Seeing red over Orange

A French telecom titan’s decision to end its business ties with an Israeli licensee sets off a firestorm in the Hebrew press Friday, with the orange mist over perceived boycott measures against the Jewish state enraging critics of the move.

Reports of murmurs of “new anti-Semitism” and calls for Paris to condemn the move by Orange Communications by senior Israeli officials lead in Israel Hayom. It starts off with quotes by President Reuven Rivlin, who said Israel faces “attacks from anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli figures,” and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it an “absurd production in which a democracy which protects human rights… and defends itself against rocket attacks and terrorist tunnels, then suffers automatic condemnations and attempted boycotts.”

Haaretz reports that despite the French company’s assurance that the considerations for cutting its ties with the Israeli cell phone stemmed not from pressure from pro-Palestinian groups, but from money matters alone, Netanyahu blasted their “despicable act.” It quotes a statement from the company which said that it doesn’t want to maintain its brand presence “in countries in which it is not, or is no longer, an operator.” It clarified that it “does not engage in any kind of political debate under any circumstance.”

Hebrew tabloid Yedioth Ahronoth has an exclusive interview with Orange CEO Stephane Richard, in which he says that his remarks in Cairo on Wednesday about wanting to “withdraw” from Israel “tomorrow” were taken out of context and that “I love Israel.” He claims that his decision to sever ties with the licensee, Partner Communications, has no political considerations involved.

“It’s purely a commerical issue,” he emphasizes to the paper, which translated his remarks to Hebrew. “I can give you two other examples around the globe. When we sold our services in Switzerland three years ago, we ended the use of the label there. We took it back, that’s our policy. So too when we sold our services in the Dominican Republic.

“That’s exactly our approach vis a vis Partner, and it has no connection to Israel. I am very sorry about how my words were interpreted,” he tells the paper.

In case you were worried that pundits wouldn’t have anything to say, all three papers feature weigh-ins by analysts. Haaretz kicks off saying that Israel received a “wake up call” — no pun intended I’m sure — from the mobile company’s severing of ties with its Israeli licensee.

“It is Israel’s policy in the occupied territories that is nurturing anti-Semitic sentiments,” the paper’s editorial says, arguing that “Orange’s CEO presumably expressed the feelings of numerous other CEOs and company owners.”

“This is where the boycott’s strategic threat lies. In addition to putting Israeli companies and citizens in the position of persona non grata, it is endangering world Jewry and unnerving Israel’s close friends.”

Hanoch Daum writes in Yedioth Ahronoth that if there’s anything good about the Orange bruhaha, it’s that “everyone understands that it’s not a matter of right or left but of an old-new struggle against anti-Semitism.”

“This whole ridiculous attempt to ignore the trampling of human rights in states around us and invest only the confusing testimonies of activists from Breaking the Silence about a horse killed in Operation Protective Edge… only strengthens the Israeli understanding that in this war, a ‘hasbara’ war, we must work together,” he writes.

Haim Shain writes in Israel Hayom that Richard reminds Jews “that there’s a long tradition of anti-Semitism in France.” He points out what he considers the hypocrisy of the “enlightened” world allowing Muslims to kill one another in Syria but leveling a boycott at Israel. “The new anti-Semites must know that the Jewish desire to live in honor, security and prosperity will never surrender.”

“It’s imperative in times like these to unite, coalition and opposition, to stand as one person with one heart against the delegitimization of Israel,” he says.

While pundits speak of unity, so does the Kulanu party. Haaretz reports that “what’s beginning to look like a political-economic catastrophe for Benjamin Netanyahu’s narrow right-wing government” has rattled lawmakers from the government and opposition alike. Netanyahu considers the Kulanu party and its leader Moshe Kahlon the weak link in the 61-member coalition, the paper says. Kahlon reportedly said in a closed-door party meeting last week that “it will be difficult, if not impossible, to continue to serve for a long time in this coalition with 61 MKs.” That statement made its way to Netanyahu’s office and may be pushing the prime minister to seek a unity government with the Zionist Union.