What Is The BDS Movement, Led By Palestinian Groups Against Israel?

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(Source: Indian Express, 11/20/2023)

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Why in the news?

• This article discusses the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement which was launched in 2005 by more than 170 Palestinian groups to encourage international support for Palestinian people’s rights.

What is the BDS Movement?

• The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement is an inclusive, anti-racist human rights movement which was launched in 2005 in opposition to all forms of discrimination including Islamophobia and anti-semitism.
• It was launched by more than 170 Palestinian groups with the aim of building international support for the rights of the Palestinian people.
• It was inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement and places nonviolent pressure on Israel to comply with international law in order to meet its demands.

What are the demands of the BDS?

• End the occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and the dismantling of the wall.
  • The Wall is the term used to refer to the structure that separates the Israeli and Palestinian settlements in the West Bank.
  • According to Israel, the wall has been built for security purposes while Palestine alleges that that it has been built for the annexation of Palestinian territory.
  • Earlier, the International Court of Justice had ruled that Israel must halt its violation of international obligations and cease its work on the construction of the wall.
• Recognize the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel including full equality.
• Respect, protect, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as provided for under UN Resolution 194.
  • UN Resolution 194 was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948 amid the Israeli-Arab war following the creation of Israel.
  • The war and displacement (also known as Naqba) led to around 7,00,000 Palestinians becoming refugees.
  • The Resolution had recommended that refugees who desired to return to their homes should be permitted to do so at the earliest and that those who chose not to return should be compensated adequately.

How does the BDS achieve its goals?

• Boycotts: The BDS movement proposes the withdrawal of support from the Israeli government and the sporting, cultural, and academic institutions associated with it.
  • It also recommends the boycott of all Israeli and international enterprises that are involved in the violation of the human rights of the Palestinians.
  • The Movement has recommended the boycott of international sportswear and equipment brand Puma which is a sponsor of the Israel Football Association which also includes teams in the illegal settlements in Israel.
• Divestment: It has suggested that banks, local councils, churches, pension funds, and universities withdraw investments from Israel.
• Sanctions: It aims to pressure governments to fulfill their legal obligations to end the Israeli apartheid.
  • It has also campaigned to put an end to Israel’s membership in international forums such as UN bodies and FIFA.
  • It has adopted a strategy to focus on a small number of carefully selected companies and products in order to achieve the maximum impact as longer lists could make the entire campaign ineffective.

What was the economic impact of the BDS Movement?

• The BDS movement has been successful in encouraging brands like Ben and Jerry’s and celebrities like Roger Waters of the band, Pink Floyd, to work in Israel.
• The BDS movement has proved that it can serve as a powerful tool to end Western support for Israeli apartheid and settler colonialism.
• Such boycotts are similar to the longstanding policy of Arab states to boycott Israel although it has been difficult to measure the impact of the scattered movement on the economy of the state.

Criticism of the BDS

• Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the BDS movement is anti-semitic in nature.
  • According to him, such antisemites have progressed to boycotting the Jewish state and aiming to end the Jewish state.
• Officials of Israel-allied countries like the USA, including former U.S. Vice President Mike Pompeo, have also criticized the work of the BDS movement.

BDS response

• BDS has responded to these criticisms by claiming that its valid criticism of Israeli activities violating international law was not anti-semitic.
• It has claimed that Israel was a state and was thus open to criticism for its unjust actions.
• Therefore its activities were perfectly legal and could not be silenced by describing it as anti-semitic.

Anti-semitism Anti-Semitism refers to any form of prejudice against the Jewish people although the term “Semitic” designates a language group instead of a race. It can therefore be used to refer to a prejudice against speakers of the Semitic languages (including Arabs and Ethiopians,). However, in practical terms, it is commonly used specifically to pertain to Jews. Types of Anti-Semitism Racial anti-Semitism: It is associated with the Nazis and is based on a belief in the distinctness and inferiority in terms of the genetic behavior of the Jews. It manifests in the belief that Jews need to be exterminated altogether. Religious anti-Semitism: It is based on the notion that Jews should be converted to other faiths and can be traced back to the era of early Christianity. Social anti-Semitism: It is a form of exclusion of Jews from social situations including golf and sports clubs. Economic anti-Semitism: It states that Jews have a disproportionate degree of control over global and national financial institutions. Therefore, the influence of the Jews on these institutions should be reduced. Political anti-Semitism: It is an attempt to keep Jews out of political positions of power. Some critics associate political anti-semitism with anti-zionism which denies Jews the right to a national homeland.

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: The term Naqba is used in the context of which of the following conflicts

(a) Israel-Palestine

(b) Iran-Iraq

(c) South Korea-North Korea

(d) Syria-Yemen