In 2005, Palestinian civil society organizations called for boycotts, divestments and sanctions (BDS) as a form of non-violent pressure on Israel.
The BDS movement was launched by 170 Palestinian unions, refugee networks, women’s organizations, professional associations, referendum committees and other civil society organizations.
Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the Palestinian BDS call calls for non-violent pressure on Israel to comply with international law by meeting three demands:
1. Ending the occupation and colonization of all Arab territories and dismantling the wall
International law recognizes the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza and the Syrian Golan Heights as Israel-occupied territory. As part of this military occupation, Israel steals land and forces Palestinians to live in ghettos, surrounded by checkpoints, settlements, watchtowers and an illegal apartheid wall.
Already before October 7, 2023, Israel had placed Gaza under medieval siege and turned it into the largest open-air prison in the world. In addition, Israel regularly carried out large-scale attacks on Gaza that have been condemned worldwide as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
2. Recognition of the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality
A fifth of Israeli civilians are Palestinians who have remained within the 1948 ceasefire lines. They live under a system of racial discrimination enshrined in more than 50 laws that affect every aspect of their lives.
The Israeli government continues to forcibly expel Palestinian communities in Israel from their country. Israeli leaders regularly and openly incite racial violence against them.
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and property as stipulated in UN Resolution 194
Since the violent founding of Israel in 1948, in which more than half of the indigenous Palestinian people were ethnically purified, Israel has strived to control as much land as possible and expel as many Palestinians as possible.
As a result of this systematic forced displacement, there are now more than 7.25 million Palestinian refugees. Their right to return to their homes is denied, simply because they are not Jews.