BDS in the USA, 2001-2010 Author(s): Noura Erakat Source: Middle East Report, No.

255, WEAPONS OF THE STRONG (Summer 2010), pp. 34-39 Published by: Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40660870 . Accessed: 01/02/2014 09:07
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^ojB^j

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on theBerkeley Silent campus. vigil

riya bhattacharjee/berkeley daily planet

divestment this first at theUniversity of ofthree senate 26, 2010,thestudent university-based campaign years, April aswellas into ofother American ontodozens campuses California-Berkeley upheld,by one vote,an executive spread - thestudent did Yetthemovement andcommunity vetoon SB 118 organizations. bodyresolution endorsing churches serious treatment and elicit fundsfromGeneralElectricand notgaininternational of university divestment legitimacy in 2005. civil Palestinian a callfor BDS camefrom fromthe until two companiesthatprofit UnitedTechnologies, society of failure since the Since and Bank the East the West and Israeli of then, Jerusalem, especially resounding occupation for war Israel to account to hold the international votes to of the resolution needed Gaza Strip. 14 community Proponents committed of crimes had spokenin favor override thevetoand, as 16 senators OperationCast Lead, the assault during on Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009, the notionof extraa simple task. doingso, itappeared violations tactics Israeli humanrights thegaze of national governmental But thevotein Berkeley had shifted targeting No the mainstream institutions. has Hill from westward, longer passion permeated begetting pro-Israel organizations Capitol havereverberated students American Israel Public of idealistic alliance between thehawkish an unlikely alone,BDS demands and international retail within American liberal and its Affairs Committee stores, (AIPAC) corporations self-proclaimed rival, multilateral in lobbying efforts on The two groupscollaborated J Street. organizations. s deepening The movement twosenators theveto.Ultimately, acceptance amongmainstream changed campusto sustain correlates with the steadydeclineof faithin thefinal to13in stakeholders count their votes anda third abstained, bringing solution to theIsraelia negotiated two-state to achieve Whileadherence efforts ofoverriding thevetoandfive favor opposed. themost fail to extract While heads of state Palestinian conflict. the has blocked divestment tostudent measure, bodyprocedure as a settlement commitments from such modest on the strong for divestment the numbers indicate freeze, Israel, support have increased BDS activists in the be as a milestone and can (albeit incrementally) compliance Berkeleys campus regarded and institutions withinternational law amongcorporations and sanctions divestment (BDS) movement. boycott, their ordivested havedistanced themselves resolution fromoff- that The strident from, holdings responseto Berkeley's is beingtaken more in,settlement-related thattheBDS movement enterprises. campusgroups have to date,at leastin theUnitedStates, BDS victories thanever before. students Berkeley seriously byitsopponents the in the Israeli ofBDS efforts since havebeenattheforefront Territories, 6, 2001, Occupied policies February targeted is sanctioned what be and notion should the day Ariel Sharonbecame Israeliprimeminister. boycotted They being rather thanIsraelitself. But themovement on campusand unfurled banners theoccupation, a mockcheckpoint erected aimed at apartheid fromsimilarefforts Within thespan drawsinspiration "Divestfrom Israeli Apartheid." exclaiming, in the1980s,coupledwiththe2005 call from South Africa human Noura Erakatisa humanrights and adjunct attorney professor ofinternational Palestinethat includesa demand forequalityforIsrael's law at Georgetown University. rights
34 201 0 MIDDLE REPORT 255SUMMER EAST

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As with South Africa,the impetus for a global BDS of return forPalestinian and the right Palestinian citizens civil On camefrom Palestinian Israel to makes BDS abhorrent This geneaology society. many campaign against refugees. theInternational CourtofJustices forexample, sees July solution. ofthetwo-state 9, 2005,a yearafter JStreet, loyalists as a Jewish historic as an attackon Israel'scharacter themovement advisory opiniondeclaredthe routeof Israelswall issueda call civilsociety state.In his blog entry resolution, illegal, 170 Palestinian organizations opposingthe Berkeley The call divestment and sanctions. for the movement "fails that Isaac Luria ofJ Street boycott, gavevoiceto complains in Durban, movement that a the to between to drawa cleardistinction began,appropriately, post- growing opposition Conference Africa at the 2001 World South existence of the state to the and Racism, 1967occupation Against opposition and activists homeof theJewish ofIsraelitself as thedemocratic equated organizations people. where non-governmental Israel this Israels who drafted ofthestudents Evenifitwas nottheintent racially discriminatory proper policies throughout withapartheid and advocated bill,its passageis now beingseized on by the global BDS and the OccupiedTerritories back. In Durban of choiceforfighting BDS activ- BDS as thestrategy in itsbroader as a victory movement campaign." activists have drawn and the as to istsinsist thatthey upon thegeneral subsequently, emphasize rights, opposed political in the out definition of laid Israel over whether the debate to solutions, 1973 International apartheid precisely escape of the Punishment on the and Convention should be one or two states.Theyrecognize, and Palestine Suppression to dividethepopulaof the 2005 demandsmay lead CrimeofApartheid: thatthe fruition however, policies"designed the for reserves andghettoes ofseparate of tion.. .bythecreation to an Israelthatis a stateof all its citizensirrespective of landed . the racial . . members of BDS will be anathema that it is inevitable Hence [or] expropriation groups, religion. or persons... of organizations and ArabAmerican property... notonlyto AIPAC, butalso to JStreet [or] thepersecution the2005 because the like Ibish of Hussein solution of the two-state Directly they opposeapartheid." preceding partisans issued and academics of Palestinian intellectuals a Palestine. American Task Forceon call, group in of Israel and cultural and theleftends of a call fortheacademic In arousing theireof boththeright 2004. boycott Academicand CulturalBoycottof Israel's in The Palestinian of permissible the spectrum opinionon Israel-Palestine thebasis formed and movement cuts to the (PACBI) fundamental the BDS platform ultimately principles Washington, - and forthe 2005 document, whichdemandsthatIsraelcomply conflict over theIsraeli-Palestinian oftheconflict heart humanrights withinternational lawand upholduniversal itself. to theconflict couldbecomecentral by:

of Justice Visions

and sancof boycott,divestment The tripartite strategy to their to return the rights of Palestinian with and promoting tionsis rootedin economiclogic: Israelmustcomply refugees in UN Resolution homesand properties as stipulated is too politically law becausenon-compliance international 194. Divestment to maintain. and economically pressures costly in themovement for shift a significant in Israeli or in companies The 2005 call marked withstakes institutions companies, it emphaMost importantly, self-determination. hold- Palestinian Israeli humanrights thatsustain abuses,to drop their ofwhich of Palestinians sized the "let the market decide" to consumers everywhere irrespective rights Boycotts encourage ings. tomorrow. in envision live or where that state made to today they they living bycompanies byrefusing buygoods uponjustice member committee a founder and steering in Israel. or inequality from theoccupation benefit Sanctions, Omar Barghouti, that a of the of PACBI and drafter are trade restrictions on theother document, hand, 2005 explains imposedbygovernwas its of the BDS call "the fundamental others. ments rights-based pillar upon solumovement approach thatdoes not endorse withthesolidarity In theUS, BDS is associated anyparticular political thatfor but insists colonialconflict, Thatmovement tionto theArab-Israeli in SouthAfrica. aimedat endingapartheid itmust address allthree tobejustandsustainable and free anysolution to toppleapartheid withhelping is widely credited in thecall." stated whobecame basicrights for a political NelsonMandela, 27years, prisoner to ofallthree theaffirmation considers National Not everyone TheAfrican ofSouthAfrica. blackpresident thefirst rights to viewitas threatening act.The likesofJStreet of whichMandela was a partcalled upon the be a neutral Conference the a because as South Israels from and sanction divest worldto boycott, state, identity Jewish self-proclaimed apartheid a inappreciable numbers wouldrender ofrefugees BDS is return in 1958.Due to theSouthAfrican Africa Jews experience, on two-state solution to the Thosecommitted to Abdul smallminority. thatworks. seenas a grassroots According strategy thecall "The the"pro-Palestinian" oftheBritish side,likeIbish,haveinterpreted Movement, secretary Anti-Apartheid Minty, inplacesince ofthestate-building of as a repudiation itwasa coalition because waseffective movement worldwide 1993 project It was the liberation model. in a return to the West and s movements and committed however, important, governments people theinterests ofallPalestinians, to represent as well to theBDS drafters at thenational that to influence level, policy managed of a withinthe elasticboundaries and not just thoseliving liketheUN." as institutions
201 0 255SUMMER MIDDLE EAST REPORT 35

of all Arab lands and disEndingits occupationand colonization of theArabthewall; recognizing the fundamental rights mantling to full and respecting, citizens ofIsrael Palestinian protecting equality;

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future Palestinian state. Hencethecallssecond demands clause thefullequality ofIsraelsnon-Jewish Palestinian citizens. It is logicalthatthisclausewould be inserted, s rhetorical whatmakesBDS questionis precisely giventhe Barghouti in in the of the umbrella network so BDS is fact a reform movecontroversial. participation drafting Ittijah, Though ofPalestinian NGOs inIsrael, which one that seeks to alter and state demands treatment behavior, ment, corporate equal before thelawirrespective ofrace, and it has been viewedas radical.Mark Lance, a Georgetown national ethnicity, origin From oftheBDS organizers, theperspective andco-founder ofStopUS Taxpayer Aid therefore,philosophy professor religion. this to to clause amounts to Palestinians' selfIsrael Now that when his first (SUSTAIN), objecting rejecting explains group in definition as a unified national for of cohorts with the of idea divestment Still, 2001, they body. supporters approached Palestinian humanrights who prefer to indict as nave.The established theoccupation werehostilely dismissed solidarity thesecond isan affront clause totheir Forthese organizations fearedsuch a tacticwould alienateaverage only, solidarity. within Israel be desirAmericans who wereready to support a Palestinian state but Jewish supporters, may ending privilege themandate ofa movement for Palestinian not to criticize Israelor call its internal able,butitexceeds policiesinto quesself-determination. itsbest efforts totranscend itsenergy at youngglobaljustice Despite political tion.SUSTAIN redirected theBDS callhasbeenreadas an implicit groups, Lancecontinues, BDS to and waitedforthetimefor solutions, therefore, endorsement oftheone-state solution. Within two the US to End the Israeli years, ripen. Campaign several Palestinian NGO the of "connective tissue" American Palestine Perhaps surprisingly, representa-Occupation, tiveswithinthe Occupied Territories had incorporated numerous BDS activists. initially opposed the solidarity groups, BDS call as well.Theyviewedthecomprehensive in 2001witha $20,000 grant Established and a fewdozen approach to Palestinian as a veiledendorsement oftheone-state member rights todaythe Campaignhas grownto organizations, and hencea blowto thePalestinian and a morethan300 members and boastsa budgetof $250,000. solution, Authority subversion ofthestrategic direction ofthePalestinian national In 2005,theCampaignendorsed theBDS calland mounted movement sincethelate 1980sand enshrined the a manufacturer of the heavy by "peace campaignagainstCaterpillar, of the Drafters of the the bulldozers used Israeli to raze Palestinian call,including PACBI, 1990s. process" by army and the Badil invested a tremendous homes. a co-founder and Wall, Bennis, Campaign Stop Ittijah, Phyllis steering oftime inexplaining amount andenergy that thefundamental committee member, explainsthat Caterpillar emergedas on rights was necessary to redress theconcerns ofa a target forits role in the destruction of Palestinian olive emphasis cohesive Palestinian nationalbodyas opposedto endorsing trees and themurder of RachelCorrie,theEvergreen State a particular the Council of Collegestudent in 2003whiletrying runoverbya bulldozer politicalsolution.Ultimately, Nationaland IslamicForcesin Palestine, the coordinating to prevent a homedemolition. Bennis "the discusSoon, says, for the in the sion from the moved tactical of to the body major political parties OccupiedTerritories, targeting Caterpillar with the Palestine Liberation mass effort to build a campaignagainstcorporations along largest Organization strategic theacceptance facilitated oftheBDS callbymajor profiting from movements, occupation." sectors of Palestinian civilsociety within theTerritories and The Campaignsfocus, whichreflects its member groups' Constricted the of the has In continued to shift. the coalition 2006, beyond. by parameters "peaceprocess," prerogatives, the Palestinian has neither endorsednor repudi- adoptedan anti-apartheid whichexpoundson framework, Authority atedtheBDS call.Theyhave,however, a narrower the discriminatory launched treatment of Israel's citizens, non-Jewish ofsettlement-produced theacademicand cultural 2010,Prime and in 2009, it endorsed boycott boycott goods.InJanuary Minister Salam Fayyad of $1 millionin ofIsrael, another controversial strand oftheBDS movement. stagedthe burning settlement and created a NationalDignity Fund to TheCampaign's from from to products progression divesting occupation theproduction and distribution ofPalestinian-made boycotting Israel ofchange inmainstream support maybe a bellwether a organizations thathavejoinedtheBDS movement buthave goods. Unlikethe 2005 call,the PA initiative perpetuates state-centric to the conflict as and such limited their activism to approach resolving corporatargeting war-profiteering doesnotattempt torepresent therights ofa unified Palestinian tionsinvolved in theoccupation. national thewomen's Code Pink, famed for head-to-toe body. peacegroup that the call for within Israel attire of and unabashed business as usualon Barghouti explains equality pink disruption remains theleastpopular element ofthecallamongsolidarity Capitol Hill, coalescedin opposition to war in Afghanistan even morecontroversial than the right of return, and Iraq.According to member Code Pink activists, NancyKricorian, because itgoesbeyond on Israel torein initsoccupation expanded itsmandate to includetheoccupation ofPalestine calling in thePalestinian territories and demands thatIsrael whenit joined theCampaignin 2006- but thegesture was policies its domestic to afford Arab citizens as the work remained on focused non-Jewish rectify policies symbolic, largely groups full "If But as asks: a is built and This became much equality. system Barghouti political Afghanistan Iraq. quietengagement on a foundation of inequality and wouldcollapseifequality louderin theaftermath ofOperation Cast Lead,whenCode setin,is ita system worth Pink Palestine to the front and center ofitsagenda, to keeping?" brought
36 MIDDLE EAST REPORT 255- SUMMER 2010

BDS Mainstreaming

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the ofseveral members and funders. thedismay Undeterred, two to has since taken women's solidarity delegations group 2010and Marchin February Gaza,co-ledtheGaza Freedom ofAhava,thesettlementa boycott StolenBeauty, launched line. Since its inceptionin June cosmetics manufactured its Oxfamintosuspending has Stolen 2009, Beauty pressured Kristen "Sex and the starlet Davis, ambassador, City" goodwill and ofhercontract as anAhavaspokeswoman for theduration DERECHO AL RETORNO -^ > ^ j~ RIGHTOF RETURN* to taketheproduct off wholesaler, pushedCostco,a national itsshelves. inthe havebeencovered which these achievements, Despite shares thathergroup Kricorian Post and elsewhere, New York WhileBDS can be presented still usesthe"A-word" gingerly. and war of corporate withinthe framework accountability "This word is controversial. the term "apartheid" profiteering, in a waythat shuts off still dialogue. peoples emotions triggers in SouthAfrica, butin the becauseofitshistory It is a trigger r 8 of mostpeoplewouldnothavedreamed caseofSouthAfrica, S 2 for was necessary that sake,or that security's apartheid saying tans." itwas a good idea to keepblacksin bantus of Wisconsin student a former Sbaihat, University Fayyad which ofal-Awda member anda leading Wisconsin, garnered the ofdivestment across senate andunionendorsement faculty in that ofWisconsin 2005, 25University explains the campuses BDS came from to first and strongest long-time opposition woulddrive that themovement allies whofeared awayliberals in theshort in Israel. "Itwasa hindrance orinducea backlash z term," saysSbaihat."Not onlywas BDS too muchto ask of z ofPalestine, butalsoitwastoomuch friends' the'fair-weather > theapartheid toaccept orlivewith for them However, analogy. j^^j' j J^^i L^A m FINA LADISCRIMINACIN >a V itwas getting the partoftheappealofBDS as we recognized then and to beginasking uninterested questions questioning was a way and usingtheapartheid Israelscharacter, analogy observer." from the casual to provoke questions to corporate lendsitself Glenn Dickson hopes to presentpreciselythis chal- which boycott precludes engagement, to excite divestment's He rightly ChurchUSA. At its2004 general dialogue. potential predicted lengeto thePresbyterian of divestthe church's divestment church endorsed the 2.3 controversy principled despite legacy assembly, million-strong and Sudan,amongother SouthAfrica, Indonesia fromIsraeli occupation by an mentfrom fromcompaniesprofiting are Dicksonandhiscolleagues violators. to burndown humanrights voteof460-41.Despitethreats Today, overwhelming ofapartheid at the theconcept of introducing fromCongressto rescind now thinking housesof worshipand pressure because"itwillhelppeopleto realize its commitment 2010General the churchhas reaffirmed the resolution, Assembly in itspoor treatment of at subsequent to corporate generalassemblies thatIsraelis as bad as SouthAfrica engagement In 2006, peopleof color.... Becausemostpeoplein theUS see Israel has onlyincreased. fordivestment wheresupport as terrorists, and see Palestinians to theassembly submitted 17 of the170 overtures democracy opposed as a benevolent who Israelis willhelpus." whilein 2008 onlytwoovertures reframing thedivestment resolution, protestedthe church'sstance. Today, the Presbyterians' has Investment Committee MissionResponsibility Through from forprofiting the non-peaceful denouncedCaterpillar withSouthAfrica's from Notwithstanding to explore divestment itspopularassociation and continues useofitsproducts element fortheir experience, is not a requisite the term"apartheid" Motorola, ITT, Citibankand UnitedTechnologies theoccupation. of the BDS strategy, rolein sustaining thoughit maybe a usefulinstrument Like theUS Campaign,Code who introduced of branding in and of itself. Dicksonis theretired Presbyterian pastor activist He didnotconsider the resolution. Pink and the2004divestment Presbyterians, including groupshave launched the loaded term,only he felt that unlike without because BDS at the time divestment, adopting campaigns boycott
in (_ H UJ Q pa

orBurden? Blessing

201 0 255- SUMMER MIDDLE EAST REPORT

37

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to adopt it lateras theiradvocacyefforts developed.Even Students a atStanford Israel, by Apartheid Confronting group for in their whom the term was hasused Activists havewagedthis battle for sixyears central, University obviously offensively it tactically at most. of Israeli Week. to limited Apartheid organizing Originally to Omar a of the in member educational activities Toronto and New it Shakir, founding York, today spans According the Stanford in2010, students 40 cities for thefirst time Beirut. worldwide, groupwho is now at Georgetown, including, wantedto makeapartheid central to demonstrate thepower Adalah-New York's BDS campaign is an organic outgrowth in the Israeli-Palestinian inherent conflictand of IsraeliApartheid Week organizing. Unlikeothergroups, disparity movebeyondthelanguage of "twosides," whichcan imply Adalah-NY began with the apartheid framework first and thatIsraeland thePalestinians haveequal resources to draw moved towardthe divestment tacticlater.The successof focused on theasymmetry its campaign Lev Leviev, an Israelidiamondmogul upon.When campusopposition against inEast between the SouthAfrican and Palestinian whose the ofsettlements cases,however, companies support expansion Shakir andhiscolleagues theframework hasmadeita premier in andfocused Jerusalem, ofBDS organizing dropped example instead on divestment treatment theUS. LubnaKa'abneh ofAdalah-NY that theapartcriteria, disparate including explains ofIsraelsnon-Jewish The method Arabcitizens. herewas to heidanalogy a cornerstone outreach constituted ofthegroup's describe theviolationrather thancall it by name. "In the work"so thatour [US] audiencecould maketheconnection Shakircomments, "theoppositionfocusedon to theirown experiences." Ka'abneh and her cohorts have beginning," more than of . . . We the our divestment. liked discovered that American audiences relate much more to apartheid goal easily ofinstitutionalized racial discrimination thanthose waywe did it becausewe could pickand choose;we weren't narratives weddedto apartheid." ofoccupation. work Hencethey to draw between the parallels The apartheid framework is botha blessing and a burden. civil the movement and Palestinian movement to achieve rights On theone hand,becausethe SouthAfrican is freedom and equality. experience so wellknown and so roundly meremention of Since launchingits campaignin 2008, Adalah-NY has condemned, forces advocates to defend an entrenched effectively apartheid pro-Israel pressedDanish Bank Dankse and the Danish of racial discrimination and than PKA to exclude rather fund Leviev's Africa-Israel, system oppression pension enterprise, On the otherhand, the from itsinvestment thesecondlargest rallysupportforIsraels security. portfolio, encouraged two cases are farfromidentical. No South African blacks Dutchpension fund todivest from andconvinced Africa-Israel, wereallowedto vote or participate in government, as are UNICEF, Oxfam, the British government and several Palestinian citizensin Israel.Blackswerenot subjectedto Hollywood stars todistance themselves from theentrepreneur. offensives or debilitating humanitarian blockades Adalah-NY'ssuccessin simultaneously Israel's military highlighting as are Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and nor weretensof discriminatory character whilechoosing theoccupation as its thousands as to raise exiled refugees bothcaptures themovement s strategic subsequent generations BDS target possibilities in the diaspora.Notwithstanding in the and reflects thesedifferences, in themovement. maturity political BDS movement there is general consensus thattheapartheid The history of efforts at Berkeley is telling as well.While in framework is effective, the realm. As written to combat Israeli and therefore especially symbolic originally apartheid a Birzeit PACBI all and with worth subsidiaries LisaTaraki, $5,000or more University professor steering target companies "All committee historic are within the 118eventually student resolution SB member, comments, Israel, body analogies in I with but this case... think this line limited itself to two American that from problems, corporations profit fraught ofargument has beenvery on thewhole,and has Israel's successful "Divestment is ultimately about military occupation. in a veryuncomfortable to studentsengagingthe administration," comments Abdelput Israel's supporters position, Rahman a founding member oftheBerkeley Zahzah, put it mildly." campaign That activists the "A-word" now a of in does not and leader similar efforts Beirut. Zahzah notes that deploy tactically diminish their sincere belief that theframework in is apt.To the Berkeley students did notstart outwitha political strategy Shakir andTaraki s are attitudes to detrac2001. Instead issued threats to the administration: contrary, they responses abrupt tors whosefocuson theanalogy's fine is an attempt to "Divestall yourholdings from Israelor we'll take print apartheid dismissit forlack of perfect are Such over academic While Wheeler activists didoccupy symmetry. attempts buildings." becausealthough the SouthAfrican did not come closeto achieving divestment they misguided experience Hall twice, makestheapartheid morecompelling, it is byno untilnineyears later SB 118 in the whenstudents introduced paradigm meanstheyardstick whichto measure all occurrences student senate. against ofapartheid, in Israel-Palestine whether orelsewhere. inpart Thetactical shift isderived from Perhaps Hampshire College's a forum like the International Court of in monumental success the American institution Justice only legal becoming first can settle thistension. In themeantime, in 2009. lianaRosoff, education to divest from Israel publicdiscussions ofhigher of Israeliapartheid continueto be a battlefordomination a leading student at thattheir explains organizer Hampshire, ofthesymbolic world. was a direct the BDS call.Her to Palestinian response campaign
38 2010 MIDDLE 255- SUMMER EAST REPORT

Considerations Strategic

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ofBDS TheLogic

- dubious social in favor ofsimple "to standbehind radicalization fellows weremotivated demography bytheopportunity the he concluded the least to in their own national Palestinians and re-empower science, by encouraging say struggle." Palestinians of deliberate the students to avoiddebilitating Still, among growth stunting population developed opposition, as Kramer The address, ofnational to as a matter "butdid nottry Israelsoccupation that a strategy security policy. targeted was "memorable." saidhimself, aboutIsraelas a nation-state." makemoral arguments eroded Itslegitimacy when won overthecollegesboardoftrustees Thestudents bysuchpronouncements, continually will stillfindallies among structural discrimination Israeli voted to divest the trustees in February 2009, Hampshires God and Israelto hasten who beseech Christian General United from Zionists, Technologies, Caterpillar, holdings which wishesto protect the defense the Israeli that ITT and Terex,companies Electric, industry, Armageddon, supply or one reason American those net and for usein theOccupied and services who,for withequipment Jews earnings, military are These allies blindto Palestinian remain one of another, from Alan Dershowitz, Under pressure Territories. suffering. ofAmericans not the broad are but about of American discourse several formidable, spectrum they policemen self-appointed moral its to Israel wants whose its that denied administration Israel-Palestine, authority. safeguard backing Hampshire's Howard Kohr, AIPAC's executive abusesand trum- For thisreason, humanrights director, to Israeli was linked decision to atthegroup's hisaddress ofthe dedicated Theminutes in Israeli firms. investments itsother 2009 annualconference peted of is he lamented which of of the an reveal nevertheless boardoftrustees' link; warnings "part dangers BDS, explicit meeting Israel or defame to not itwasthegoodwork a broader that thecollege campaign simply denigrate "acknowledged president herin theeyesofherallies." thisissueto butto delegitimize thatbrought in Palestine for of Students Justice In its an Israelithinktank,concurs. The Reut Institute, thestudents ofthecommittee." theattention And,ofcourse, from Israeli 2009 study,"Buildinga PoliticalFirewallAgainstIsrael's was divesting tookcareto claimthatHampshire ofactivists thata network Reutconcludes Israel. notfrom Delegitimization," occupation, to the from the and the bottom from periphery up working Israelas a pariahstateand has succeededin casting center the campaignmaydevelop warnsthat,withina fewyears, In itspresentation threat." existential have made into"a comprehensive and Adalah-NYsuccesses While the Hampshire thatthe governrecommended the institute their to the Knesset, cannotdemonstrate mostcampaigns indelible marks, units.Instead,the virtueof ment mitigatethis threatwith a multi-pronged work'simpactin measurable strategy, in of thePalestinian moralauthority,including Israel's to challenge BDS has beenitsability population endingitscontrol Territories. the Israel was themostcoveted Occupied weaponin its arsenal. arguably an showBDS is having Tarakisaysthatsuch statements of untiltheaftermath ofUS aid dollars nota majorrecipient at dialogue,which reinforced Unlike efforts Israel's enhanced theSix-DayWar,whichgreatly power imageas a effect. does ofsymmetry sense "a false the InJune [that] downanArabGoliath. Davidfacing bycreating 1968, Johnson discrepancies BDS colonizer-colonized the not from with relationship," administration, acknowledge approved Congress, support strong toending headon. Theproper theIsraeli state the tackles to Israeland established aircraft the sale of supersonic response and "the of is the Israel's for "Israel's ofUS support logic application pressure impunity military edge qualitative precedent of its ofBDS is thelogicofpressure." combination overitsneighbors" (actually, anypossible for academic movement is theburgeoning On thehorizon no American Sincethen, seeking high politician neighbors). the launcheda yearbefore first ofMiddleEastpeacewithout has spoken office boycotts. Although stressing and cultural does notenjoy and cultural ofIsrael. to thesecurity US commitment 2005 BDS call,academic boycott Some arguethat of economicBDS campaigns. narrative holesin this BDS campaigns by thesupport security puncture thatboycotand from be immune should culture is Israel that offensive an politics worthy Byasserting posture. assuming Others freedom. academic intellectuals to Israel's defenders explain ting activists ofBDS treatment, upon infringes compel within allies the best are intellectuals Israeli at one time contendthat suchas theimprisonment, thelogicofitspolicies, A with forpeace Palestinian Israelof theglobalmovement of theentire since1967,of 20 percent or another justice. close is of thePACBI call makesit clearthatboycott to itslogicalend, examination is taken Whentheconversation population. that are entities and institutions to Israeli restricted are forced andmore as itismore complicit often, spokespersons pro-Israel orotherwise threat. injustifying, existence is a security mere thatPalestinians' to declare perpetuating supporting promoting, and apartheid. colonization annual Israel'soccupation, siteofan important in Herzliya, In a recent address Today,this out its"Brand Israel rolls as relevant not be more call could Kramer Martin fellow in Harvard conference Israel, security hobbled its rehabilitate to meant Israel" ofthisslippery to thebottom image campaign, slope.He argued leaptstraight of form, the media of popularculture. ArabandMuslim through meninthe ofadult when theproportion that Irrespective ofsolidarity form to Barghouti their ofthepopulation, reaches world says,BDS is "themosteffective 40 percent propensity in with the Palestinianpeople today."Its non-violentand havebecome"superfluous" becausethey increases violence worst makesit "Israel's nature universal for dismissed not Kramer nightmare." explanations only political society.
0 201 255-SUMMER REPORT EAST MIDDLE 39

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