Introduction In August the Gaza war created a massive upswing in worldwide BDS activity. Economic boycotts of Israel were the most obvious, but impacts were also felt in politics and academia. Initial indications suggest it will be an exceptional year…
read moreIntroduction July is typically a slow month for BDS. This year, however, the ongoing fallout from the Presbyterian Church-USA divestment vote was overshadowed by the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza. This conflict has prompted pro-Palestinian and antisemitic protests in Europe and…
read moreIntroduction In June BDS activities took a dramatic turn as the Presbyterian Church-USA narrowly approved a limited Israel divestment resolution. The language and tone of the resolution and the accompanying debate, however, were strongly shaped by traditional Protestant supersessionism. The…
read moreMay saw the deployment of new campus BDS techniques, which were temporarily thwarted by rapid responses by community and university leaders. These pushed BDS closer toward lawfare –legal and administrative means to attack Israel and its supporters. They also indicate…
read moreApril saw the focus of BDS activities pivot back to academia. It is no coincidence that Passover and Easter were celebrated in April; indeed, the timing of BDS resolutions in student government settings has long centered around holidays when attention,…
read moreIntroduction One of the defining characteristics about BDS is that it attacks Israel across a broad spectrum of economic, political, and cultural life. With small numbers of dedicated activists in many spheres, the movement makes itself appear larger than it…
read moreIntroduction The modern boycott, divestment and sanctions movement originated with 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, known as Durban II. The “Durban Strategy” of isolating and vilifying Israel has propagated through non-governmental organizations, academia and media. But economic boycotts…
read moreIntroduction January was an important month for BDS. In the academic sphere, the American Studies Association boycott resolution was followed by a pseudo-debate at the Modern Language Association. Both of these developments produced uniquely high press coverage and political backlash,…
read moreIntroduction A variety of BDS activities took place during December but were overshadowed by the American Studies Association’s (ASA) adoption of a BDS resolution. Though the ASA is a minor academic organization, this BDS move has attracted widespread attention and…
read moreIntroduction BDS activities continued throughout November. Of particular note were developments in the political relationship between Israel and the European Union and an important series of incidents in academia. Analysis The latest reports indicate that negotiations regarding Israeli participation in…
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