Covering the business side of human rights wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement. It’s hard to know how large the movement is or account for its impact. One way to understand it is to look at how it started.
The Movement
Modeled after the boycott movement against apartheid in South Africa, the BDS Movement started in 2005. According to the movement’s website, its goal is to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.”
In short, it stands for Palestinian freedom from the Israeli government. The movement protests for the boycotting of Israel entirely in response to the country’s repressive actions towards Palestinians.
The Launch
A group called the Palestinian Civil Society rallied for the BDS Movement to start on July 9, 2005, “We, representatives of Palestinian civil society, call upon international civil society organizations and 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 area.”
Israel’s Response
The Israeli government continues to deny the alleged apartheid behavior. Israel claims that anti-Semitism beliefs drive the movement. In 2017, Israel enacted legislation that prevents individuals connected to the BDS from entering the country. Similarly, in 2019, Israel deported a Human Rights Watch employee as a result of BDS ties.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54999010
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