Are Boycotts and Sanctions an Effective Way to Support the Palestinian Cause?
Boycotts and Sanctions are effective in supporting the Palestinian cause, for they highlight the breaches of humanitarian and international law that the Israeli government continue to undergo in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, as well as placing pressure on Israel economically and politically to end their occupation of Palestine. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement strive to pressure states to fulfil their legal responsibilities to not comply with Israeli crimes. They aim to achieve justice and equality for the Palestinians, end discrimination and highlight the importance of the right of return. State and individual withdrawal from supporting Israeli and international companies who contribute to the violation of Palestinian rights is one form boycotting; whether that be targeting cultural, educational or recreational groups, or the avoidance of purchasing Israeli products. Ending aid to Israel, as well as working towards the expulsion of Israel from the UN are forms of sanctions. These measures threaten Israel’s economy and their support from other countries, and raise awareness of the mistreatment of Arabs, especially when undertaken by artists with a large following. It is also important to look at counter arguments and point out their aims to justify the occupation and whitewash the whole situation by positing that these actions worsen the situation for Palestinians and are of an anti-Semitic nature.
The effectiveness of these movements and ultimately the increased support for the Palestinian cause is evident through the many successes the BDS alone have experienced. These include a 46% reduction in foreign investment in Israel, a drop in top Israeli weapon exports and major organisations ending their participation with Israel. Churches have also divested Israeli companies, as well as Norway who divested $810 billion of their wealth fund from them. It is clear that these have impacted the Israeli government as they have, themselves, expressed that the BDS movement is a “serious diplomatic threat”. A threat indeed, when you look at the estimated drop of between $15 to $47 billion off the Israeli economy; a number that could potentially rise as the support for BDS does.
The benefits of internationally recognised artists and scholars boycotting and supporting sanctions against Israel range further than simply financial and economic losses. Through publicly cancelling concerts in Israel, as well as academic associations, fans and followers of these individuals become aware of the issues Palestinians face and the occupation Israel forces them to reside under. Musician Lorde cancelled her show, and even though an American rabbi called her a “bigot” for doing so, she received overwhelming support from co-workers and fans. Stephen Hawking’s decision to academically boycott Israel is seen as a turning point in regards to increased Palestinian support. This was evident when millions of his followers contributed financially to the Palestinian Advanced Physics School. It is also encouraging to see widening support amongst the U.S. public, even though it is well known that America, to date, has provided Israel with $134.7 billion in assistance. AIPAC also considered passing a bill that jailed individuals for 20 years if they chose to boycott Israel or support such actions; which goes against U.S. citizen’s individual rights. Regardless of the government trying to quieten pro-Palestinian sentiments, increasing numbers of Americans supporting actions against Israel have prevailed; not to mention Israeli citizens doing the same.
There have been many arguments against BDS and its success rate, however, many fail to address the real issue. One of these arguments is that these boycotts actually harm the Palestinians, especially in regards to employment. However, this is a condescending viewpoint, assuming that Palestinians working under Israeli ruling and getting paid far less is better than nothing. Not to mention that Arabs are usually forced to work for Israeli companies due to debilitating circumstances and forced unemployment as a result of decades of oppression. The root cause must first be mended. Many also argue that these actions are Anti-Semitic, but this isn’t so. Challenging a state or a political movement, such as Zionism, is not Anti-Semitism. It is important to highlight that BDS do not target individual Jews or Israeli citizens based on identity, but simply aim to end the Israeli blockade and grant the Palestinians the freedom they deserve.
