is bds a progressive form of resistance?
no. like it or not, but bds has too much proximity to centuries of antisemitic boycotts of jewish businesses. that predefined mould is not progressive, especially when alternatives exist.
quick answer
although bds claims to focus on businsess within or linked to the state of israel, it treats jewish-owned and arab-owned businesses differently.
targeting jews
the jewish community is very small worldwide, just 0.2% of the total population. this very small population is still lower than it was before the holocaust, which killed most jews. this is the time to support jewish communities, not open the door to interrogating them for political purity.
small community
after the expulsions of jews from christian and islamic lands in the 20th century, more than half of jews today live in the tel aviv, haifa, jerusalem, los angeles, and new york metropolitan areas. it is impossible to conduct bds without destabilizing and politicizing the existence such highly isolated surviving jewish communities.
geographic areas
for centuries, from the united states to the united kingdom to the ottoman empire, jews have been subjected to cruel boycotts. in the modern context, bds leans into these deeply-dug cultural channels of antisemitic persecution. jewish communities are immediately highlighted for bds investigation.
centuries of boycotts
no matter how good the intentions may be, bds creates new opportunities for centuries of antisemitic discrimination to gain new footholds. this is done by assuming that affiliation with the state of israel, not jewish status alone, is the determining factor in how bds is actually practiced.
good intentions
aside from bds, there are many other ways to protest specific policies of the state of israel. this leaves no moral excuse for empowering the legacy of white supremacism and the violence that is inextricably attached to white supremacism.
meaningful alternatives
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