Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (German boycott, divestment and sanctions, BDS short ) is a comprehensive international political campaign against Israel, which was brought to the call by over 170 Palestinian non-governmental organizations through July 9, 2005.
The campaign attracted international attention and has prominent advocates, but also many critics. The latter view of the organization occurrence and act an attempt to delegitimize Israel.
- 3.1 Denmark
- 3.2 France
- 3.3 United Kingdom
- 3.4 The Netherlands
Receivables
BDS demanding an end to "occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied since June 1967, including East Jerusalem ," the task of all Israeli settlements and the Israeli separation barrier and the enforcement of the "right of return " of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. In addition, the " fundamental right of the Arab- Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality " should be recognized.
Background
In January 2005, the Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights Advocacy Initiative ( OPGAI ) has its call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel at the 5th World Social Forum in Porto Alegre presented ( 26 and 31 January). The campaign was initiated simultaneously with the first anniversary of the judgment of the International Court of Justice on the Israeli separation barrier. In one of the first boycott campaigns, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel ( PACBI ) closely with the British Committee for Universities in Palestine ( BRICUP ) has worked. BRICUP sat down at the Association of University Teachers (AUT ) committed to support an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
Kairos Palestine Document
On 11 December 2009, Christian bishops, theologians and lay people of Palestine toward the so-called Kairos Palestine document to the " Palestinian and Israeli society, to the world community and to the Christian brothers and sisters in the Churches around the world." The Kairos Palestine Document, which adjoins the BDS call, condemned the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories: "We call on the Israelis to end the occupation. You will then discover a world without fear, no threat but rather security, justice and peace. "Among the co-authors of the Kairos document belong to the Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem Munib Younan, Patriarch Michel Sabbah, and the pastor of the Christmas Church in Bethlehem, Mitri Raheb.
Boycotts of individual companies
Some organizations such as the Israeli peace initiative Gush Shalom reject a complete boycott of Israel, on the other hand advocate the boycott of settlement products, which relates, for example manufacturers of settlement products such as SodaStream, Ahava ( cosmetic products) and Carmel Agrexco (agricultural products) and Caterpillar and Motorola. The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported that the PLO in France tried to force Veolia and another company court to abandon a tramway project in Jerusalem, because it is contrary to international law, and the bureau chief of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on all Arab states to boycott Veolia. Abbas made the boycott of settlement products in April 2010 official: dealers selling such products, is now facing a heavy fine. The Palestinian boycott had already impacting factories within settlements; some sell 30 % of their products in the occupied territories.
Approx. 60 prominent Israeli artists boycotted a theater in the Israeli settlement of Ariel in 2010 and were supported in this by 150 US- American actors in an open letter. Furthermore, they were helped by the architect Frank Gehry and Daniel Barenboim.
Denmark
Two Danish banks have decided in January 2010 to withdraw its entire investment from four Israeli companies. Their reasoning was that these companies support the occupation by " play a role in the financing and support for the construction of the Wall and the settlements."
France
Following the war in Gaza 2008-2009, a call was issued to an academic boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israeli institutions in February 2009. In June 2009, French organizations gathered to organize a French BDS campaign against specific targets such as Carrefour, Ahava, Agrexco - Carmel, Veolia Transport and Alstom. Since then, numerous organizations and trade unions have joined this campaign, which saw, however, was increasingly exposed to legal action.
2012, France's highest court ruled that public boycott against Israeli products constitute discrimination and are prohibited under French law.
Great Britain
At the 2010 Annual Meeting of the largest union of Great Britain, the UCU ( University and College Union ), was voted for the BDS campaign and for the rupture of relations with the Histadrut, the umbrella organization of trade unions in Israel. Tom Hickey of the University of Brighton, as the reason that the Histadrut had the " Israeli attack on civilians in Gaza " support in January 2009 and therefore do not deserve the name of a trade union organization.
Netherlands
The Dutch water company Vitens ended 2013, the cooperation with the Israeli Mekarot because this water pump from the West Bank to Israel and Palestinian communities to treat worse than Israeli settlements.
Proponent
Among the supporters of the Boycott Divestments Sanctions Campaign include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, journalist and critic of globalization, Naomi Klein, Uri Davis, Jeff Halper, Israeli Professor Neve Gordon, the Israeli historian Ilan Pappe, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, Ward Churchill, the British writer John Berger, Arundhati Roy, British film director Ken Loach, Ian Banks, Evelyn Hecht- Galinski and the American writer Alice Walker.
Among the supporting organizations include the Israeli civil rights movement ICAHD and the European Jews for a Just Peace ( EJJP ).
Criticism
Various analysts, journalists and political groups have argued that the BDS movement supports the delegitimization of Israel. In the Jerusalem Post, Gil Troy argued that the BDS movement does not aim at the Israeli policy but instead on Israel's legitimacy. Comparatively similar argues the Reut Institute, the movement by focusing on Israel and the use of double standards would delegitimize the country.
The tactics and goals of the movement are also rejected by the prominent American - Israel critics Noam Chomsky and Norman Finkelstein. Both accuse the organization, not to accept the long-standing international consensus of a two-state solution along the 1967 borders, and thus more likely to damage the interests of the Palestinians than good.
Israeli reaction
On June 9, 2010 25 Israeli Knesset legislators have presented an anti- boycott resolution. According to these funds would be diverted to the Palestinian Authority to compensate for Israelis who have been harmed by the Palestinian boycott of Israeli settlement products. The bill prohibits Israeli citizens further initiating, stimulating and supporting a boycott against Israel; as a punishment would have to pay this compensation to the victims. All employees involved in the boycott of non- Israelis would be prohibited from entering the country for at least 10 years.