In late 2017, New Zealand singer Lorde (pictured) announced she was cancelling her upcoming 2018 concert in Israel. This was in response to an open letter by New Zealander women Justine Sachs (Jewish) and Nadia Abu-Shanab (Palestinian), urging the singer not to perform in Israel due to its ongoing oppression and occupation of Palestine.
In their words: 'Our part in movements for justice and equality shouldn't just be a memory that gathers dust. We can play an important role in challenging injustice today.'
Lorde's decision made waves. While many artists applauded the decision, which sees her join ranks of others who boycott Israel — such as Roger Waters, Elvis Costello, Pixies, Lauryn Hill, and Annie Lennox — Israel's ambassador to New Zealand asked to meet with the singer, saying that the boycott of Israel represented 'hostility and intolerance'. The ambassador concluded by inviting Lorde to discuss Israel's role 'as the only democracy in the Middle East'.
A month after Lorde's announcement, in 'the only democracy in the Middle East', several Israelis decided to sue Justine and Nadia for their role in Lorde's cancellation. To me this is an ironic turn of events — in a democracy, free speech, freedom of thought, and dissenting views ought to be protected. Suing individuals for exercising these rights seems ... somewhat undemocratic.
For those in Israel/Palestine activist or Jewish circles, BDS is a topic of contention. Standing for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, BDS is a Palestinian-led movement calling for economic, political, and other non-violent pressure on Israel, until Israel abides by international law and ends its illegal occupation of Palestine.
Launched in 2005, the movement gained significant traction in recent years due to some high-profile campaigns. One, targeting SodaStream, caused the company to close its factory in the West Bank and move it to the Negev Desert.
Opponents of BDS argue that the campaign didn't take into account the welfare of Palestinians: the closure of SodaStream in the West Bank meant many Palestinian workers were laid off, as work permits (Palestinians need permits to enter Israel) were approved only for a small percentage. Supporters of BDS consider the SodaStream campaign a success as it demonstrated the movement's influence.
"In another ironic twist, we end up with Jewish groups being targeted by a law meant to protect Israel from a supposedly anti-Semitic movement."
But BDS isn't just about putting economic pressure on Israel. A cultural boycott has seen hundreds of artists and performers cancel shows in Israel. Academic boycotts are gaining traction as well — in 2013, physicist Stephen Hawking withdrew from a conference held in Israel to show his support of BDS and the Palestinian cause.
Some, however, believe BDS is more sinister. In response to Hawking's decision, British writer Howard Jacobson implies that underlying BDS is anti-Semitism — and he is not alone. The Anti-Defamation League claims 'BDS advocates employ anti-Semitic rhetoric and narratives to isolate and demonise Israel'. Others tie BDS with other historic boycotts of Jewish businesses, such as 1933 Nazi Germany. Then, Jewish businesses were identified and marked with large stars of David on shop windows, alongside signs warning 'Don't Buy from Jews'.
The sentiment against BDS in Israel today harks back to this painful historical memory — of Jews being boycotted simply because they're Jews. For many, BDS is anti-Semitism in disguise. This argument is made more complex when we consider that Israel defines itself as a Jewish state, and so BDS is seen as targeting Jews rather than politics.
In response to the growing boycott movement, Israel brought in legislation banning entry of individuals and groups who support BDS. Some 20 organisations are blacklisted, including Jewish Voices for Peace. Their deputy-director, Rabbi Wise, was one of the first people banned entry to Israel under this new law. In another ironic twist, we end up with Jewish groups being targeted by a law meant to protect Israel from a supposedly anti-Semitic movement.
As Israel attempts to make BDS and support of BDS illegal, we must consider why should it be illegal to boycott in the first place? Boycotting is a common and effective method of protest. As with any form of protest, the personal bleeds into the political. We may boycott goods made in sweatshops, or organisations that exploit their staff or have an agenda we do not support. In fact, boycotts are popular in Israel, where people express views on anything from the cost of cottage cheese and chocolate pudding to businesses that open on the Sabbath by boycotting. There have even been calls to boycott Arabs — thus targeting individuals simply based on their ethnicity.
The fact that PM Netanyahu's right-wing government campaigns against BDS, claiming it is anti-Semitic, rather than addressing the core issues at hand (oppression and occupation of Palestine), only highlights that this is a government concerned with suppressing dissent and human rights. Non-violent forms of protest, such as boycotts, are legitimate in every civil, democratic society. By criminalising BDS, however, we must question how democratic Israel is, after all.
Na'ama Carlin holds a PhD in Sociology. A dual Israeli-Australian citizen, she writes about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ethics, identity, and violence. Follow her @derridalicious