In July 2005, Palestinian civil society called on the international community and "people of conscience all over the world to launch broad boycotts, implement divestment initiatives, and to demand sanctions against Israel, until Palestinian rights are recognized.’’ The call urges a cultural, academic and consumer boycott against Israel until it:
- Ends its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied in June 1967 and dismantles the wall
- Recognizes the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
- Respects, protects and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.
What is the BDS Movement?
This campaign, referred to as the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement has gained an enormous amount of support since its start-up. The idea, inspired by the South African boycott against apartheid has been endorsed by numerous organizations, trade unions and movements across the world. It has now evolved into a mass movement against Israeli oppression.
While BDS may be failing to make a significant financial impact, its successes have been far worse for Israel. The campaign is harming Israel’s image in the western world, the UK being the epicenter of its success.
BDS in the UK
Since its start up, BDS activists have already pressured supermarkets across the UK to correctly label goods from Israeli settlements and goods from Palestinians in the occupied territories.
Activists have also succeeded in pressuring major retailers like John Lewis to remove Israeli products off their shelves and following Operation Cast Lead, supermarket giant Tesco, added a customer phone-in service for anyone wishing to find out more information about boycotting Israeli goods.
Fortnightly protests by BDS activists have driven flagship store Ahava (Israeli company with a factory in an illegal Israeli settlement) out of Covent Gardens in London, while local authorities across the UK have also been pressured into binning contracts with Veolia; a French multinational company who is involved in construction and operation of a tramway linking illegal settlements in East Jerusalem with Israel.
The UK’s most popular Labour Trade union has also supported a complete boycott of Israel and called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Britain.
Where products and services have a link to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, BDS activists in the UK are there to remind those organizations and consumers their violations of international law.
BDS Around the World
From South Africa, Toronto to Australia and the United States, millions across the world are mobilizing the global call for boycotting Israel.
In Australia, the National Council of Churches (NCCA) has passed a motion to urge all member churches to boycott Israeli goods. BDS activists in Canada have been successful in demanding Hudson Bay Company to discontinue sales of Ahava products and in Europe, Deutsche Bahn, a German railway operator, have pulled out of an Israeli project that cuts through the occupied Palestinian West Bank, after pressure from activists.
Across America, Palestinian activists have also been building awareness through flash mobs in public places and billboards highlighting the colossal financial relationship between America and Israel.
The academic boycott has also triumphed with University of Johannesburg ceasing all ties with Israel and most recently, the largest student union in Europe, University of London Union, voted overwhelmingly ''to institute and campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) in support of Palestine''.
Celebrities are also standing in solidarity with Palestine. Elvis Costello, Kalxons, Gorrilaz Sound System and the Pixies are amongst the many artists that have cancelled appearances in Israel as a result of BDS pressure.
Boycotting from inside Israel
While the international momentum is building, inside Israel the BDS movement is also starting to stir interests. According to Israeli citizen and Tel Aviv journalist and writer, Marc Guaraner, Israelis are also feeling the pinch of the occupation:
‘There are mothers who do not want to send their children to the army; soldiers who resent guarding settlers and thousands who are frustrated with the Israeli government.’’
Boycotts such as refusing to complete mandatory military service are becoming popular, so much so that the Israeli Knesset is trying to pass a bill, which would allow Israelis involved in BDS to be fined and criminalized.
Long-term Impact
While many Palestinian and Israeli activists are realizing that protesting outside Downing Street, writing to politicians or trying to take down pro-Israel lobbies in the United States are becoming very difficult mechanisms for their voices to be heard, many are now turning to the BDS campaign.
According to the BDS movement, the South African boycott against apartheid took twenty years to succeed. Six years into BDS and the movement has already received many successes and is growing in numbers.
Retailers, Businesses, Artists and institutions alike will eventually bow into public pressure as activists continue to harm their images and deter customers. After all, who wants to knowingly finance occupation and oppression?
Sources
Ahronoth, Yedioth. ‘‘The War on Israeli Goods’’ ynetnews.com . 18 February 2011
Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign
PACBI. ‘‘University of Johannesburg ends Israeli links’’ 23 March 2011
Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC)
Nadeau, May-Jo. ''The Bay Drops Ahava'' London BDS. 19 January 2011
NME. ‘‘Pixies cancel Israel gig'' 7 June 2010
USACBI. ''Australian Churches urge boycott of Israeli goods'' 28 July 2010
Reyhana Patel - Reyhana is a free-lance writer based in the UK. Reyhana graduated from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill with a BSc in Business ...
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