The new online publication, Souciant Magazine, has a fascinating article on the pros and cons of Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). With all due respect to the authors of the recent, very good article on the topic in Dissent, this one is both smarter and more succinct.
[Full disclosure: Souciant presented this article courtesy of the upcoming online Middle East publication, Babylon Times. I am one of the co-founders of Babylon Times, and I hope my readers will keep their eye out for it and check us out and support us when Babylon Times does debut. We expect the premier to be in early June]
But what is of almost as much importance as the matter of the article itself is the name of the author. You will notice the article was published anonymously. We are seeing, in that anonymity, the effects of Israel’s relentless action against freedom and democracy.
The Knesset is trying to legislate against any form of boycott, including that which targets only the settlements.
Perhaps by the time the bill becomes law (and it almost certainly will) it will be modified and watered down in some way. But that really isn’t the point.As my readers know very well, I do not support the global BDS movement, but do support targeting the settlements and the occupation. But whether you agree with me, oppose all BDS or support all BDS, I think most of us can agree that an article like the one by Anonymous should not be cause for prosecution or fear of it.
Some may feel Anonymous is overreacting. Maybe, maybe not. But the advocates of illegalizing BDS support in Israel are hoping for just that kind of overreaction. That’s how assaults on democracy work, not only through repressive laws but by creating a repressive atmosphere.
Is that where any of us really wants Israel to go?
