Apr 4, 2011

#BDS: Is the settlement boycott misdirected?

Interesting article about the importance of boycotting Israeli products, not just settlement products, though i disagree with much of the rest.


"The Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) of Israel continues to be one of the most controversial issues regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In a remarkably short time, the call has achieved numerous successes including the divestment of major European companies such Veolia in Israeli business deals, the support of international artists such as Roger Waters and the end of academic relationships with universities from South Africa to the United States. While BDS continues on its nonviolent path of resistance to Israel’s 44 year occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, progressive Jewish voices in the United States and Israel have been slow to embrace the potential of Palestinian nonviolence.


Now almost six years after the initial BDS call, some elements in the Jewish milieu have adopted a version of BDS called ’settlement boycott.’ On the surface, settlement boycott seems to be a wise ‘middle way’ for Jews that are critical of Israeli policy yet unwilling to join a Palestinian-led nonviolent initiative. However, a deeper look at the logic of settlement boycott reveals serious logical failures of the movement."
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