Tough Love: A Diasporic Critique of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement

Abstract

The authors use a diasporic critique of Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movements to argue that some of these movements undermine chances for two-state solutions. The authors, provide a nuanced way of evaluating both the theoretical and pragmatic dimensions of BDS. The argument is advanced that those in the diaspora have a nomadic positionality that allows them to uniquely critique venues such as (BDS), The Electronic Intifada, and Mondoweiss as they analyze the rhetoric of Palestinian nationalist movements. Diasporic critiques are able to trace the fissures, the ossifications, and the ruptures that take place in the Middle East as various acts of territoriality, deterritoriality, and reterritorialization take place simultaneously.

Rally ’round the flag revised: External soft threats and media coverage

“…In line with earlier literature (Israeli and Hatuel-Radoshitzky, 2017), our findings show that the academic, economic, and cultural fields of BDS action are central to BDS-related coverage in Israel. We also found substantial reference to anti-Semitism in BDS-related coverage, which can be explained by the literature above noting that those who oppose BDS perceive it as a form of anti-Semitism (Ghabra and Hasian Jr, 2018; Hallward and Shaver, 2012). All four themes (academic, 31 economic, 32 cultural, 33 and anti-Semitism 34 ) featured prominently in BDS-related articles throughout the research period and no significant differences were found between the first and second time frames (that is, April 2015−April 2016; and May 2016−March 2018).…”

“…Those who support BDS are motivated by values such as freedom, justice, and equality, and note that BDS is a response to accumulated failures of traditional international intervention and peace-making as a means of convincing Israel to respect human rights and end its occupation of Palestinian Territories (Ananth, 2013; Chomsky, 2014; Hallward and Shaver, 2012; Nussbaum and Abed, 2008). Those who oppose BDS highlight that the campaign defends Palestinian rights but annuls Israeli rights and is equivalent to a form of anti-Semitism provoked to delegitimize the state of Israel (Cohen and Avraham, 2009; Ghabra and Hasian Jr, 2018; Hallward and Shaver, 2012; Nussbaum and Abed, 2008).…”