Article - 00005 - Why BDS matters
an Archangel article
Ignoring BDS is Ignoring Palestinians
ᴮʸ ᴬʳᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉˡ
Why BDS matters.
Ignoring BDS is Ignoring Palestinians.
In 2005, Palestinian civil society issued a formal declaration, urging the global community to adopt a strategy of 𝘉𝘰𝘺𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵, 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 (𝘉𝘋𝘚) against lsrael, akin to the measures previously employed against Apartheid South Africa, until Israel adheres to international legal standards. This initiative extends beyond mere financial divestment from entities that benefit from or perpetuate the occupation; it also encompasses the avoidance of engagement with institutions that, either directly or indirectly, sustain the occupation, uphold the status quo, or endorse Zionism.
𝙕𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙢, a political ideology that historically utilizes religious motifs to advance colonial objectives, was initially championed by European colonial administrators as a possible solution to the jewish question.
When an individual ostensibly aligned with the Palestinian cause chooses to affiliate with or accept support from a Zionist organization, regardless of the organization's otherwise laudable endeavors, they inherently contravene the principles of BDS. Such actions not only 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘡𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮, but also confound the clear distinctions between Zionism's implications and its actual manifestations.
The 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙢 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙚, for instance, is notably engaged in countering BDS efforts, particularly within academic and religious spheres. It is somewhat inconceivable that participants in the Shalom Hartman Institute's programs, such as the MLI, would not investigate the institute's affiliations and activities. A cursory examination of the institute's website reveals its active role in combating BDS on university campuses and in promoting narratives that sanitize Israel's policies and actions, a process called faithwashing. *
(* 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒: 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑙-𝑂𝑢𝑡 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑤𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐸𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑡 https://x.com/Archangelwoghd/status/1852238629671964742)
Thus, engagement with such an institute by those purporting support for Palestinian rights not only undermines the BDS movement but also contributes to the obfuscation of Israel's obligations under international law and the moral imperatives of justice and equality for Palestinians.
In 2010, the Shalom Hartman Institute (SHI) initiated the "𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵," also known as 𝙄𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚, in collaboration with the 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘈𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘦 (AIPAC). The project's stated objective is to counteract the burgeoning disillusionment and indifference towards Israel within the "global jewish diaspora" by crafting a new narrative that underscores Israel's relevance to contemporary jewish identity. This initiative ostensibly engages with pivotal inquiries concerning the rationale behind the jewish national project, the "ethical" use of state power by lsrael, the diaspora's stake in Israel's existence, and the broader contributions lsrael can make to global society.
In more candid terms, IEngage aims to perpetuate Zionism and to secure both domestic and international endorsement for Israel as a jewish state.
Notably, among IEngage's academic contributors is Gil Troy, a Professor of History at McGill University, who has been actively involved in countering the BDS movement. In 2009, alongside Dr. Mitchell Bard, he authored a position paper for the Working Group on Delegitimization at the Global Forum against Anti-Semitism, a conference convened to address and combat what it perceives as anti-Semitic manifestations globally, including the BDS movement.
This involvement further illustrates the 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙢 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙚❜𝙨 strategic alignment with efforts not only to manufacture a positive narrative around lsrael but also to actively resist movements like BDS, which seek to hold Israel accountable for its policies through international civil society pressure. Tasked with the responsibility to "respond" to the challenges that would arise from the growing BDS movement, they emphasized that the fight against BDS was an 'educational one" and outlined a three-pronged vision for fighting BDS:
1. 𝐼𝑠𝑟𝑎𝑒𝑙 𝐵𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝐶𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝐶𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒
2. 𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝐼𝑠𝑟𝑎𝑒𝑙
3. 𝐷𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑊𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑜𝑓𝑡 𝐶𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑟𝑠
The 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙢 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙚❜𝙨 website prominently features an article that underscores Professor Gil Troy's endeavors to counteract the BDS movement on university campuses. In this article, Troy highlights how the iEngage Project, initiated by the Institute, has been instrumental for four years in attempting to transform the often negative and ideologically rigid discourse surrounding Israel into a more manipulative dialogue. Rabbi Donniel Hartman, President of the Institute, also provides commentary in the article, advocating for an intellectual campaign against BDS, emphasizing that BDS must be opposed through a battle of ideas, propaganda, and by reaffirming Zionism's dominance among global jewish communities.
The iEngage project includes the 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙄𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 (CLI), which shares structural and ideological similarities with the later-established 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙢 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙄𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 (MLI). While the CLI was not originally launched by SHI but by the American jewish Committee (AjC), a prominent jewish advocacy group also committed to opposing BDS, SHI has partnered with AjC in this initiative. The CLI's inception, as detailed on AJC's website, was motivated by a desire to maintain Christian support for Israel in the United States, underscoring the strategic alignment of these initiatives with broader geopolitical objectives.
The MLI, which mirrors the CLI in its format, is co-directed by Yossi Klein Halevi, whose past affiliations include the jewish Defense League, founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, known for its 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙕𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙢. The MLI's curriculum, titled "Encountering lsrael: Independence, Peoplehood, and Power," explicitly aims not only to gaslight Muslim leaders about judaism but also to immerse them in the narrative of Zionism and Israel's significance to jewish identity worldwide.
Interestingly, until recently, the MLI was listed under the iEngage project in SHI's Annual Report. When I brought this up with Imam Abdullah Antepli, he said that the MLI was not a part of the IEngage project and that he would, immediately, speak with SHI staff to have it removed. And within less than twenty-four hours, it was.
While Imam Antepli was adamant that MLI had nothing to do with the IEngage project, it is incredibly telling that it is modeled after AJC’s Christian Leadership Initiative and that SHI included it under its IEngage project section in its annual report.
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒅𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏...
Drawing on information available on X up to November 4, 2024, the 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙢 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙚 (SHI) appears to have strategic interests in interfaith relations that go beyond mere dialogue for understanding or peaceful coexistence among different religious communities. Instead, there's an 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 intent to utilize these relationships to normalize Zionism, legitimize Israel's actions and policies, and counteract movements like the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against lsrael;
𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙕𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙢: Through programs like the Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI) and its historical activities, SHI engages with influential figures within Muslim and Christian communities, aiming to present Zionism in a context that aligns with lsrael's narratives. This approach seeks to reshape perceptions of Zionism from understandably negative connotations to a more sympathetic or neutral view, especially among community leaders who can influence broader segments of their young followers.
𝙇𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙨𝙧𝙖𝙚𝙡: By artificially embedding the narrative of Israel's existence and policies within the broader discussion of jewish identity, history, and security, SHI's initiatives implicitly and sometimes explicitly seek to justify lsrael's statehood and its actions. This is evident in the educational programs and the dialogues conducted, which often include defending lsrael's policies under the guise of jewish self-determination and security.
𝘿𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝘿𝙎: The explicit efforts to combat BDS, as seen through partnerships with organizations like AIPAC and the involvement of figures like Professor Gil Troy, illustrate a concerted campaign against any movements that criticize lsrael's policies. By framing BDS as an attack on jewish identity or as antisemitic, SHI contributes to a narrative that aims to faithwash the movement within both jewish and broader interfaith circles.
This 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 approach by SHI, while promoting interfaith dialogue, is strategically designed to serve these political and ideological goals, focusing on key leaders within communities who can influence the grassroots level, particularly among the youth who are far more receptive to new or challenging viewpoints.
The 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙢 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙚’𝙨 interests lie not in fostering better jewish-Christian-Muslim relations for the sake of interfaith, but rather in manipulating relationships with key leaders within these communities, specifically in the United States, who have access to the youth in their communities and can help normalize Zionism, legitimize Israel and thus delegitimize BDS.
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