“BDS is a non-violent human-rights movement that seeks to end Israel’s regime of occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid,” said Omar Barghouti, a Palestinian human-rights advocate and co-founder of the BDS movement, stressing the limits of the movement.
“If the goals of BDS, namely freedom, justice and equality for the Palestinians, would ‘destroy’ Israel, what does that say about Israel? Did they destroy South Africa or Alabama? The only things they really end in all these situations of oppression are injustice and inequality.”
Is it unfair to single out Israel?
This was another popular refrain in Parliament – that the BDS movement’s singling out Israel from among all nations is proof of its anti-Semitic nature.
Yes, the BDS campaign singles out Israel, quite naturally. It was started by a group of Palestinians, including Mr. Barghouti, to elicit help in dealing with Palestinians’ biggest problems. It was not intended to solve all the problems of the world. Just as the worldwide campaign against apartheid in South Africa did not address the ills of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia, or the dictatorship in Somalia, this BDS movement is uniquely tailored to safeguarding Palestinian rights.
The fact that this anti-BDS parliamentary motion passed is ridiculous, says Diana Buttu, a Canadian-born Arab Israeli and former adviser to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
“Canada follows international law and correctly labels Israel’s colonization of the West Bank as illegal,” she notes. “BDS aims to hold Israel accountable for its illegal acts,” she points out, “yet the government passes a resolution condemning those who aim to uphold international law and Canadian foreign policy?”
Parliament votes to reject Israel boycott campaign
