Summary: The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement promotes a distorted, one-sided narrative about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and delegitimizes the existence of the State of Israel. It attempts to isolate Jews who believe in Israel’s right to exist and is an impediment to the peace process by promoting an all or nothing approach to ending the conflict.
What is the BDS Movement?
- The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement is an international campaign founded in 2005 to isolate Israel politically, economically, and culturally. Its goals are to end the Jewish and democratic State of Israel and it opposes a peaceful two-state solution.
- The official BDS Movement organization in the U.S. is the S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, which works with international, national and local groups to promote its goals.
- The BDS Movement’s three main demands, if fully implemented, will end the globally accepted “two states for two people” formula and replace Israel with an Arab majority state in all the territories of what are now Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Most of the prominent leaders of the movement support this “one-state solution”.
- The BDS Movement employs inflammatory and inaccurate language, including accusations of genocide, “ethnic cleansing” and “settler colonialism” to demonize Israel and makes fallacious arguments equating Israel with apartheid South Africa.
- To accomplish its goals, the BDS Movement and its affiliates promote:
- Divestment of funds from companies that have an affiliation with Israel (many are US-based companies).
- A boycott of Israeli academics, musicians, artists, organizations, and opposition to any interactions between Arabs/Palestinians and Israelis, known as “anti-normalization”. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) is the main organizer of these efforts.
- Government sanctions against Israel.
Why is the BDS Movement harmful?
- The BDS Movement offers a distorted, intolerant and one-sided picture of a very complex situation, depicting Israel as solely responsible for the conflict.
- Not only does its extreme and inflammatory viewpoint delegitimize Israel’s continued existence as a Jewish and democratic state, it actively discourages interactions between Israelis and Palestinians as part of its “anti-normalization” campaign, even efforts that are critical of the Israeli government. These efforts are critical to building a lasting peace.
- The BDS Movement views the conflict as a zero-sum game — offering the false choice that one can act only in either the interests of the Israelis or the Palestinians, rather than advance and promote a solution that will benefit all.
- The BDS Movement also contributes to a climate that fosters antisemitism by promoting intolerance for other viewpoints and use of inflammatory rhetoric. When BDS and other anti-Israel resolutions are brought to college campuses, city councils, and elsewhere, a hostile environment for Jews and incidents of antisemitism often follows.
What does JCRC Bay Area believe will promote peace and an end to the conflict?
- JCRC believes that both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to national self-determination, and we support and promote a two-state solution to end the conflict. We also believe that the determination of the final borders, and other final status issues, must be left to the parties themselves to negotiate in a peace process free from violence and the threat of violence.
- As an alternative to BDS, JCRC’s Invest in Peace initiative amplifies and supports the self-determination of both Palestinians and Israelis, and is dedicated to championing efforts on the ground that move these societies towards a shared future of peaceful coexistence and prosperity.
JCRC travels with local elected officials and other regional leaders to Israel, arranging meetings with Israelis and Palestinians who are committed to a two-state solution. Hearing from people in the region and visiting key sites in Israel and the West Bank brings insights to trip participants that they can then share with audiences at home.
