An unprecedented joint statement has been issued by dozens of Jewish groups in several countries offering their support to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. They affirmed that their condemnation of the Israeli state does not amount to antisemitism.
The letter began:
“As social justice organizations from around the world, we write this letter with growing alarm regarding the targeting of organizations that support Palestinian rights in general and the nonviolent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, in particular. These attacks too often take the form of cynical and false accusations of antisemitism that dangerously conflate anti-Jewish racism with opposition to Israel’s policies and system of occupation and apartheid.”
Dozens of Jewish groups worldwide issued an unambigous joint statement on backing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and saying that criticism of Israel's actions does not equate to antisemitism.https://t.co/e23q2BWWiL
— BDS South Africa (@BDSsouthafrica) July 18, 2018
The letter went on to note that history has made Jewish people “all too aware of the dangers of increasingly fascistic and openly racist governments and political parties.”
“The rise in antisemitic discourse and attacks worldwide is part of that broader trend. At times like this, it is more important than ever to distinguish between the hostility to – or prejudice against – Jews on the one hand and legitimate critiques of Israeli policies and system of injustice on the other.”
SA Jews join Jewish groups worldwide endorsing BDS Movement https://t.co/Y0fTA3tBO2
— Joe Catron (@jncatron) July 18, 2018
The Jewish-based solidarity campaign was initiated by the Jewish Voice for Peace, or JVP, a U.S.-based organization, along with 36 Jewish groups in 15 different countries, including South Africa, Brazil, and Germany, according to The New Arab.
Jewish Voice for Peace published a letter Tuesday signed by almost 40 other organizations declaring their refusal to accept the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism with regard to Israel-related matters. https://t.co/vpDDIqXSZn
— SJ Husak At Large (@SJHusak) July 19, 2018
Activists and supporters of the BDS movement have taken inspiration from the boycott and sanctions campaign undertaken in the 1980s to help bring an end to South Africa.
(TeleSur, PC, Social Media)
