What is BDS: A Guide to Understanding and Countering Calls for Divestment and Boycotts

What Is the BDS Movement?
 

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is a global campaign that calls for academic, cultural, and economic boycotts of Israel. On campuses, it often pushes universities to 1) divest from companies that do business with Israel or support the Israeli military and 2) boycott Israeli academia, including universities, students and scholars.

Why BDS Is a Problem
 

• It rejects Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
• It singles out Israel and applies double standards not used for other countries.
• It often ostracizes – and leads to hostile environments for – Jewish and Israeli students and employees.
• Campaigns frequently use antisemitic rhetoric, imagery, or conspiracy theories.
• It shuts down dialogue, creating division rather than understanding.
• It diverts energy from real solutions. Instead of fostering dialogue or supporting initiatives that directly improve the lives of Palestinians - like investing in joint peacebuilding programs, humanitarian aid, or supporting Palestinian civil society - BDS focuses on symbolic gestures that often backfire and deepen division.

On campus, BDS resolutions by student government or faculty associations are non-binding but can fuel anti-Zionism, bias, tension, and harassment - even if they don't change official university policy.

What BDS Really Targets
 

BDS is not just a protest against foreign policy – it targets Israel’s existence, Israeli citizens, and often Jews worldwide who are seen as supportive of Israel, regardless of their actual views.

How to Respond

• Speak up: Oppose BDS by calling out its one-sided and harmful nature. BDS doesn’t promote peace - it seeks to isolate and delegitimize Israel while often creating a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli members of educational communities. Speaking up helps expose how BDS campaigns shut down dialogue, spread misinformation, and target individuals based on identity, not policy. Use your voice to promote respectful debate, academic freedom, and inclusive activism that doesn’t rely on exclusion or discrimination.
• Correct misinformation: Learn the facts and share balanced resources. Misinformation about Israel, Zionism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is common and can fuel bias and antisemitism. Understanding history and context helps distinguish between valid criticism and harmful rhetoric. Sharing accurate, nuanced information encourages respectful, informed dialogue.
• Promote coexistence: Support initiatives that build understanding and dialogue, not division. Academic freedom and open discourse are essential to addressing complex global issues - including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Excluding Israeli voices or scholarship undermines these values and limits the possibility of genuine progress. Silencing or boycotting them only fuels polarization and cuts off opportunities for constructive engagement.
• Get support: Contact campus groups like Hillel, student government allies, or civil rights offices.
• Report discrimination
  • ADL: https://www.adl.org/report-incident

Countering BDS: Get Involved in Student Government
 

One of the most effective ways to counter BDS efforts on campus is by having a seat at the table. Student governments are often where BDS resolutions are introduced, debated, and voted on. Being part of these bodies allows you to shape the conversation, challenge misinformation, and advocate for policies that promote inclusion - not division.

Steps to Get Involved

1. Understand the Process: Learn how your campus’s student government is structured - e.g., is it a senate, assembly, or council? How are elections run? Who can sponsor resolutions?
2. Build Relationships: Connect with current representatives, student leaders, and coalition groups. Relationship-building is key to gaining support when BDS or other divisive measures arise.
3. Run for Office: Even if you don’t have political experience, your perspective matters. Jewish and pro-Israel voices are often underrepresented - your presence can change that. Start by running for a committee seat or lower-level position if you're new to the process.
4. Educate and Advocate: Use your platform to promote factual, balanced information about Israel and Jewish identity. Push for programming that encourages civil discourse and dialogue, not division.
5. Organize Thoughtfully: If a BDS resolution is introduced, mobilize respectfully and strategically. Work with allies to present facts, share personal stories, and highlight how such resolutions create a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students and employees.
6. Stay Consistent: Even when BDS isn’t on the table, your voice helps shape campus culture. Support initiatives that promote coexistence, equity, and academic freedom year-round.

Key Takeaway
 

BDS is not about justice or peace. It’s a political campaign rooted in rejecting Israel’s right to exist - and it often leads to antisemitism, exclusion, and intimidation on campus.