Today is the 46th International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (United Nations). This solidarity is more necessary than ever before. Israel has already killed and displaced more people through its assault on Gaza than during the entire 1948 Nakba (Al Jazeera). “We are now rolling out,” wrote Israeli Minister of Agriculture Avi Dichter, “the Gaza Nakba” (The Hill).
We are witnessing what is sure to stand as one of the great horrors of the 21st century, one entirely supported and funded by the Biden administration. Those who object face repression and censure. Social media platforms censor references to Palestine as “offensive content” (The Intercept), public figures are blacklisted (BBC), and activists denouncing unprecedented state terror are slandered as antisemitic defenders of terrorism (AP). But Israeli oppression of the Palestinian people isn’t new, and neither is repression of pro-Palestinian speech in the U.S., Israel’s biggest international supporter. Before peace activists were smeared as Hamas affiliates, we were told that refusing to purchase certain sneakers or produce was equivalent to committing terrorism. Today, we break down the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement, a campaign with deep ties to the Black freedom struggles in the U.S. and South Africa, one that we should participate in and support.
What do “boycott,” “divest,” and “sanction” mean?
A boycott is an organized effort by consumers to not purchase from a specific company to pressure that company to make changes. For example, workers might ask consumers to boycott products they create until their employer improves working conditions. During the civil rights movement, activists encouraged boycotts to pressure corporations to change racist policies (Britannica).
Divesting is the opposite of investing. People and institutions invest their money in companies. Those companies use that money to grow and, in exchange, give investors a share of their profits. Divestment campaigns pressure investors to stop investing in unethical corporations. For example, student activists are pressuring universities to stop investing in fossil fuel companies (Go Fossil Free).
Economic sanctions are imposed by one government to prohibit economic activity with another. The United States often uses sanctions to exert power over other nations. Sanctions are the reason why I, as a U.S. resident, cannot legally purchase goods from Cuba(CFR). But, popular movements have also used sanctions to pressure illegitimate governments to change their policies. Sanctions against apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) helped increase social pressures that led to the fall of white-only regimes.
TAKE ACTION
• Refuse to purchase goods from HP, Siemens, AXA, Puma, SodaStream, Ahava, and Sabra. Do not buy fruits and vegetables labeled “Produce in Israel.”
• Join a BDS campaign near you.
• Sign up to get updates from BDS.
What is the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement?
The BDS Movement is a nonviolent, international campaign to pressure the State of Israel to allow Palestinians to return to the land they were forcibly removed from during the Nakba, end the occupation of territories like the West Bank, and give Palestinian citizens full legal and civil rights. To achieve this, the BDS Movement calls for a boycott against certain corporations (see the current list) doing business in Israel. Activists are pressuring banks and institutions not to invest in the economy of apartheid Israel and are calling for international sanctions (Vox).
Why is the BDS Movement controversial?
Critics claim that the BDS Movement is antisemitic because Israel is a Jewish state. The fact that Israel grants Jewish citizens rights that are systematically denied to Christian and Muslim Palestinians is the entire reason why BDS is necessary. But Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions doesn’t target Jewish people or Jewish-owned businesses. In fact, in the United States, Jewish people are more likely than non-Jewish people to support BDS (Pew, Jewish Currents). The movement targets specific institutions propping up or profiting from Israeli apartheid in order to bring unjust practices to an end. Though South Africa is the only nation with a Dutch-descended Afrikaner population, the movement to sanction apartheid South Africa wasn’t an anti-Afrikaner hate initiative. It was a pressure campaign to end a system of racial oppression.
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Most U.S. states have passed legislation against BDS based on the false accusation that criticizing Israel is inherently discriminatory. While it’s not illegal for individuals in these states to support the movement, contractors or companies seeking state government contracts have to pledge not to support the movement for Palestinian human rights (Palestine Legal, Slate).
How can I support the movement?
The international BDS Movement is focusing on five corporations: HP, Siemens, AXA, Puma, SodaStream, Ahava, and Sabra, along with fruits and vegetables labeled “Produce in Israel.” While thousands of companies do business with Israel and profit from apartheid, strategically centering the boycott around specific firms concentrates its impact. You should refuse to purchase their goods and encourage others to do the same. If you have financial investments like a pension fund, or are connected to an institution that holds investments like a university or church, you should demand that they divest from the State of Israel. You should also join a local BDS campaign near you (BDS).
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement uses economic pressure to support Palestinian rights.
• These tactics were successfully used against Jim Crow laws in the United States and apartheid South Africa.
• BDS isn’t antisemitic. In fact, Jewish people are more likely than non-Jewish people in the U.S. to support it.
- Written by
- Andrew Lee
- First published
- in Anti-Racism Daily