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Arguments Against The BDS Movement

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Since the Palestinian civil society groups issued the call for BDS, it has garnered numerous support. The support from US entities have been diverse. Several academic unions have participated in the boycott, and continue to make inroads on several university campuses. Entertainers, including Lauryn Hill have decided not to perform in Israel in solidarity with the movement. However, numerous US policy makers and lawmakers, as well as, private individual and organizations, have stated opposition to or taken action against the BDS movement. A number of Congress members argue that the BDS movement is discriminatory and therefore, there is a need for legislative options to limit its influence. As the CRS reports, this lead to the Bipartisan Congressional …show more content…

Amongst these states are Illinois and South Carolina. In the former, the bill aims to prevent the state’s pension fund from being invested in companies that boycott Israel in any form. In describing what is understood to be ‘Boycott Israel’, the bill labels any “means engaging in actions that are politically motivated and are intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or otherwise limit commercial relations with the State of Israel or companies based in the State of Israel or in territories controlled by the State of Israel.” It admits that the move is political but necessary as it will combat economic harm against the state of Israel. This highlights how many of the actions of the BDS movement and the anti-BDS movement, even though political in nature, are implemented with the aim of disrupting or promoting trade. In South Carolina the law is passed restricting contracts with companies that boycott countries with open trade relations with the US. It prohibits all public entities in the state from doing any business with entities unless said entities are able to prove that they have and will not participate in any boycott of any states in which the state of South Carolina is able to participate in open

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