The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign was launched in July 2005 by the Palestinian BDS National Committee and is endorsed by over 170 Palestinian organizations from the occupied Palestinian Territories, from Palestinian citizens of Israel and from the vast diaspora of Palestinian emigrants and refugees. The campaign calls upon “people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era.”
In June 2007 the committee outlined a detailed plan for action when it published the “Unified Palestinian Call for BDS,” a call for a massive boycott of Israeli projects and products. It asked universities, cultural institutions, sporting franchises and consumers to break their ties with Israel. It urged personal, institutional and corporate divestment from Israeli companies and from multinational corporations complicit with occupation and apartheid. It demanded widespread sanctions to isolate Israel both politically and militarily. The call for BDS has gained support from around the world and is endorsed by international Jewish peace groups, labor unions, student groups, faith-based organizations and an increasing number of European, African, Latin American and Middle Eastern political parties.
The fact that this campaign has inspired such prolific international support indicates that, for the first time in the history of the conflict, the world is listening to Palestinian calls for action. The BDS campaign is an effective nonviolent tool against a small trade-dependent nation like Israel. It is a tool of resistance, one that allows us to act politically without wading into the mire of corruption, scandal and infighting that mars Palestinian party politics. And rather than imposing sanctions that punish the lowest strata of the population, the campaign targets those financial and political institutions that profit most from the occupation. A similar strategy proved highly effective in South Africa when grassroots activism effectively shutdown the apartheid economy and overpowered Western support for a racist regime.
BDS has logged a string of successes in drawing attention to the complicity of companies like Caterpillar, Nokia and Indigo Books and Music. Its power lies in naming names – in speaking the truth about who is shamelessly profiteering at the expense of an occupied people. As the fight wages on, international courts are proving to be important battlegrounds. When threatened with action from the courts, the French company Veolia Transport, which was contracted to build an illegal light rail line connecting occupied East Jerusalem with Jewish colonies in the West Bank, announced it was pulling out of the project. Lawyers for the West Bank village of Bil’in brought charges against Canadian-based Green Park International and Green Mount International in a Quebec court for building settlements in the territories. Though the courts eventually refused to hear the case, the increased internationalization of legal action has proved a powerful tool and a promising new avenue for action.
Hitting Israel where it hurts – its economy – is the best chance we have for breaking down the wall of Israeli intransigence. Diplomatic relations have failed, and the violence promoted by certain Palestinian factions is not the answer. In BDS we have the potential to build a truly international coalition through completely legal and ethical action – a nonviolent means to strike against a system of asymmetric power and high-tech violence. And the beauty of the strategy is that it’s a multipronged attack: It’s not only though large-scale institutional divestment and international litigation that we can bring real pressure to bear on Israel – we push back every day simply by paying attention to the products we consume and the companies we support. BDS has worked before, and it will work again. The key is inspiring people and showing them that through solidarity and perseverance, we can end the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
To get involved, visit www.bdsmovement.net. See who’s profiting from the occupation at www.whoprofits.org. For international coordination, see www.icnpalestine.net.
07, 2009
03:53 am
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I think the key to having a website or a magazine that disavows the use of systemic pressures on consumers, or propogandic identity-building,is to have a website/magazine that attempts to flesh out equal truths. Or, at least understand that the support of only Palestinian views is a form of nation-building propoganda in itself.
Perhaps more balanced articles with the Israeli perspective? If not, maybe change your mission statement/organization objective to explicitly state your stance as Pro-Palestinian.
— A concerned onlooker19, 2009
05:08 pm
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The photograph on the header betrays the sentiments of Adbusters quite nicely: a mere salve for the guilty consciences of white pseudo-liberals. A few brown faces scattered among a pasty sea of milky mugs and snuggly neck-scarves; is this the modern face of liberalism? From Tom Paine to Star Buck? No boycott of Palestine? Oh, that's right, they are all living in poverty because of the purposeful impotence of their "diplomats", and the fact that Hamas doles out more aid to throw parties for the families of suicide bombers than for funding entrepreneurs or activists who don't sing the praises of Intifada. What's even funnier is witnessing the equally fatuous comments bashing the critics of Adbusters, which invariably drop us into one of two categories: Zionists and trolls, and the ever-elusive third-party: Zionist trolls. Just another way to dispose of valid criticism with petty Orwellianisms. As a twentysomething English and liberal arts major in the Western United States who spent time campaigning for Obama on the streets and representing him in state and county conventions, the idea that I'm some Israeli spammer amuses me to no end, and reinforces the reason why I voted for Obama in the first place: he isn't a shill for either side, and he is equally critical of Israel when they pursue policies of blind expansionism, and for Hamas when they target innocents who are often too young to hold the political beliefs of either side. Obama has actually marginalized the wanna-be-radicals of Adbusters, MoveOn and other composts of white-collar victimhood in addition to the hard-line chickenhawks on the other side, and for that I think the world has won a decisive victory for real progress.
— F33bs23, 2009
08:24 am
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Good post, I agree with most of your sentiments. Happy to see another dissenter from the Left's seemingly preprogrammed anti-Israel bias.
Yes guys, it is a bias - if it weren't, you would also be suggesting boycotts of goods from Iran, Sudan, other such Islamic states which repress the rights of everyday non-Muslims - people who, unlike Hamas, aren't fighting a hate-fueled civil war/insurgency against democracy in which they target civilians. Or how about the people being stoned to death under the many Islamic theocracies? Why not boycott them, too? It would give some credibility to campaigns like this. Until then, this is just an irrational facet of the progressive movement which i'll continue to oppose. You guys should be aware, you may be guilty of an ancient habit, which is to judge Jewish people more critically than others, expect more out of them, and blame them more often than they deserve. Look into it; such irrationality runs deep, and hasn't been monopolized by the far right. It is no coincidence that you focus so much ONLY on Israel, and your judgements are not free from some sort of prejudice.
— Anomynomsnom21, 2009
06:49 pm
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obama is only a facade with the same substance of wall street interests
have a look at this if you care "obama deception" by alex jones
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=441320645893216983#
— Anonymous17, 2009
02:26 pm
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I've come to the conclusion that reader comments on any website are a complete waste of time (such as this very one). Rarely if ever is there any 'dialogue', but rather it just entrenches two opposing sides deeper within the beliefs they held prior to posting anything. It goes on here, in the local papers websites, I've even seen it on websites dedicated to cycling news. Someone could post something as simple as stating they like the color 'clear' and people start oiling their e-guns and starting fights. Not that there's anything wrong with fighting. I'm just saying that commenting and reacting to what others have said is a huge waste of time and you just end up leaving more pissed off. Plus, those who post 30 times below one article really need to get a life or at the very least their own website or rag.
I think the saying goes: Nut up or shut up.
— Bing Bong17, 2009
05:10 pm
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Forums and blogs are not a waste of time. In fact, some people enjoy reading posts and submitting their own (such as myself). Sure, people fight and argue and make immature comments, but it's interesting to view other people's opinions. Sometimes you can have a mature, intellectual conversation. Please read the saying that you quoted you hypocrite.
— Zona17, 2009
09:04 pm
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Zona, you are so rigth
— thephilistine16, 2009
12:13 pm
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""A similar strategy proved highly effective in South Africa when grassroots activism effectively shutdown the apartheid economy and overpowered Western support for a racist regime.""
— thephilistineDeath Wrong!!!.... what shutdown the apartheid in South Africa was the huge sacrifice, blood and tears of the cuban people... Not a boycott
13, 2009
01:52 am
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Most of the comments here, and on white self-hating sites in general, never take into account self-interest. Self-interest is okay as long as it pertains to traditionally "disadvantaged" groups aka everyone except white/Jewish people.
I'm glad most here agree that the boycott won't dent Israel's economy. And US aid will not stop. If it ever did, every Congressman and Senator in New York would be booted from their office.
Most of you don't like the Wall that Israel is building. The more rational of you bemoan the fact that it moves past 1967 borders essentially annexing Palestinian territory. The true anti-Zionist leftie hates any borders and abhors one that keeps poor, uneducated and violent minorities from prosperous societies. You are also against the Mexican border fence.
But with this Wall - Israel IS trying to unilaterally establish a 2-state solution on its own terms. Why not negotiate? Because 40 years of negotiation went nowhere. In the late 90s, Israel was willing to give the Palestinians their own state with 95% of the land they asked for - except Jerusalem. Araffat refused.
And yet if Israel does it too quick, without rooting out the unsavory elements and the fatwa-issuers, it will be attacked, like it was after it pulled out of Gaza (which acted as a buffer zone). After they pulled out, the Gazans started bombing southern Israel.
Certainly a logical person would not advocate for The Right of Return of Palestinians - the demographics would wipe out Jews in a few decades.
So yes, we do need a 2-state solution. Separation is key.
And that is exactly what Israel is doing. But in a more heavy-handed fashion than you would like.
I'm all about waging consumer wars on corporations and stopping the media hypnosis of the Western population, but I refuse to do so at Israel's expense.
— Anonymous22, 2009
08:31 pm
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This is absolutely correct. Before the Palestinians can have their own state, they need to prove that they can be good neighbors. I would not give my neighbor a clear view of my backyard if he still has that angry teenage son who loves to lob bombs into it. No, let me rephrase that: he's not going to give up his son, but he needs to control his behavior and somehow convince him that it's in his best interest - and indeed that of his whole family - to just...grow...up.
The problem is not Israel in isolation. Yes, they have been oppressing the Palestinians, but with the goal of self-preservation. If the Palestinians could find it in their hearts to give up the violent parts of their hatred...they would wind up with their own state and unfettered trade and access! And then the world would rally around them and their lives would improve beyond their wildest dreams. Why is this so hard to understand???????
— Anonymous12, 2009
01:06 am
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Israel is slowly expanding its borders through -settlements-
— Scott ewing- root cause ofthe conflict.
11, 2009
04:29 pm
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Israel over all! We will not be scared by you commies hippies in Canada. We are the 4th most powerful military in the world. We run Washington. If you think you can take us come and get us. We will crush you.
— Moses!The Arabooshim who run this site are in for a sorry defeat when we crush those Palestinian terrorists. You say "genocide". Ha! The only genocide was the one committed against us - the Jews. Did you not read the Bible. God gave this land to us. We will never give back what is rightfully ours. Why do you think the world bows down to us? This is Gods will. The only one god.
This land is called Israel. And Israel is for Jews. We are chosen by god.
Why do you think no one in the west criticizes us? Why do you think the U.N has done nothing about us? Why do think we continue to take our land and no one blinks? Because what we are doing is justified by God. If it wasn't so God would not let us have Palestine. But it is so!
14, 2009
06:49 pm
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This is funny, because, and espicially in your opening you actually sound like a nazi. Deutschland, Deutschland über alles, or German Germany over all, WAS a verse in the German national anthem until 1945, it is still banned in Germany today. And its nausiating to see the most ironic possible version of it. you take about your master race being chosen by god. you have seem to have absolutly no problem with killing innocent people or anexing land. Im not saying your hitler, but maybe goebels...
— Anonymous13, 2009
11:33 am
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Assuming you aren't a troll, justifying the existence of Israel through religious nuttery and proclamations such as "Did you not read the Bible. God gave this land to us. We will never give back what is rightfully ours. Why do you think the world bows down to us? This is Gods will. The only one god.
— History PunkThis land is called Israel. And Israel is for Jews. We are chosen by god," is never good.
11, 2009
01:42 am
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A two state solution will become a necessity soon enough. Any attempt to integrate the Palestinians will result in them eventually dominating the political scene due to population - there is no way in hell the Israelis will allow themselves to be dominated by the Palestinians via their own democratic institutions.
— Anonymous11, 2009
04:08 am
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Too late. One state is the only option left. Israel did this to itself.
— AnonymousFact is "Israel" is already unable to control the population of "non-Jews" within its "borders". There are simple more of them is the problem facing the elitist Jews occupying Palestine. More Non-Jews. The gig's up. In the end you knew it had to be.
Just like the British in India. Not a winnable battle.
One of the big problems for Judaism in general is that it espouses elitism over common connection that other religions sell. And the number of Jews are dwindling in comparison with other religions. It's not a religion people can legitimately join and be considered Jewish AND it's not actually a religion most people on this earth find much interest in joining - even those people whose parents were "Jewish."
R.I.P Israel.
10, 2009
10:31 pm
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I wonder why there's no movement to boycott Sri Lanka. The civil war killed over 80,000 people in the past 25 years, over 8x as many people has been killed in the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
Over 200,000 Tamil civilians are still interned in squalid concentration camps with no access to the press or international humanitarian services, even months after the last Sri Lankan military offensive to destroy the Tamil Tigers killed over 7,000 civilians earlier this year. And most Tamils don't even support the Tigers (while a huge segment of Palestinian society supports Hamas)
Like I said, Israel is a 1st World country whose most lucrative exports consist mostly of financial services and high tech products such as aviation, telecommunications, medical technology and arms. Their biggest customers aren't ordinary consumers. Their main customers are major corporations or other governments. You can't effectively boycott Israel by NOT shopping at Walmart.
But Sri Lanka's is a 3rd World country desperate for income. Sri Lanka's exports ARE ordinary consumer products; mostly crops and garments. Just take a walk through the Gap, Abercrombie or Walmart and see how many "Made in Sri Lanka" products you can spot. (Also see, how many "Made in Vietnam" products you can spot, since Vietnam is a close ally of Sri Lanka)
You could make a far greater impact in stopping a far greater humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka than you can in Israel.
But then again, Israel is a close ally of the US. Sri Lanka isn't a "lacky" of the "North American Empire."
— Steven B11, 2009
04:31 am
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The civil war you compare in Sri Lanka is quite a bit different from the colonialist occupation of Palestine by white Europeans for the past 60 years for reasons most readers here are already aware of.
— AnonymousYou're numbers are also dreadfully inaccurate. Israel has already killed at least half a million Palestinians since it's invention. In the last nine years alone Israel has murdered close to 10,000 Palestinians.
It's so sad to watch people like you cling desperately to denial for fear of just how awful and shocking the truth is. It must be unsettling to know that you've been duped by the very people who made you weep with their tales of savagery in the German ghettos. These same people have sold your sympathies down the river and are laughing at you as you weep.
Check this video out to see what your tax dollars go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7451668.stm
Gosh white men in masks clubbing brown people in their fields - wonder where we've see that before?
10, 2009
06:59 pm
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I completely agree with Steven B on this article. No boycott of Israeli goods will be effective so long as the United States keeps giving vast amounts of money to the criminals of Tel Aviv. Thus boycotting goods, although noble, is pointless.
In addition, I agree with the poster who said that the two state solution will never happen. Why would Israel opt for peace when their aid is dependent on them being a country at war with the Palestinians and the rest of the Muslim world? I wish everybody would wake up to this fact!
— Lloyd Pitcher10, 2009
06:12 pm
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What is the justification for the boycott campaign? To protect human rights, yeah?
(1) So why not boycott one of a hundred other governments that systematically violates human rights? (In Saudi Arabia, for instance, women cannot drive cars. But I'm sure you drive cars running on Saudi oil).
(2) Instead of harming many innocent civilians, universities, and companies, why not argue for greater investment in Palestinians schools, infrastructure, etc.?
Adbusters' authors always see everything so incredibly simplistically: " Its power lies in naming names – in speaking the truth about who is shamelessly profiteering at the expense of an occupied people." Q: Who does this refer to? A: Every single Israeli citizen. If the author's true goal is to end the occupation, why not boycott solely those things that specifically further the occupation, e.g. the company that was to build light rail line in the settlements?
Answer: Because you are feeble-minded, but still want to feel that you are important and impact the world.
— i hate this magazine, but can't stop reading it...11, 2009
04:38 am
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Standard Zionist apology.
— WMD's? Check Israel.Eventually you will run out of anywhere to run and it looks like that time has come.
Funny how Zionists like you always try to run up the same slippery slope by hoping that people are dumb enough to be distracted by other problems in the world to simply give you a pass - for 60 years. "Well if the Nazi's did it so can we" is your inane logic.
No. Sadly the party is over for apartheid lovers such as you.
Adbusters nails it on the head and it's frightening for you reduced as you are to your tiny enclaves of lily-white judeo-supremacism. It's frightening to realize that you chose the wrong side all this time even though your gut told you something was wrong with Israel from the outset.
Toodles.
10, 2009
07:04 pm
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I just noticed your name....I love it!
Hopefully, this magazine will change as more and more of us continue to adbust Adbusters.
— Lloyd Pitcher11, 2009
04:46 am
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Ah, little Loyd "sold my soul to the devil" Pitcher.
Can't stay away can ya?
Got your panties in a knot over there in your bunker in Tel Aviv? Responding to the Zionist call to arms dispatch with lightening alacrity.
"Go get those Adbusters guys!" your overlords bellow. "Make them pay for daring to tell the truth!"
"No one dares mention that the Emperor has no clothes. No one!"
"Loyd! Get out there and write!"
"Be a good little Zionist Youth Brown Shirt and do your duty!"
History will not forgive you Loyd ol pal.
Beware.
Back to your troll cave Loyd. Go on...
— The Hague11, 2009
08:14 am
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The Hague, are you mentally retarded? First of all, I'm assuming you have pointed your response to me despite the fact that you clearly can't spell my first name. But, I guess it is close enough for a mental midget such as yourself. As for your rant about the "Emperor has no clothes"...I'm confused totally by this statement. Maybe you can clarify? Also, how would Zionists be "brown shirts"? Aren't these two concepts diametrically opposed? Finally, how am I "responding to the Zionist call to arms dispatch"? I'm confused by this statement as well.
Perhaps you've read nothing of what I've written on this site but I'm far from a Zionist. As for Adbusters daring to tell the truth....what truth are they saying? They are advocating a blockade of Israeli goods that will accomplish nothing. Again, it may be noble...but it is pointless.
Finally, my statement about reality of the two state solution being a failure is based on historical reality and logic. It will simply never happen.
— Lloyd Pitcher11, 2009
03:40 pm
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Sounds like Loyd is also bigoted against people with disabilities. Sad.
— Anonymous11, 2009
03:51 pm
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Hey Loyd you might want to do some research on Yitzhak Shamir and the Stern Gang as well as Irgun. It's well known in the rest of the world and is corroborated by the physical documents (correspondences) in a Turkish Museum that the Zionists express desire was to join the Nazis as their henchmen in the Middle East and to start with the colonization (occupation) of Palestine.
— HagueforNetanyahuAh the the dirty little secrets that all come out in the wash.
Not looking like such a stretch to call Zionists Brown Shirt Youth after all.
Research Loyd. Research.
You sure you want to try to run up this slippery slope again?
Apologizing for Zionism and the Jewish Establishment in general is a good way to paint yourself into a corner that you will not be able to extricate yourself from.
Have you even read Fateful Triangle or The Holocaust Industry?
Maybe a trip to the book store would serve you well.
10, 2009
12:35 pm
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While we are focusing our attention on the effectiveness of this campaign, perhaps we should shift some attention to the implications of the boycotting of universities, being undertaken and promoted in universities (by students and the like).
— Anonymous10, 2009
12:30 pm
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Out of curiousity, why is there not a similar boycott of the Republic of Croatia for its refusal to allow Croatian Serbs to return to their homes after they fled Operation Storm in August 1995 or the Republika Srpska which was built on the genocide of Muslims and the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and Croatians? These events happened in less than fifteen years ago.
— History Punk11, 2009
05:21 am
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Yeah! Why should Arabs have justice when other people dont have it? Why should any criminals be prosecuted anywhere as long as there are still any criminals on the lamb? Why should there even be laws when somebody somewhere is breaking them?? Open the jails! Free the criminals! Let anarchy reign.
— Jacob. R(But just be sure that Israel continues to get a share of the profit. And that it gets to continue committing crimes against humanity at will.)
11, 2009
08:09 am
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Well, that's not really an answer. I never said that the Palestinians should be denied justice, I merely inquired about why more recent, far worse acts of ethnic cleansing and genocide. For all the failings of the Israelis, they've never conducted a massacre on par with Srebrenica. Nor have they run rape camps. Yet this website ignores the Bosnians and the Croatians, who experienced those events.
— History Punk