BDS impacts in times of genocide

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Today marks 19 years since the historic call from the largest Palestinian coalition to boycott, divest from, and impose sanctions on Israel’s regime of military occupation, settler-colonialism, apartheid, and now genocide. Over the last 19 years, the BDS movement has built a massive network worldwide, supported by trade unions, farmers’ coalitions, and racial, social, gender, and climate justice movements, representing tens of millions of people. It has had a significant impact on isolating apartheid Israel, including by making large multinationals, like G4S, Veolia, Orange, HP, PUMA, and others, totally or partially end their complicity in its crimes against Indigenous Palestinians. 

On this anniversary, we acknowledge the immense loss, suffering, and anger that continue to grow as a result of Israel's genocidal crimes against Palestinians over the past 9 months. Since the beginning of Israel’s genocide on 2.3 million Palestinians in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip, tens of thousands of Palestinians, over 17,000 of whom are children, have been murdered, with unknown thousands trapped beneath the rubble, and many held captive in Israeli torture camps. According to the UN, 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza have been internally displaced since October 2023. All Palestinians in Gaza, according to UN experts, are facing induced famine.

As painful and devastating as all this is, the failure of Israel’s live-streamed genocide to force Palestinians to surrender is a sign that the foundations of its 76-year-old regime of settler-colonial oppression are shaking, and we are closer to liberation. With miraculous steadfastness and resistance, the Palestinian people insist on justice, liberation, and our inalienable rights. 

The impact of the BDS movement in fighting state, corporate, and institutional complicity with apartheid Israel has grown immensely in these times of genocide, beginning to influence policy in some states. The movement has grown its partnerships with racial, social, economic, gender, and climate justice movements worldwide, intensifying pressure on policymakers to end complicity. This impact has grown enormously following the ICJ’s ruling about Israel’s plausible genocide in January 2024, which triggered in an unambiguous way the legal obligations of all states to end complicity. This has impacted not only Israel’s political standing but has also accelerated its economic decline. 

While other influencing factors contributed to most of the developments below, BDS has played an unmistakable, though sometimes indirect, role in realizing them.

INDICATORS OF IMPACT (a representative sampling of many similar developments):

 

(1) UN and Inter-State Bodies:

  • In an unprecedented statement, United Nations experts have listed arms manufacturers and financial institutions complicit in Israel's genocide in Gaza. They’ve warned states and companies to immediately stop all direct and indirect involvement in arms transfers to Israel or incur "repercussions for complicity in potential atrocity crimes."
  • In April, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) called upon all States to “cease the sale, transfer, and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel.”
  • In its May 2024 summit, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), representing 57 states, called on all states to impose sanctions on Israel, including a military embargo, and on OIC Member States to impose “sanctions at all international economic, sports and cultural levels, expelling Israel from international organizations and forums, refraining from supporting its candidacy to international positions, and freezing the assets of persons and entities proven to have been involved in the crimes committed against the Palestinian people.” In November 2023, a joint summit of the OIC and the Arab League called for a military embargo on Israel and for Member States of the OIC and Arab League to take diplomatic, political, and legal action to put an end to Israel’s crimes under international law.
  • The African Union has effectively suspended Israel’s observer status.

(2) States & Local Governments:

  • In June, Kadıköy Municipality (part of Istanbul province) followed the Turkish cities of Adana and Antalya in canceling sister city protocols with Israeli counterparts. This followed intense campaigning by BDS Turkey. Similarly, the city council of Sydney (Australia) has passed a motion to divest from companies, including arms suppliers, complicit in Israel's violation of Palestinian human rights.
  • The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota (US) endorsed the BDS Call "in solidarity with the indigenous people of Palestine."
  • Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel.
  • 35 Basque city councils have adopted motions calling for sanctions, including a two-way military embargo against Israel and the suspension of diplomatic and institutional relations. The councils recognised the structural origin of Israel's genocide in Gaza as “colonial occupation and apartheid.”
  • Spain denied port of call on May 17th to the Marianne Danica, a Danish ship illegally carrying weapons to Israel. 
  • Bolivia has suspended diplomatic relations with Israel, while Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Chad, Honduras, Turkey, and Jordan, among others, have downgraded relations with it. 
  • On February 29th, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the full suspension of arms purchases from Israel. On June 8, Colombia also announced the prohibition of coal exports to Israel. 
  • In Italy, both Bologna City Council and Emilia Romagna Regional Council have voted to adopt Ethical Procurement Policies. 
  • Belgium’s regional government of Wallonia has issued a ban on the transit of all arms from its territory towards Israel. Deputy PMs of Belgium and Spain have called for “suspending the EU Association Treaty with Israel, imposing a general arms embargo, or even imposing sanctions under the EU's global human rights sanctions regime.”
  • Chile has banned Israeli companies from its arms fair, and Israeli companies were also absent at Colombia’s arms fair.
  • Following widespread pressure, on May 9th, the Brazilian government announced it had suspended a deal with Elbit Systems worth almost USD 200 million. Movements continue to press for the agreement to be canceled altogether.
  • On February 29th, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, the main ruling party in Spain, voted in parliament, along with other parties, in favor of an immediate suspension of Spain’s arms trade with Israel. On March 13th, the Foreign Affairs committee of the Spanish parliament voted in favor of stopping arms trade with Israel. 
  • Norway’s sovereign fund, the world’s largest, recently announced that by November 2023, it had entirely divested its almost half a billion dollars worth of Israel Bonds. Israel Bonds have been a major target for the BDS movement since October 2023. The largest trade union federation, LO, has a million members, and it has played a significant role in this.
  • Several Danish pension funds have excluded and divested from Israeli companies, including banks, involved in Israel's illegal settlements. 
  • The Norwegian government has advised Norwegian companies “not to engage in business cooperation or trade that serve to perpetuate the illegal Israeli settlements.”
  • On January 3, 2024, the Human Rights Commission of the Chilean Senate approved a bill to ban trade with Israeli settlements.
  • The Malaysian government has banned all ships owned by Israel, particularly those of the Israeli shipping company ZIM, in response to Israel's violations of international law, a decision bolstered by the persistent efforts of BDS Malaysia.
  • The Canadian Parliament voted to end arms exports to Israel on March 18, 2024, while over 130 British MPs have called for banning all arms sales to Israel. 
  • The city of Barcelona (Catalonia) has taken a historic step by severing all ties with Israel due to its apartheid system and war crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza, setting a precedent in Europe. This followed a campaign led by BDS partners.
  • The government of Jordan has announced the rejection of an "electricity for water" deal with Israel, following significant public pressure spearheaded by BDS Jordan.
  • The New Zealand Regional Council of Environment Canterbury (ECan) has voted not to work with companies that do business with illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.
  • Despite the domination of Israeli genocide-justifying propaganda in the mainstream US media, the majority of US voters now support halting or conditioning military funding and arms shipments to Israel.
  • On 10 January, Derry City and Strabane District Council (North of Ireland) announced plans to adopt an Ethical Procurement Policy.
  • On 25 January, Ireland’s largest party, Sinn Fein, announced it is working in city councils across Ireland to implement ethical procurement policies.
  • on January 25, 2024, the City of Hayward, CA (US) voted to divest from four companies complicit in Israeli violations of human rights and international law.
  • More than 120 city councils in the US passed resolutions demanding a ceasefire. 
  • On 29 November 2023, the city council of Ghent (Belgium) announced it would not purchase from companies profiting from Israel’s system of occupation and oppression of Palestinians in the OPT. 

 

(3) Corporations & Financial institutions:

  • In June 2024, we achieved our most significant BDS victory! According to Israeli financial media sources, Tech giant Intel halted its construction of a new $25 billion factory in Israeli media sources, prompting speculation that the factory is “in danger of being canceled.” Intel remains deeply complicit in feeding Israel’s genocidal war chest, so the #BoycottIntel campaign will continue.
  • In February, Norway’s $1.6 trillion oil fund divested entirely from Israel Bonds, pulling what remained of its investments at the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Leading Norwegian trade union BDS partners had campaigned for years on this.
  • #ShutDownNation: Israel’s economy continues to tank. Since October 7th, more than 80% of Israeli start-ups have suffered damages, with over 50% of start-ups left with less than 6 months of cash. The number of “angel investors” dropped by 75% in 2023, and growth capital investing in Israeli companies was down 32% year-over-year in Q1 2024.
  • KLP, Norway’s largest pension company, has divested $69 million from Caterpillar due to its contributions to violations of Palestinian human rights in Gaza and the West Bank.
  • A June 2024 survey of 15,000 consumers across 15 countries has found that 1 in 3 people are boycotting brands over Israel’s #GazaGenocide against 2.3 million Palestinians. 
  • In April 2024, Samsung Next, the innovation arm of the Korean technology giant Samsung, announced it would shut down its Tel Aviv operations, yet another strong indicator of the dramatically declining confidence in the Israeli economy.
  • In March 2024, following pressure from BDS Japan and its allies that evoked the ICJ ruling that Israel is plausibly committing genocide, two major Japanese firms, Itochu Corporation and Nippon Aircraft Supply, ended relations with Israel's most prominent private arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems.
  • Elbit Systems, Israel’s most prominent private weapons manufacturer and a key enabler of its genocide, has expressed concerns about the impact of BDS campaigns against it despite the increase in its sales of “field-tested” weapons. Elbit’s fear of BDS can be explained by the emerging trend of divestments by large banks and investment funds. For instance, on February 12, 2024, the State of Wisconsin Investment Board disclosed that it sold all 8,083 Elbit shares that it had owned in November 2023. Two days later, Bank of America Corp disclosed that it had shed more than 50% of its Elbit shares since November 2023. Even Scotiabank, the single largest foreign investor in Elbit, decreased its holdings of Elbit shares between Q3 and Q4 2023 by approximately 16%. Campaigns to push for total divestment continue. 
  • In March 2024, US fast food giant McDonald’s was forced to drop its frivolous defamation lawsuit against BDS Malaysia. As its management admitted, the company has suffered a significant loss of revenue and share value due to a growing global BDS campaign. The boycott in the Arab world has played a large part in this pressure.
  • The German sportswear company Puma announced in December 2023 that it will not renew its contract with the Israeli Football Association, which expires by the end of 2024, bowing to BDS pressure that has cost the company dearly in terms of reputational damage.
  • Carrefour, the French supermarket chain targeted by BDS for its complicity in Israeli crimes, has shut down four branches in Jordan following an intense campaign led by BDS Jordan. The Jordanian Al-Ameed Coffee Company had earlier decided to shut down all its branches in Carrefour supermarkets in Jordan due to Carrefour’s complicity in Israel’s crimes.
  • Cafe chain Pret a Manger abandoned plans to open 40 Israeli branches following news that the Palestine Solidarity Campaign was preparing to launch a large boycott campaign against the company.
  • Over 20 pharmacies across South Africa have become Apartheid Free Zones, substituting Israel’s TEVA generics with other equivalent products.  
  • In May 2024, the Dominican Republic canceled the consulting contract to prepare a water management master plan between the National Institute of Potable Waters and Sewers (INAPA) and Mekorot, Israel’s national water carrier. 

 

(4) Institutions (trade unions, faith, academic, cultural, sports):

Academic: 

  • Leading up to and following the massive worldwide wave of student encampments, an unprecedented 30 universities from across the world have committed to ending institutional ties with complicit Israeli institutions or to divesting from companies complicit in Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights. 

    Among those ending ties are the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNMA), one of the world’s most prominent universities, six universities across South Africa, including the University of Fort Hare, where Nelson Mandela studied, Ghent University in Belgium, the Royal Academy of Art in the Netherlands, six Norwegian universities, and seven universities in the Spanish state. Columbia University-affiliated Union Theological Seminary endorsed divesting from complicit companies. Another 20 universities have pledged to initiate steps to end their complicity in Israel’s grave crimes against Palestinians, including its ongoing genocide in Gaza. 

    In addition, nearly 20 faculty associations, 11 in Canada alone, as well as university faculties and departments, including the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty of the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco in Argentina, the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities of the University of Chile, and the Faculty of Philosophy, Literature and Humanities of the University of São Paulo in Brazil, have voted to support the boycott of complicit Israeli universities and/or to divest from complicit companies. 

Faith: 

  • In May 2024, the United Methodist Church at its 2024 General Conference voted overwhelmingly to divest from Israel Bonds. Weeks later, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with 1.1 million members and more than 8,000 congregations across the US, voted unanimously to divest from Israel Bonds.
  • The most significant and oldest African-American church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, with some 3 million members, has accused Israel of genocide, calling on the US to “immediately withdraw all funding and other support from Israel” to end its complicity.
  • Thousands of delegates of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) voted overwhelmingly—74% to 26%—for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, for the US to stop arming Israel, and for Unitarian Universalist congregations to become Apartheid Free Communities. 

Cultural: 

  • In an unprecedented mobilization and outpouring of cultural solidarity, tens of thousands of artists have called for ceasefire, justice, and accountability in tens of letters and initiatives, including in music, visual arts, film, literature, and much more.
  • Following a boycott by well over 100 artists of the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas (US) over its partnership with the US military and weapons manufacturers arming Israel’s genocide, the primary industry showcase festival has dropped its partnerships with the US military and arms companies.
  • In June, following boycotts by hundreds of musicians and enormous public pressure, multinational entertainment company Live Nation dropped Barclays Bank as a sponsor of all its 2024 festivals, including Latitude, Isle of Wight, and Bestival. Barclays continues to bankroll Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians through its financial ties with arms companies that sell weapons to Israel. #BoycottBarclays.
  • More than 175 mainly US-based arts organizations, including publishers, galleries, venues, magazines, bookstores, collectives, festivals, and agencies, have endorsed the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel's (PACBI) historic 2004 call. 
  • Eurovision: Thousands of international artists, hundreds of LGBTQIA+ organizations and artists, dozens of Eurovision screening parties, and European politicians call for apartheid Israel’s exclusion from Eurovision, the world’s most significant cultural event. 
  • Cinema Girona canceled the Seret Israeli film and TV festival, sponsored by the Israeli embassy and Ministry of Culture, after private engagement from Catalonian groups.

Trade Unions: 

  • IndustriALL Global Union, a global union federation that represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy, and manufacturing sectors, condemned Israel’s genocide, calling on all affiliates to support  BDS. It is the largest trade union body to support BDS in the Palestinian-led movement's history!
  • Major Indian trade unions representing tens of millions of workers have demanded that the Indian government cancel an agreement to “export” Indian workers to Israel to replace Palestinian workers, urging workers to boycott Israeli products and not to handle Israeli cargo.
  • Dockworkers unions in Belgium, India, Catalonia, Italy, Greece, Turkey, California, and South Africa have taken action against Israeli ships or arms shipments to Israel.
  • IAATW, an international worker-led alliance of app-based transport workers unions with 100,000 members from over 27 countries and 6 continents, has decided to boycott Chevron-branded gas stations. 
  • Heads of all Palestinian universities have called for isolating Israeli universities worldwide. 

Sports: 

  • Olympics: A petition calling for banning Israel from international sports has gathered more than 1,000,000 signatures. Twenty-six French MPs have called on the IOC to sanction Israel. The Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences of the University of Valencia also calls for Israel's exclusion from the Olympics.
  • FIFA: The Asian Football Confederation called for suspending Israel’s membership from FIFA.
  • An anti-genocide protestor chained themself to a goalpost, delaying the Women’s Euro qualifier between Scotland and Israel, as massive protests took place outside the stadium.
  • The executive committee of European Gymnastics has decided that Tel Aviv will no longer host the 2025 European Championships in Artistic Gymnastics. 
  • The European Water Polo Championships of 2024 has moved out of Israel. 
  • CONMEBOL: Following popular pressure against Israel's possible participation, Israel did not participate in the Copa América 2024, held in the US. In Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Mexico, and Venezuela), several social justice organizations are campaigning to annul the agreement between the South American Football Association (CONMEBOL) and the Israeli Football Association.

Anti-pinkwashing: 

  • 4,000 queer artists have pledged not to perform or exhibit their works in Israel. The oldest LGBTQ+ org in the US has called for an end to Israel's #GazaGenocide. Ten queer filmmakers have withdrawn from the Israeli government-sponsored LGBTQ+ film festival. National Student Pride in the UK has dropped sponsors complicit in Israeli apartheid and genocide.
  • Vancouver Queer Film Festival Out on Screen commits to not collaborate with complicit Israeli cultural institutions or present cultural products commissioned by official Israeli bodies.
  • Palestine blocs in Pride marches across the world call to refuse Israeli pinkwashing under the banner “No Pride in Genocide.”