Page 10 - Issue-47

ELITE
Vol.1, Issue 47, September 2022 ELITE

BDS Movement: Boycotting Zionism

and Supporting Palestine

Mariam Ismail, Level 3 - Political science
mariam.ismail2020@feps.edu.eg

“If not us, who? If not now, when?” we often hear This is the level where individuals anywhere in
these words by people in leading positions as an the world can take actions to stop supporting any
incentive to work. While they might or might not institutions or companies supporting Israel. A
motivate you personally, it was this concept that great example of this was during the May 2021
made Palestinian civil society launch in 2005 Gaza bombardments when many simple
what is now widely recognized as a qualitatively individuals in their countries conducted research
different phase in the global struggle for to know what are the products and companies
Palestinian freedom, justice, and self- supporting Israel and then boycotted them and
determination against a ruthless, powerful system invited all their friends and surrounding to do so.
of oppression that enjoys impunity. In a historic
moment of collective consciousness, the Second, “Divestment” campaigns urge banks,
Palestinian civil society issued the Call for local councils, churches, pension funds and
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against universities to withdraw investments from the
Israel until it fully complies with its obligations State of Israel and all Israeli and international
under international law. More than 170 companies that sustain Israeli apartheid. A recent
Palestinian civil society groups called upon example of divestment is the American company
international civil society organizations and “Ben and Jerry’s ice cream” who decided to
people of conscience all over the world to impose withdraw all their products from Israel and the
broad boycotts and implement divestment occupied territories of Palestine. The company
initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to went to the extent of suing their mother company
South Africa in the apartheid era. Since 2008, the “Unilever” when it forced them to keep their sales
BDS movement has been led by the largest in Israel.
coalition of Palestinian civil society organizations
inside historic Palestine and in exile, the BDS Lastly, “Sanctions” campaigns pressure
National Committee (BNC). governments to fulfil their legal obligations to end
Israeli apartheid, and not aid or assist its
To grasp more the idea of BDS, let’s take the maintenance, by banning business with illegal
name word by word and explain its implication. Israeli settlements, ending military trade and free-
First, “Boycotts” involve withdrawing support trade agreements, as well as suspending Israel's
from Israel's apartheid regime, complicit Israeli membership in international forums such as UN
sporting, cultural and academic institutions, and bodies and FIFA. Some governments have
from all Israeli and international companies
responded to public pressure by taking limited
Back engaged in violations of Palestinian human rights forms of sanctions against Israel or steps to ensure
Back
they do not contribute to its crimes.
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