May 31, 2016
This article was written by Lila Cohen.
When it comes to addressing the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement against Israel, Washington state should look to its neighbor to the south. Over the past month, California has issued three significant statements highlighting the reprehensible nature of BDS.
BDS is a form of political warfare targeted at Israel, ostensibly to further the end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands through boycott of Israeli products, academics and culture, divestment from Israeli companies, and sanctions against the Jewish state. But, as the Golden State has recognized, a sinister goal lurks under the surface of this ostensibly noble ideal.
BDS does not promote direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the only clear path to peace. The reason is that the real aim of BDS proponents is the delegitimization and ultimate destruction of the state of Israel. The idea that the Jewish people, alone among all the nations of the world, is not entitled to a state of its own is nothing less than a form of antisemitism.
California’s first bold move came in March, when regents of the University Of California unanimously approved the Report of the Regents Working Group on Principles Against Intolerance, which denounced antisemitism on UC campuses. It came in response to a wave of antisemitic incidents on several UC campuses.
We in Washington should take note, because Jewish students at the University of Washington and, most recently, at Western Washington University have experienced similar bouts of hostility against pro-Israel expressions, along with online hate speech and swastikas drawn on dormitory doors. Reports indicate that Jewish students at Western Washington University feel so intimidated that they stay under the radar.
The second move in California was the introduction of the California Combating BDS Act of 2016 (AB 2844), which would prohibit the state from entering into contracts with companies that boycott Israel. The legislatures of Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New York, and South Carolina have already passed such anti-BDS legislation, and Washington would be wise to join them. It would send a message that direct negotiation is the way forward to a two-state solution, not slapping the hand of Israel, a trusted partner in the Middle East that contributes here in Washington in the fields of biotechnology, clean-water technology, agriculture, medicine and aerospace.
Finally, University of California President Janet Napolitano and 10 UC chancellors have publicly opposed the boycott of Israeli academic institutions adopted at the November meeting of the American Association of Anthropologists, subject to approval by the organization’s full membership.
A similar denunciation from UW President Ana Mari Cauce would be a powerful signal to the international community and to beleaguered Jewish and other minority students who feel threatened by hate speech. It would put UW on record against BDS and in support of a peaceful future for both Israelis and Palestinians.
I come from a generation of young American Jews with deep ties to Israel. I work in the Jewish community, yet I recognize that both sides need to make painful concessions. Leaders across the full spectrum of the debate need to move forward. The state of Washington can facilitate that process by taking a stand now, rebuffing BDS, and encouraging true and lasting peace.
Lila Cohen is the Seattle-based regional director of AJC, the American Jewish Committee.
