Ten years of BDS in solidarity with Palestine

Lisa Gleeson reflects on Ten years of BDS in solidarity with Palestine.

The standard Israeli response — that even the mildest statement of support for the Palestinian people is by definition anti-Semitic — gets trotted out at every opportunity. However, accusations of extremism from Israel and its supporters begin to sound incredibly hollow when examined against what its own officials say about Palestinians.

Recently appointed Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is on record as calling for a genocide against the Palestinian people. Like many Israeli politicians she argues that all land in the West Bank and Gaza as well as pre-1967 Israel belongs to Israel and should never be ceded.

To the Western “referees” of the Oslo peace process this does not disqualify her as a negotiating partner in the process that allegedly has a “two state solution” as its goal. Instead, the Western arbiters, comically portraying themselves as “honest brokers”, demand that the Palestinian side prove to the Israelis that they are worthy partners in the peace process.

In this atmosphere there are few strategies left for Palestinians and their supporters, which makes BDS all the more important. A vigorous and dynamic BDS movement is needed now more than ever. The development of a global mass movement that puts irresistible pressure on Israel and its allies is a vital bulwark against ongoing attempts at destroying the entire Palestinian people.

Emphasis Mine

Now wonder Israeli settlers feel justified in burning alive children with such political support from their leaders.

The importance of the BDS campaign is to see the humanity of the outcasts in society, such as the Palestinians. That is the subjective aim of the campaign. The objective aim is to relieve the suffering of the Palestinian people.

When we see the humanity of the outcasts, we can empathise with them and see others, like Aborigines and refugees, as human beings. Then, we can see their suffering as unjustified.