Israel fights BDS movement as pro-Palestinian campaign gains global support
Source: NBC News
Israel fights BDS movement as pro-Palestinian campaign gains global support
The campaign is also reverberating in the U.S., where the Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would allow states to punish businesses that take part in Israel boycotts.
Feb. 10, 2019, 3:52 AM EST
By F. Brinley Bruton, Lawahez Jabari and Paul Goldman
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Founded in 2005, BDS calls for recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality." It also advocates for the return of millions of Palestinians to the homes their ancestors left or were forced from when Israel was established in 1948.
Israeli officials allege the BDS movement is anti-Semitic and seeks to destroy the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has spent at least $15 million on combating BDS since 2015.
The campaign is reverberating in the United States, where the Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would allow states to punish businesses that take part in Israel boycotts.
But despite vigorous efforts to quash BDS, the pressure is mounting.
Measures calling for boycotts of Israel modeled on the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, including divesting from companies that sell to Israels army, are roiling college campuses.
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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-fights-bds-movement-pro-palestinian-campaign-gains-global-support-n965691