Omar Barghouti spoke at Socialism 2011 in Chicago on July 3rd, to explain why boycotting Israel is the right approach and a moral imperative for people who support justice and universal rights.
Omar Barghouti is one of the founders of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), and author of BDS, The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights.
I attended his session, and wanted to report back on what I heard and what I took away from this experience.
There are two objectives to the BDS campaign - the moral imperative and the anti-Capitalist nature of the campaign. For the purpose of this diary, I will focus on the side of using Capitalism to further the goals of something that is a moral imperative.
(For the following, anything in block quotes is my transcription from the video of the speech which I have posted in full at the end of this diary. Any errors in transcription are mine)
The Palestinian resistance has taken many many forms over the last 100 years in facing Israel settler colonialism, Zionism and peaceful resistance has always been a key element in that resistance. It’s just not talked about. It’s always the media focuses on one form of resistance.
The Palestinian BDS movement is a campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel. It is a rights based strategy intended to use the tools of Capitalism to force Israel to meet its obligation to comply with international law as it relates to the people of Palestine.
Since the beginning of this campaign in 2005 the goals have been consistent: ending colonization of Palestinian lands held since 1967, to ensure full equality of Palestinian citizens of Israel, and to release the right of Palestinian citizens to return to their homes as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.
BOYCOTT
The boycott portion of BDS is an institutional boycott; that is, it does not target individual citizens.
academic and cultural boycott
The academic boycott calls for refraining from participation in any form of academic cooperation, collaboration, or joint projects with Israeli institutions. This can take the form of academics and scholars refusing on an individual level or can go all the way to withdrawing any financial support for these institutions and any projects associated with them.
Some recent examples of successful academic boycott campaigns:
James Wolfensohn, former World Bank president, has pulled out of the commencement due to honor him at the American University of Beirut following a petition from students and faculty members over his links to an Israeli think tank and businesses.
University and College Union (UCU) in the United Kingdom Passes Key Motions
University of Johannesburg Makes History: UJ Senate Decides to Sever Links with Israeli
Apartheid
The cultural boycott calls for refraining from participation in any form of artistic expression in Israel, which would include art, music, acting, or writing. This aspect of the campaign has been quite successful.
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters endorses BDS
“Irish Artists’ Pledge to Boycott Israel” reaches 200 signatories
Pixies cancel Israel concert date
Elvis Costello cancels concerts in Israel in protest at treatment of Palestinians
consumer boycott
Individual consumers can show their support for the BDS movement through a boycott of Israeli goods, services, companies (both Israeli companies and international companies involved in Israeli policies violating Palestinian human rights and international law). A consumer boycott can raise awareness about Apartheid but it can also apply economic pressure for change. This portion of BDS has also proven to be very effective, with major campaigns reaching the main stream consciousness.
Agrexco
Coop Sweden stops all purchases of Soda Stream carbonation devices
New Subject of Debate on Mideast: Hummus
BDS campaigners force London Ahava shop to move
Race Against Israeli Apartheid
DIVESTMENT
Divestment calls for the withdrawal of financial support in the form of stocks and financing from corporations that support the violation of Palestinian rights. Individuals can withhold their finances from these corporations (stocks) but this part of the campaign is aimed at pressuring corporations as most who support BDS are not in the position to control large amounts of capital.
Information on divestment strategies:
Veolia Fact Sheet
Derail Veolia and Alstom
SANCTIONS
Sanctions are actions taken on a state or global scale that drive a huge wedge between the Capitalist and Imperialistic structure of government and its resources. Sanctions were the final blow to South African Apartheid and while this is the most effective way to execute the strategy of BDS this is also the most difficult to achieve. The three main areas of sanction activity:
Military: joint operations, partnerships
Diplomatic: meetings, international relations
Economic: forums, meetings, trade
Information on sanction campaigns:
Former EU leaders urge sanctions for Israel settlements
Britain denies entry to Israeli rabbi who advocated killing of non-Jews
Victory: IGLYO moves out of Israel!
Why should this concern a wider American public? I know it concerns people in this room because you’re conscientious, you’re progressive. But when we try to expand BDS to wider mainstream circles..and it should be expanded because BDS is not as I always say a Socialist agenda. It’s a very liberal agenda. It calls for freedom, justice, and equality. We should really try to get all the liberals out there to adopt BDS because it is basic human decency. You don’t have to be Marxist to support it. But of course, if you are Marxist you had better support it.
Of course, as an anti-capitalist it is a given that I understand how the nature of Capitalism allows for control of the masses. I understand how racism, sexism, religious intolerance, sexual identity politics, etc. are tools used by the ruling class to keep us divided. We are constantly fighting with each other instead of turning our attention toward the small handful of people who are taking advantage of us and managing our very existence to exploit us at every turn.
But for the purposes of the right of the Palestinian people to have self determination and freedom, one has to acknowledge that the only tactic we can employ is direct pressure against Israel to send the message that we do not approve of how they are behaving. We can't all just leave our lives and go take up the struggle directly with the people of Palestine. BDS is a well organized, well documented way for each and every person who cares about ending the Apartheid state in Israel to take part in Palestinian liberation.
Why would anyone spend any time in her or his busy schedule to do anything for Palestine? Really, I mean other than the most progressive. Well, first it's a moral duty. As taxpayers, you are directly responsible for our misery. Israel's occupation, Apartheid, cannot possibly continue without your tax money.
Aside from the argument that taxation is theft (ahem) we don't have much sway when it comes to ending US sponsored aid for Israeli Apartheid. America's Pro-Israel Lobby is quite powerful and electoral politics has become so disconnected from citizens that attempting any radical change through that route is next to useless. So, yes, as American taxpayers we are directly responsible for the continued oppression of Palestinians. However we cannot withhold our tax monies from the State with any success. BDS is the alternative.
I encourage anyone who is interested to watch the entire speech. I cannot possibly do it justice with a diary here, but I thought it was an important subject and the experience of listening to the speech really opened my eyes to the possibility that each and every one of us can do our part for justice in Palestine.