As part of its mythology, the BDS movement claims it began in 2005 in response to a call from Palestinian civil society. That would mean that the movement sprang forth directly from the Palestinian people, as represented by the non-governmental organizations operating in the Palestinian territories.
But while it remains unclear whether the Palestinian people are actually boycotting Israeli products, or whether it’s even possible for the Palestinians to genuinely boycott Israel, one important player, the PA government in the West Bank, has remained aloof of the BDS call for full boycott of Israel.
But signs are indicating that the PA position is on the verge of change if the current round of peace talks break down, as expected.
In an interview with The Financial Times, PA official Nabil Shaath said explicitly what has been circulating as rumors for the past few months – the Palestinians are strongly considering a change in tactics after April.
Nabil Shaath, head of international relations of the West Bank’s ruling Fatah movement, said the Palestinians were considering “going the South African way” and supporting a full boycott of Israel, in addition resuming their push for recognition in international bodies, including the International Criminal Court.
“We are really at odds with most of the Israeli demands that somehow or another have been accepted by the Americans,” Mr Shaath said on Tuesday, a few hours after Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, met Barack Obama, US president, and John Kerry, secretary of state, in Washington on Monday.
While a change in tactics may or may not mean a change in Palestinian support for the two-state solution, it certainly means that Israel’s image in the international arena will take a battering. It means, in effect, that the Durban Strategy – treating Israel as a pariah state – employed by the BDS and biased NGOs will extend to every international forum the Palestinians can reach.
It may not be the avalanche of boycotts Secretary of State John Kerry warned about in February. But it may have the same impact on Israel’s image.
It’s also likely to raise the BDS movement into the political mainstream of political discourse on Israel.
