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Abstract
The goal of this forum is to garner attention to the issues surrounding the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions () campaign against Israel, to help a broad audience better understand the complexity of , and to engage geographers in the debate. Including the editorial introduction, seven different experts on the issues of Palestine/ Israel have written six essays on for this forum. The six essays represent a wide range of opinions while also echoing some similar themes.
Notes
1. During the 7th International Conference of Critical Geography (ICCG) in Ramallah in the summer of 2015, attendees voted overwhelming to endorse BDS. In response to the ICCG's endorsement, Kritische Geographie Berlin, an group of activists and academics, released a statement on 21 October, stating that it would not endorse BDS. In November 2015, both the National Women's Studies Association and the American Anthropological Association voted to endorse BDS. In October 2015, a group of 343 U.K. academics signed “A Commitment by U.K. Scholars to the Rights of Palestinians,” stating that they will not work with Israel's university institutions.
2. Though three of the five essays clearly support BDS, there are an equal number of authors discussing each side due to one essay being coauthored.
3. The original statement as released on 9 July 2005 http://www.bdsmovement.net/call. “Civil society” refers to range of different Palestinian political parties, unions, associations, coalitions, and organizations, which include, for examples, Forum of Palestinian NGOs in Lebanon, Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, General Union of Palestinian Women, and General Union of Palestinian Teachers.
4. Israel's occupation, geographic fragmentation, policing, and policies toward Palestinians have been referred to as an apartheid system, much like that of South Africa (Carter Citation2006).
6. Serving in my role as the editor of this forum, my first or foremost goal was to be a facilitator and educator by highlighting the different perspectives around BDS so that readers of the Geographical Review can better understand its complexities. Yet, as the five essays here so clearly demonstrate, discussing BDS is never neutral or apolitical. Like anyone reading this forum, I too have my views and opinions on BDS. I comment here in a footnote not for the purposes of introduction or summary, nor as a moderated voice weighing in on the debates above, but as an academic and activist deeply committed to Palestinian social justice. From my own perspective, I can discern some limitations in the BDS movement. Some people might espouse BDS for hostile goals and the boycott could inhibit constructive dialogue between academics. Yet, after over six decades of conflict in which Palestinians have been subjected to immensely disproportionate systemic violence and injustices, and after the failure of diplomatic and political negotiations, this protracted conflict is dire and devastating for all sides. I view the BDS movement, including its symbolic and material effects, as a nonviolent way to pressure Israel to change its policies and actions. BDS may not be perfect, but I remain hopeful that BDS can transform Israel/Palestine in such ways as to bring justice to Palestinians and a lasting peace in Israel/Palestine.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Karen Culcasi
Dr. Culcasi is an associate professor of geography at West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505; [[email protected]].