BDS Movement Seen as Free Expression by Global Legal Experts

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The Palestinian BDS movement, which stands for boycott, divestment, and sanctions, has been declared a lawful exercise of the freedom of expression by nearly 200 legal experts from 15 countries.

The movement urges the boycott of Israeli products, divestment from the nation, and sanctions upon it in light of the continued oppression of Palestinians and occupation of their land. The movement has seen a lot of opposition.

The United States, for example, officially requires non-cooperation with groups that boycott Israel, but these efforts have not been able to silence to the movement, much to the chagrin of Israeli leaders. Others, especially in France, have tried to equate the BDS movement with anti-Semitism, but that has met with resistance from activists. There have also been several legal victories for the movement in Europe, primarily in upholding the legal rights of Europeans to support BDS and hold events to do so.

The legal authorities who issued the statement have compared the BDS movement to similar protests which challenged the racist policies of South Africa, which helped to bring international pressure on that country to end Apartheid. 

“No government ever attempted to outlaw or criminalize the anti-Apartheid movement for advocating boycott, divestment, or sanctions to compel South Africa to abandon its racist policies,” said South African jurist John Dugard, who served at the International Court of Justice. “BDS should be seen as a similar movement and treated accordingly.”

This also helps to frame BDS within the context of nonviolent resistance to racist policies.

While the statement is not binding, it may give the movement additional momentum within the United Nations, which officially cares deeply about human rights around the world. The treatment of Palestinians is something of a sore spot though, as few countries are willing to openly criticize Israel for its actions regarding Palestine. The movement has been gaining ground on college campuses around the world, and that movement will likely be boosted by the statement.