The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement was initiated on 9 July 2005 by a coalition of over 170 Palestinian civil society organizations, one year after the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on the West Bank separation barrier. The campaign explicitly models itself on the anti-apartheid boycott of South Africa and is coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), established in 2007.
The movement sets out three stated demands:
- Ending Israel's occupation of Arab lands occupied in 1967 and dismantling the West Bank barrier
- Recognizing the full equality of Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel
- Respecting, protecting, and promoting the right of return of Palestinian refugees as called for in UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948)
BDS tactics fall into three tracks. Consumer and academic boycotts target Israeli institutions and companies operating in settlements; the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) coordinates this strand. Divestment pressures universities, pension funds, and churches to withdraw holdings from firms linked to the occupation — notable decisions include the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s 2014 vote to divest from Caterpillar, HP, and Motorola Solutions. Sanctions advocacy lobbies governments for arms embargoes and trade restrictions.
Responses have been sharply polarized. The Israeli government passed a 2017 law barring entry to foreign nationals who publicly support BDS. In the United States, more than 30 states have enacted anti-BDS legislation requiring contractors to certify they do not boycott Israel; several such laws have faced First Amendment challenges, with mixed rulings in federal courts. Germany's Bundestag passed a non-binding 2019 resolution labeling BDS antisemitic in its methods, a characterization the movement rejects. The EU distinguishes between boycotts of settlement products (which it considers protected expression) and broader boycotts of Israel.
Critics argue BDS singles out Israel and undermines negotiations; supporters frame it as nonviolent civil resistance protected by international human rights norms.
Example
In June 2014, the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly voted 310–303 to divest roughly $21 million from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions over their business with Israeli security forces — one of the most prominent institutional BDS-aligned decisions in the United States.
Frequently asked questions
This is contested. The German Bundestag (2019) and several governments and Jewish organizations have called the movement's methods antisemitic. BDS organizers reject the label, stating they oppose Israeli state policy and all forms of racism, including antisemitism.
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