On June 6, 2004, the Israeli government voted to withdraw from Gaza.
Israel was about to leave Gaza and let its citizens create their own state—albeit a small state. Had things worked out, Israel would have proceeded to withdraw from much of the 'West Bank', possibly with results even worse than the bombardments from Gaza. As it happened, things didn’t work out.
Instead, on July 9, 2005, 171 non-governmental organizations voted to boycott, divest from, and impose sanctions against Israel. That was the beginning of the BDS Movement.
The goals of the Movement were the following:
Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall;
Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.
The words “occupation and colonization of all Arab lands” are ambiguous, since many Arab groups, Hamas among them, include all of Israel in that category. As for “the rights of Palestinian refugees to return home,” that is a call for millions of Arabs, most of whom were born in refugee camps, to move to Israel and form a majority of the population. In other words, the goal of BDS was to end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.
Nothing Israel has ever done has led to a greater increase of anti-Israel hatred than the announcement of the withdrawal from Gaza. This makes no sense. Why should the world resent Israel for a decision to withdraw from Arab territory? Perhaps Israel’s enemies were afraid that an independent Palestinian state would lead to a decline in anti-Israel hatred. However, nobody ever made any kind of public statement saying that Israel was doing something as radical as establishing a Palestinian Arab mini-state.
Perhaps the founders of the BDS Movement knew that they should oppose a free Gaza because it might lead to increased acceptance of Israel. Perhaps. But what seems more likely is that BDS simply never made the connection between Israel’s withdrawal and Palestinian Arab independence in Gaza. It was probably just a gut reaction. “Hate, hate, hate,” said the guts of the BDS founders.
The United Church of Christ voted on July 5, 2005, to divest from Israel. The Presbyterians, on August 5th, voted to press American companies not to provide technology to Israel that might be used in the 'occupation' of Palestinian Arab territories, and that if the companies did not comply, the church would take a vote to divest its stock in them.
These votes took place after Israel announced its plans to withdraw from Gaza. Were they a reaction to the announcement? That doesn’t make sense, but then the boycott doesn’t make sense.
On June 12, 2014, the Methodist Church voted to sell its shares of stock in a British company that produces security equipment used by Israel.
Leftists are not free to protest the persecution of women and homosexuals in Muslim areas because doing so might indirectly make Israel look less bad.
Do these churches realize that they are saying that Israel is uniquely wicked? Probably not. Do they think so? Maybe individual members of the churches do, but the hatred gives the appearance of being subconscious.
Whatever the motive, the BDS Movement has had an effect. The agreement that Secretary of State John Kerry was trying to negotiate never took place. How could Abbas agree to a compromise that would allow Israel to keep the territory near Jerusalem and elsewhere where close to half a million Israelis live? Can one allow an evil, hated nation to profit from a war, even if one’s own side started that war?
Kerry and Abbas were both victims of BDS, since both of them apparently believe that the Palestinian Arabs can’t be expected to cede territory that belonged to Jordan before 1967. When the pre-1967 lines existed, the only countries on earth that recognized them were Jordan and Great Britain. After the 'West Bank' was lost by Jordan, which made the mistake of joining the Arab side during the Six Day War and attacking Israel, the cease-fire lines, now called the Green Line, became holy.
Leftist academics, who form the core of the BDS Movement, have also become its victims. Now Leftists have to be silent about gay-rights and women’s-rights causes. Their response to the Boko Haram Movement has been wishy-washy. Their objection to the executions of homosexuals in Iran and northern Nigeria has been feeble. Leftists are not free to protest the persecution of women and homosexuals in Muslim areas because doing so might indirectly make Israel look less bad.
The BDS Movement has made the Left powerless when it comes to protesting injustice against gays and women committed by Muslims.
There are no answers to questions beginning with the words “what if.” We will never know what would have happened had the BDS Movement not been born immediately after Israel announced its withdrawal from Gaza. Would the Arab world have agreed to accept Israel’s existence, recognize that Israel had freed Gaza, and established a Palestinian state? Maybe yes, maybe no.
Be that as it may, the Palestinian Arab cause is the only independence movement in human history that has rejected a state of its own because of a boundary dispute.
Mnamo Juni 6, 2004, Israel ilitoa kura ya kura ya kuondoa jeshi lake kutoka Gaza. Israeli ilikuwa karibu kuondoka Gaza na kuruhusu raia wake kuunda serikali yao wenyewe - ingawa ni serikali ndogo. Kama mambo yangefanikiwa, Israeli ingekuwa imesafiri kutoka sehemu kubwa ya 'Ubonde wa Magharibi', labda na matokeo mabaya zaidi kuliko mashambulizi ya Gaza. Kama ilivyotokea, mambo hayakufanya kazi. Katika kura ya maoni ya Julai 9, 2005, mashirika 171 yasiyo ya kiserikali yalitoa kura ya kupiga marufuku, kuondoa uwekezaji, na kuweka vikwazo dhidi ya Israeli. Huo ndio uliokuwa mwanzo wa harakati ya BDS. "Lengo la harakati hiyo lilikuwa ""kuishia ukoloni wa nchi zote za Kiarabu na kuondoa ukuta, kutambua haki za msingi za raia wa Kiarabu wa Palestina wa Israeli kwa usawa kamili, kuheshimu, kulinda na kukuza haki za wakimbizi wa Palestina kurudi nyumbani kwao na mali zao kama ilivyoainishwa katika Azimio la UN 194.""" Maneno "utawala na ukoloni wa nchi zote za Kiarabu" ni yasiyoeleweka, kwa kuwa vikundi vingi vya Kiarabu, miongoni mwao Hamas, vinatia Israeli yote katika jamii hiyo. Kuhusu "haki ya wakimbizi wa Palestina kurudi nyumbani", hiyo ni wito kwa mamilioni ya Waarabu, ambao wengi wao walizaliwa katika kambi za wakimbizi, kuhamia Israeli na kuunda idadi kubwa ya idadi ya watu. Kwa maneno mengine, lengo la BDS lilikuwa kumaliza kuwepo kwa Israeli kama serikali ya Kiyahudi. Hakuna kitu ambacho Israel imewahi kufanya ambacho kimesababisha ongezeko kubwa la chuki dhidi ya Israel kuliko tangazo la kujiondoa Gaza. Hilo halina maana yoyote. Kwa nini ulimwengu upunguze hasira dhidi ya Israeli kwa uamuzi wake wa kujiondoa katika eneo la Waarabu? Labda maadui wa Israeli waliogopa kwamba serikali huru ya Palestina ingeongoza kwenye kupungua kwa chuki dhidi ya Israeli. Hata hivyo, hakuna mtu aliyewahi kutoa taarifa yoyote ya umma akisema kwamba Israeli ilikuwa ikifanya kitu cha kimapinduzi kama kuanzisha serikali ndogo ya Kiarabu ya Palestina. "Mwanzoni mwa kampeni ya BDS, mwanzilishi wa BDS alisema kuwa ""Gaza huru"" ni ""kitu ambacho kinaweza kusababisha kukubalika kwa Israeli.""" Labda ndivyo. Lakini inaonekana kuwa BDS haikufanya uhusiano kati ya kujiondoa kwa Israeli na uhuru wa Kiarabu wa Palestina huko Gaza. Yaelekea ilikuwa tu itikio la kiakili. "Chuki, chuki, chuki", alisema matumbo ya waanzilishi wa BDS. Kanisa la United Church of Christ lilipiga kura Julai 5, 2005 kuondoa ushirika wake na Israel. "Mwezi Agosti 5, kanisa la Presbiteri lilipiga kura ya kushinikiza makampuni ya Marekani yasitoe teknolojia kwa Israeli ambayo inaweza kutumika katika ""utawala"" wa maeneo ya Kiarabu ya Palestina, na kwamba ikiwa makampuni hayatakubali, kanisa lingepiga kura ya kuondoa hisa zake katika makampuni hayo." Kura hizi zilifanyika baada ya Israeli kutangaza mipango yake ya kujiondoa Gaza. Je, walikuwa wakitenda kwa sababu ya tangazo hilo? Hiyo haina maana, lakini kisha marufuku haina maana. Kanisa la Methodisti la Uingereza limepiga kura ya kuuzia hisa zake katika kampuni ya Uingereza inayotengeneza vifaa vya usalama vinavyotumiwa na Israel. "Wanajeshi wa upande wa kushoto hawana uhuru wa kupinga mateso ya wanawake na mashoga katika maeneo ya Kiislamu kwa sababu kufanya hivyo kwa njia isiyo ya moja kwa moja kunaweza kufanya Israeli kuonekana kuwa mbaya zaidi. """ Je, makanisa haya yanafahamu kwamba yanasema kwamba Israeli ni mbaya pekee? Yaelekea sivyo. Je, wao hufikiri hivyo? Labda washiriki mmoja-mmoja wa makanisa hufanya hivyo, lakini chuki hiyo hutoa mwonekano wa kuwa ya chini ya fahamu. Kwa sababu hiyo, kwa sababu ya kuunda BDS, ni muhimu sana kwamba hatua hiyo ya BDS inapaswa kuangaliwa. Mkataba ambao Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje John Kerry alikuwa akijaribu kujadili haukufanyika kamwe. Abbas alishindwa kukubaliana na makubaliano ambayo yangemruhusu Israel kudumisha eneo karibu na Yerusalemu na mahali pengine ambapo karibu Waisraeli milioni nusu wanaishi. Je, mtu aweza kuruhusu taifa baya, linalochukiwa, lipate faida kutokana na vita, hata ikiwa upande wake mwenyewe ulianzisha vita hivyo? Kerry na Abbas wote wawili walikuwa waathirika wa BDS, kwani wote wawili wanaonekana kuamini kwamba Waarabu wa Palestina hawawezi kutarajiwa kutoa eneo ambalo lilikuwa la Jordan kabla ya 1967. """Mipaka ya kabla ya 1967 ilipokuwapo, nchi pekee duniani zilizitambua zilikuwa Jordan na Uingereza." Baada ya 'West Bank' kupotea kwa Jordan, ambayo ilifanya kosa la kujiunga na upande wa Kiarabu wakati wa Vita vya Siku Sita na kushambulia Israeli, mistari ya kusitisha mapigano, ambayo sasa inaitwa Mstari wa Kijani, ikawa takatifu. Wanafunzi wa upinzani wa upinzani wa BDS wamekuwa wakishambuliwa na waasi. Sasa wanamgambo wanapaswa kukaa kimya kuhusu haki za mashoga na haki za wanawake. Msaada wa Boko Haram umekuwa wa haraka na wa haraka. Upinzani wao dhidi ya mauaji ya mashoga nchini Iran na kaskazini mwa Nigeria umekuwa dhaifu. "Wanajeshi wa upande wa kushoto hawana uhuru wa kupinga mateso ya wanawake na mashoga katika maeneo ya Kiislamu kwa sababu kufanya hivyo kwa njia isiyo ya moja kwa moja kunaweza kufanya Israeli kuonekana kuwa mbaya zaidi. """ "Hatua ya BDS imefanya chama cha ""Kushoto"" kuwa na nguvu wakati wa kupinga ukosefu wa haki dhidi ya mashoga na wanawake waliotendwa na Waislamu." "Hakuna majibu kwa maswali yanayoanza na maneno ""na kama"" Hatuwezi kamwe kujua nini kingeweza kutokea kama BDS Movement haingezaliwa mara tu baada ya Israeli kutangaza kujiondoa Gaza." Je, ulimwengu wa Kiarabu ungekubali kukubali kuwepo kwa Israeli, kutambua kwamba Israeli ilikuwa imeweka huru Gaza, na kuanzisha serikali ya Palestina? Labda ndiyo, labda la. "Kama ilivyo, ""sababishi la Kiarabu la Palestina ni harakati pekee ya uhuru katika historia ya binadamu ambayo imekataa serikali yake mwenyewe kwa sababu ya mzozo wa mpaka."""