasise the illegitimacy of the annexation of Jerusalem, based on the illegitimacy of the acquisition of territory by war. Additionally these resolutions regard the city as an integral part of the occupied territories and emphasise the applicability of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention. There has been an unheard of international unanimity on these resolutions, which not only won the overwhelming majority of votes, but also often obtained the backing of Israel's traditional friends including the United States.
In the Oslo Agreements Israel has succeeded in excluding anything that contradicts its point of view towards Jerusalem as its "eternal capital". Furthermore it has established its position that Jerusalem should be treated separately from other parts of the 1967 occupied territories. Essentially, the postponement of the negotiations on Jerusalem practically assures its separation from the occupied territories. This conforms with the Israeli annexation and closure of the city to Palestinians.
For its part Israel has intensified its policies and activities in Jerusalem in an effort to change the character of the city and to jeopardise and pre-empt the final solution negotiations. The Interim Agreements clearly prevent any party from "initiating or taking any step that will change the status of the West Bank or Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations".
In the case that Disney would stand firm and the Arab and Islamic countries suit the action to the word, the company will be threatened with a big loss. Only in the Middle East, Disneyhas a turnover of 400 million guilders yearly. Additionally, a lot of Arabs and Muslims in Europe and the US visit Disney entertainment-parks, just like the estimated 7 million Muslims residing in the US.
Burger King already gave in to the Arab-lobby. This fastfoodchain opened last month a restaurant in the Jewish colony Ma'aleh Adumim in the Occupied Territories, territory occupied in 1967. Under threatening of a worldwide boycot Burger King withdrew herself. The fastfoodchain owns 130 restaurants in the Middle East and has advanced plans for the Lebanese and Jordan markets.
The change of direction by Burger King followed earlier victories of the Arab lobby, i.e. over Hollywood and Nike. Last year, some offensive scenes were removed from the movie The Siege. However, a scene in which an American girl 'explains' why she never had a Palestinian friend: "They blackmail you with their suffering". Earlier sportswear-giant Nike was forced to remove the logo of the shoes which looked a lot like the word "Allah" in Arabic letters.
The new assertiveness of the Arab lobby has aroused Israel's wrath. If Disney will be boycotted, the answer will be very "tough", warned an Israeli spokesperson. "Israel and all her friends will fight against this campaign".
With those "friends", the Jewish lobby in America is meant. Recently, the Jewish lobby was awarded by the magazine "Fortune" for second most powerful lobby of America. Only the pensionables in the US have more power, while even the oil-lobby and the NRA (weapon-owners) achieve less than the "friends of Israel". President Clinton and a very substantial part of Congress and Senate, received more than half of their campaign-funds from American Jews who usually have a strong affiliation with Israel. The most important American policymakers on the Middle East, Martin Indyk, used to work for the Jewish lobby.
Viewed as such, Israel shouldn't have to fear much from those couple of Arab groups and Muslim activists. However, observers point that their numbers goes agaist Israel. The world counts about 10 million Jews facing an estimate of 900 million Muslims, of whom 250 million Arabs.
As a bigger part of their costumers have an Arab or Islamic origin, balancing between the two camps will become more difficult for multinationals corporations. The increasing orientation of Arabs and Muslims on Western products ("the cultural invasion") seems to have the paradoxical effect that the influence of Arabs and Muslims on the West is increasing. Israel and the Arabs are waiting anxiously for Disney's decision.