The BDS campaign refers to the call from 171 Palestinian non-governmental organizations, including parties, trade unions and movements representing the Palestinian people and the diaspora, for the International effort of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions of Israel until it complies with International Law and the Universal Principles of Human Rights.

The Call, issued on July 9th 2005 reads in part:

Inspired by the struggle of South Africans against apartheid and in the spirit of international solidarity, moral consistency and resistance to injustice and oppression,

We, representatives of Palestinian civil society, call upon international civil society organizations and people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era. We appeal to you to pressure your respective states to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel. We also invite conscientious Israelis to support this Call, for the sake of justice and genuine peace.

These non-violent punitive measures should be maintained until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law by:

1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall;

2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and

3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.

(For full text see: http://www.stopthewall.org/downloads/pdf/BDSEnglish.pdf)

As noted in the above BDS call, this campaign was inspired by the struggle of black South Africans against apartheid and in the spirit of international solidarity. In the late 1970s and 1980s the International activist community stepped forward to stand in solidarity with black South Africans in an effort to dismantle the Apartheid state. These Anti-Apartheid struggles against the colonialist and racist regime consisted of a grassroots organizing of university and government divestment efforts, consumer boycotts, arms embargoes and eventual economic sanctions of the apartheid regime. Union members pressured their stockholders, faith-based groups informed their parishioners, and students confronted their university administrators which ultimately resulted in a populist force that culminated in radical change.

On July 13, 2005 the UN International Civil Society Conference adopted the Palestinian call for BDS.

How are the Calls for BDS against Israeli Occupation and Apartheid Linked?

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions are three different strategies that share the same motivation and goals: providing pressure in order to isolate Israel and highlight the occupation and Apartheid. The BDS call begins by highlighting the fact that resolutions demanding Israel respect the most fundamental rights of Palestinian people have already been expressed on many occasions by different International bodies. Nonetheless, the International community has never been willing to take up the enforcement of any of their decisions. We are thus calling upon the people of the world to demand that their governments and institutions finally implement their own statements and resolutions through grassroots Boycott, Divestment and Sanction campaigns.