‘BDS is not just about boycotts’

Palestinian children line up for a meal in Rafah. International aid agencies say Gaza is suffering from shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies. — AP

BOYCOTT is the latest buzzword amid the global attention on the atrocities happening in Gaza right now.

People all over the world are now joining boycott movements to protest against Israel’s actions, including in Malaysia.

But few truly grasp the intricate workings of a boycott as a sociopolitical tool that transcends mere consumer choice.

One of the longer-lasting boycott movements against Israel is Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) and their name gives an insight into how boycotts are more than just about the consumers.

While most people home in on the consumers’ role in a boycott, divestment and sanctions are equally important tools in a boycott.

BDS Malaysia chairman Prof Dr Mohd Nazari Ismail explains that they also encourage people or corporations to divest their shares from companies seen to be complicit with Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Meanwhile, government sanctions against the country over the war on Gaza could also put pressure on Israel.

Nazari points to the example of the global boycott against South Africa in the past over the apartheid regime in the country from 1948 to 1994.

It was the concerted effort of the public, civil societies, corporations and governments which pressured the South African government enough to eventually lead to the end of apartheid, he says.

“We know that American corporations eventually decided to boycott South Africa and South Africa was boycotted at international events like the Olympics and the World Cup so eventually, they basically gave up, they couldn’t function as a country.

“They were suffering as an economy and in spirit because the whole world was boycotting them,” Nazari says.

BDS is employing the same multi-pronged approach with their list of companies to be boycotted against.

While they list companies more relevant to the average consumer, there are also examples of companies which may be beyond the ability of the average consumer to affect such as an engineering equipment manufacturers.

For instance, BDS has also called for boycott against the manufacturer of large machinery like bulldozers, which are being used by the Israeli military to destroy Palestinian homes and roads in occupied territories.

“We don’t buy bulldozers as individuals but we are calling for investment funds to sell their shares in these types of huge corporations so that their shares will go down and suffer financially if they continue to be complicit,” Nazari explains.

Aside from divestment, sanctions by governments can give a major boost to the boycott movement against Israel.

The Malaysian government has consistently maintained a critical stance towards Israel, demonstrating this by holding no formal diplomatic relations with them and forbidding Israeli passport holders to enter Malaysia without special permission.

In light of the recent developments in Gaza, Putrajaya announced in December last year that all ships from Israeli shipping cargo companies or those hoisting the country’s flag will be restricted from docking at Malaysian ports with immediate effect.

But Malaysia is a small country, so the effects of such methods may be limited, says economist Prof Emeritus Dr Barjoyai Bardai.

“If we are like China, India or even Indonesia, if we were to make an effort, Israel would be affected because (those countries) have the numbers.

“We don’t have the numbers but we hope that it still has some impact,” he says.

In the South African example given by Nazari, the disinvestment policy by the United States – an economic powerhouse – is acknowledged for influencing South Africa to enter negotiations, ultimately contributing to the end of the apartheid regime.

In a similar vein, Israel must enter the negotiating table to correct the injustice that is happening, says Universiti Malaya economist Prof Dr Rajah Rasiah, though he believes such an option appears to be impossible for now.

In the case of Israel, he says they are insulated due to their close relations with the US, which enjoys veto rights over action by the United Nations.

“Hence, the votes of the majority UN General Assembly members against Israel have never been executed.

“Hence, many countries who are sympathetic to the cause of the Palestinians call for boycotts.”