“Anybody who is contributing to the Israeli economy should stop. Stop that contribution until the wind changes.” Noa Sattath, an Israeli rabbi and civil rights activist often promoted by the liberal Zionist group J Street, called for crushing economic pressure on the fascistic new Israeli government during a webinar with Americans for Peace Now last week.
Calls for sanctions and BDS against Israel in the wake of its new government’s “bold” actions against Palestinians are causing that government to dig in. Netanyahu ally Danny Danon called on the United States to block any UN Security Council resolution against provocative Israeli actions at the holy sites in Jerusalem. While Netanyahu minister Amichai Chikli accused Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid of being the “spearhead of the BDS movement.”
The acquittal of five activists in Palestine Action’s first crown court case shows that the British public support direct action against Israel’s largest arms company.
2022 has been another monumental year in the growth of the Palestinian-led BDS movement. Here are some victories from the last year that you might have missed.
The Department of Education has announced an investigation into Berkeley Law School over a student group bylaw challenging Zionism.
At the organization’s annual national conference, J Street CEO Jeremy Ben-Ami announced a major pivot in the group’s advocacy: for restricting U.S. aid to Israel over its human rights abuses. “Maybe it’s time for some serious oversight and accountability for how our aid to Israel is actually being used,” Jeremy Ben-Ami said, likening Palestine to Ukraine under Russian invasion. Ben-Ami also warned that leading Jewish organizations that enforce loyalty to Israel are threatening the health of the Jewish community by undermining a traditional Jewish commitment to civil rights.
On October 1 Barbra Streisand (who has almost 800,000 Twitter followers) tweeted, “When does anti-Zionism…
During a televised debate Arizona treasurer Kimberly Yee touted her opposition to BDS and accused her opponent of antisemitism for tweeting “Free Palestine.”
In Arizona, a controversy has been ignited over legislators being invited to watch a movie about BDS legislation.
Today, Musicians for Palestine is announcing 700 new signers and releasing a second statement. Organizer Stefan Christoff joins the podcast to discuss this milestone.