Public Outrage as UK Plans to Label BDS ‘Anti-Semitic’

The BDS movement aims to exert political and economic pressure over Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories (Photo: File)

Public backlash against the latest proposal by Britain’s Tory government to label the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement as “poisonous” and “fueling anti-Semitism” has been highlighted in letters sent to key news agencies.

The move, which could see support of the boycott movement labelled a criminal offence, has been blasted in letters from notable organisations which were published in the UK’s the Independent newspaper.

Among those who have objected to the plans were British Jews from various organisations who defended the BDS movement as “a weapon of moral persuasion, deploying a tactic frequently used by powerless people in their opposition to racism, slavery and oppression.”

Signed by Jacqueline Rose of the Independent Jewish Voices, Michael Kalmanovitz of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network and Julia Bard of the Jewish Socialists’ Group, the letter further states how the only form of anti-Semitism the government is leaning toward is the belief “that all Jews outside Israel uncritically support Israel’s actions.”

Other letters outlined the historical weight behind movements like BDS and how “in every case the Tories of the day opposed the boycott, siding with the oppressor against the oppressed” which in turn has forced “individuals, elected authorities and NGOs to make good that failure in their own purchasing and investment decisions.”

The government has been heavily criticized for this “undemocratic” move with one reader imploring the public to recognize the dangers behind this “hard-right government with an extremist agenda.”

(MEMO)

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2 Comments

  1. Israel focuses their existence only starting from 1948 on. Unfortunately, the pre-New-Israel history has largely been conveniently ignored by Jews. In order to resettle a land, only their g-d seemed to Bless them with, Zionists promised the British ““that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities” (the Balfour Declaration, Nov. 1917 and reiterated in the Mandate for Palestine and League of Nations agreement, 1922 and United Nations Resolution 181, 1947). Jews lied. They also promised “We will never seek statehood” (in order for Balfour to pass), They lied on that too. Israel wonders why the world doesn’t trust them?

  2. The BDS movement will grow and grow. What Fascist Israel fears is the public will become informed and educated on the reality of life in Palestine and the stranglehold Israel has on Parliament. When that happens as it will with the ever increasing support of Jews then it will be a new day for Palestine and the UK.

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