A Slap in the Face for Anti-Israel BDS Movement

by Khaled Abu Toameh
December 17, 2013 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4095/abbas-bds

Abbas's stance against the BDS campaign should serve as a wake up call to all its supporters, especially those who are not Palestinians, that negative campaigns only serve to promote hatred and extremism in the region.
Many Palestinians seem to share Abbas's view. That is why many Palestinians continue to do business with Israelis on a daily basis and continue to hold joint conferences in Israel and different parts of the world.

The international campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions [BDS] against Israel received a slap in the face last week from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

As BDS supporters continue to campaign against Israel around the world, Abbas, asked about his position regarding the BDS campaign at a press conference in Johannesburg, where he was attending Nelson Mandela's funeral, stated that he does not support the boycott of Israel.

It is ironic that while Abbas is saying no to a boycott of Israel, the American Studies Association, an association of U.S. professors with almost 5,000 members, voted to endorse an academic boycott of Israeli colleagues and universities.

The U.S. professors obviously do not care about what the Palestinian Authority president has to say about the boycott of Israel. The professors, like BDS supporters, apparently believe that Abbas is a "traitor" because he is conducting peace talks with Israel.

Abbas's attack on the BDS movement is a serious embarrassment for the anti-Israel activists, many of whom are not Palestinians.

The statements have enraged BDS activists worldwide, with some calling into question Abbas's right to speak on behalf of the Palestinians.

Prominent Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab noted that Abbas's statement in Johannesburg "naturally has angered many Palestinian and international supporters of the BDS movement."

Kuttab wrote that Abbas's statement "reflects the absence of any clear strategy from the Palestinian political leadership except for negotiations. It is unclear whether the reason behind the Palestinian leader's public attack at the BDS movement is a result of trying to protect the Palestinian elite or not wanting to anger the Israelis and their US allies."

Abbas did, however, call on people around the world to boycott products of settlements. "No, we do not support the boycott of Israel," Abbas said. "But we ask everyone to boycott the products of settlements because the settlements are in our territories. It is illegal."

Abbas's statements conflict "with the Palestinian national consensus that has strongly supported BDS against Israel since 2005," Omar Barghouti, one of the founders of BDS, told Electronic Intifada.

"There is no Palestinian political party, trade union, NGO [non-governmental organization] network or mass organization that does not strongly support BDS," Omar Barghouti continued. "Any Palestinian official who lacks a democratic mandate and any real public support, therefore, cannot claim to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people."

Salim Vally, spokesman for the Palestine Solidarity Committee in South Africa, told The Electronic Intifada that Abbas's comments were "shocking" and represented an "attack on the global solidarity movement."

The claim that Abbas does not represent the Palestinian "consensus" regarding a boycott of Israel is inaccurate. In fact, many Palestinians seem to share Abbas's view, which supports a boycott only of settlement products.

That is why many Palestinians continue to do business with Israelis on a daily business. That is also why, despite the BDS campaign, Palestinians and Israelis continue to hold joint seminars and conferences in Israel and different parts of the world.

In wake of Abbas's statements, the BDS movement should reconsider its strategy. Calls for boycotting any party do not contribute to the cause of peace. Abbas's stance against the BDS should also serve as a wake-up call to its supporters, especially those who are not Palestinians, that negative campaigns only serve to promote hatred and extremism in the region.

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Comment on this item

11 Reader Comments

Gordon Ross • Dec 20, 2013 at 14:46

".......anti-Israel activists, many of whom are not Palestinians". Just so! They are motivated solely by anti-Semitism, and they would support little green Martians or Venusian purple people-eaters if they were to be substituted for the so-called Palestinians.

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Ike Semaya • Dec 19, 2013 at 08:38

Abbass supports Israel. He is against the boycott of Israel. He states he is in favor of the boycott of the Israeli businesses in the West Bank. That statement is a slap in the face for his people. The Israeli businesses in the West Bank provide the jobs and economy the West Bank needs to survive. Mr. Abbass should be looking to promote more Israelis to open companies in the West Bank and to bring in Palestinian partners to grow their economy.

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Ivan Gur-Arie • Dec 17, 2013 at 20:54

The boycotters have shown themselves to be political activists betraying the very foundation of an apolitical foundation for the discovery of truth. I don't recall these "outraged" organizations taking stands against such behavior as the abuse of women in some cultures, the killings in Syria, the attacks by Hamas against innocent Israeli civilians, the genocide in what was Yugoslavia, the maltreatment of Kurds by nations in which they live, or by the many and varied indecencies perpetrated by man against his neighbors. Historically can anyone tell me if these organizations held their present position against Israel when Russia perpetrated attacks on Chechnya or Georgia, or if they were in existence at the time of the Nazis? Did they take these positions against Nazis? It seems that academia is infested with the left wing attitudes of the old line Marxists and see anti-semitism as a passing fancy. Professors, stop your hypocrisy and come out of your ivory towers and get down to real life!

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frumious falafel • Dec 17, 2013 at 20:34

Bravo K.A.T. Well said. Out of curiosity, why do you think Abbas did not choose the "more extreme road?" What might he have lost had he publicly endorsed BDS? I mean, it's my understanding that there is a certain "radicalization" going on within the Palestinians. Would not Abbas have catered to them had he endorsed BDS? By "radicalization" I'm referring to the loud movement with the Palestinians which denounces any and all meeting with "the enemy." Thank you kindly in advance for your answer.

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Jossef • Dec 17, 2013 at 14:31

I am not as excited as Mr. Abu Toameh about Abbas' "slap in the face" to the BDS movement. I see it as a cynical, tactical move by Abbas to appear conciliatory and reasonable on an obvious issue of boycotting Israel within the green line, while still supporting the boycott outside the green line. This cost Abbas nothing and continues the myth that he is a moderate, when in fact in his entire time in office he has not made a single concession on the extreme demands relative to Jerusalem, the return of 3 million Palestinians, or his hateful and inciteful media.

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Andreas Ost • Dec 17, 2013 at 13:27

Do these groups boycott China over Tibet, India over the Sikhs or Muslim countries about the Kurds? If not, then it is just your typical anti-Semitism looking for an excuse. Makes them look foolish and hypocritical, as well as evil.

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Hannes Minkema

Andreas Ost • Dec 19, 2013 at 23:59

From your comment it follows that when I want to criticize China for its politics towards Tibet, I should criticize Israel too for its politics towards the Palestinians. Because if I don't, you will accuse me of 'antichinaism'. Sorry, this is just ridiculous, and it shows the invalidity of your argument.

People are free to criticize whatever politics they want. It is not their duty to first address all the world's other political problems before you will allow them to criticize Israel for its politics towards Palestinians. Some people might even suspect that you want to divert the public's attention. Those people might include me.

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Andreas Ost

Hannes Minkema • Dec 21, 2013 at 16:10

So so many of us forget that anti-semites always have a new or old false claim to hate Jews. I do apologize for thinking otherwise. And of course, it is irrelevant that there is no such nationality as "palestinian", nor has there ever been. Another invention by anti-semites. So whatever forwards the Jew-baiter cause. Ever hear of (trans) Jordan?

Those of us who are outside the conflicts, and have a real understanding of the history, have to keep a tolerant view and admit that Jew-haters will always find a new excuse. God will handle them.

It is a shame what those Jews do to the Native Americans, Kurds, Basques, and Scots, now isn't it?

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Lynne T. • Dec 17, 2013 at 10:55

Really, in a country the size of the US, the ASA's total membership of 5,000 is pretty piddly and only 1,200 members voted. Hardly deserving of the PR value the BDSers are giving this endorsement, which may go very sour on the ASA, which is going to face legal challenges brought forward by at least one critic that its non-tax status with the IRS be rescinded for acting outside its objects.

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DockyWocky • Dec 17, 2013 at 08:57

Funny how in spite of all the pent-up hatred the Palestinian world maintains about Israel, they still continue to do business. This is the most hypocritical part of the whole Palestinian deal. Money still beats ideology every time.

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judy • Dec 17, 2013 at 08:39

During the big snow storm over the weekend, Hamas asked Israel (its arch enemy) to send in more materials, most importantly fuel. Since the Egyptians have sealed off all the tunnels into Sinai, the Gazans have been without much supplies. I think that this is also a message to the BDS. Israel is always there to help where other countries and organizations just give self-aggrandizing verbal "support" without really checking out the reality on the ground. It seems that BDS is more interested in its survival than the needs and lives of the Palestinians.

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