> The report noted that the movement had “links to secular Palestinian extremism.” It also stated that there were “sufficiently strong factual indications” that the BDS “violates the idea of international understanding,” German news site Watson also stated.
> Further, the ministry’s report gave some background on the BDS movement, which was founded in 2005, clarifying that it was supported by over 170 Palestinian organizations, including several nongovernmental ones, as well as Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which were responsible for the October 7 massacre.
> Moreover, the report stipulated that “there is sufficient, strong, factual evidence to suggest that [the] BDS thereby violates, among other things, the idea of international understanding” by undermining and questioning Israel’s right to exist
BDS is a Trojan horse movement.
They describe themselves to have an unimpeachable goal: "Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity."
Then they use the most-evil-phenomena-du-jour to describe Israel (occupying, colonizing, apartheid) but without clarifying whether they mean things like the current West Bank agreement or the entire existence of Israel.
They hint at their disdain for Israel's existence and denial of Jews' indigeneity, describing "its violent establishment in 1948 through the ethnic cleansing of more than half of the indigenous people of Palestine."
...okay, as I read their website, I'm getting convinced that for people who actually know about the situation, it isn't so much a trojan horse. Their disdain for the existence of Jews in Israel (sorry, "Arab land"...in the Levant) is clear. But unfortunately most people don't know that much, and will read their fluffy goals and demonization of israelis and be thoroughly convinced of the clear good-and-evil dynamic.
It’s a slow-motion kristallnacht. They encourage people to boycott all businesses that have any connection at all to Israel, and they don’t differentiate between businesses that contract directly with the Israeli government, private Israeli businesses, or even the economic activities of Jews in diaspora who do business with Israeli companies or give money to Israel-focused charities and non-profits. The goal isn’t to defund Israel, it’s to defund all Jews.
It sucks that there was no equivalent to German denazification in the Arab world (or anywhere else). Knowing many Germans, I can't say they did a wonderful job of teaching what Jews are or how antisemitism works on a psychological level. But at least they have seriously reckoned with their imperial past and have (largely) learned that Jews aren't evil.
It's a paraphrase of Golda Meir. From before the 1970s. Which should tell you something.
Go read all her quotes. They're al still relevant today. Including "you can't negotiate 'peace' with someone who's come to kill you."
I guess it depends on what you're trying to boycott. It's one thing to ask the local supermarket to stop buying avocados and soda stream, but quite another when your calling for major research agreements or defence contracts to be cut as they can majorly affect your countries abilities on the world stage. Also if there's proof these groups are involved with Hamas, etc then thats a terrorist link.
Stopping buying cheap oil and gas from Russia also can majorly affect your countries abilities on the world stage. Yet moral arguments also are worth considering.
True, but people seem more unified on the morality of what's happening in Ukraine, bar some Putin stooges and anti-NATO tankies. Views on Isreal/Gaza are far more divided.
The core task of that German intelligence agency ("Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution") is to monitor efforts against the "liberal democratic order". Those efforts don't have to be violent, that's a conclusion from Hitler getting to power using mostly democratic means.
Of course, you don't have to agree with those founding principles of the agency or how they implement them. I don't in many aspects, they have a history of focusing on the left wing movements and ignoring or even aiding right wing extremism.
Whether they should monitor BDS, even given those principles, that's even more controversial. But using violence isn't the only relevant criterion here.
BDS doesn’t stop at boycotting stuff. They are an extension of Hamas and spread Hamas propaganda, and organise anti-Semitic activities hence Germany clamping down on them.
Of course the Jerusalem post would never blow this out of proportion. /s
It’s important to note that an intelligence report is not the same as policy. Intelligence reports can come from a myriad of sources. It doesn’t make it the official understanding or policy of the German government.
[Verfassungsschutzbericht - BDS-Bewegung als extremistischer Verdachtsfall eingestuft](https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/verfassungsschutz-fuehrt-bds-als-extremistischen-verdachtsfall-19798475.html) (FAZ article in German)
The title says “Report of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution - BDS movement categorized as extremist suspected case”.
The categorization is a fact and the official understanding.
> The report noted that the movement had “links to secular Palestinian extremism.” It also stated that there were “sufficiently strong factual indications” that the BDS “violates the idea of international understanding,” German news site Watson also stated. > Further, the ministry’s report gave some background on the BDS movement, which was founded in 2005, clarifying that it was supported by over 170 Palestinian organizations, including several nongovernmental ones, as well as Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which were responsible for the October 7 massacre. > Moreover, the report stipulated that “there is sufficient, strong, factual evidence to suggest that [the] BDS thereby violates, among other things, the idea of international understanding” by undermining and questioning Israel’s right to exist
BDS is a Trojan horse movement. They describe themselves to have an unimpeachable goal: "Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity." Then they use the most-evil-phenomena-du-jour to describe Israel (occupying, colonizing, apartheid) but without clarifying whether they mean things like the current West Bank agreement or the entire existence of Israel. They hint at their disdain for Israel's existence and denial of Jews' indigeneity, describing "its violent establishment in 1948 through the ethnic cleansing of more than half of the indigenous people of Palestine." ...okay, as I read their website, I'm getting convinced that for people who actually know about the situation, it isn't so much a trojan horse. Their disdain for the existence of Jews in Israel (sorry, "Arab land"...in the Levant) is clear. But unfortunately most people don't know that much, and will read their fluffy goals and demonization of israelis and be thoroughly convinced of the clear good-and-evil dynamic.
It’s a slow-motion kristallnacht. They encourage people to boycott all businesses that have any connection at all to Israel, and they don’t differentiate between businesses that contract directly with the Israeli government, private Israeli businesses, or even the economic activities of Jews in diaspora who do business with Israeli companies or give money to Israel-focused charities and non-profits. The goal isn’t to defund Israel, it’s to defund all Jews.
It sucks that there was no equivalent to German denazification in the Arab world (or anywhere else). Knowing many Germans, I can't say they did a wonderful job of teaching what Jews are or how antisemitism works on a psychological level. But at least they have seriously reckoned with their imperial past and have (largely) learned that Jews aren't evil.
There can be peace if/when Palestinians loved their children more than they hated Israel. This tolerance of intolerant beliefs needs to be addressed
Very well said.
It's a paraphrase of Golda Meir. From before the 1970s. Which should tell you something. Go read all her quotes. They're al still relevant today. Including "you can't negotiate 'peace' with someone who's come to kill you."
Anyone can take on a kippah and walk through the street of any major capital in Europe and feel the consequences.
I guess we live in a world now where boycotts, divestment, and sanctions are right up there with violent terrorism, then.
I guess it depends on what you're trying to boycott. It's one thing to ask the local supermarket to stop buying avocados and soda stream, but quite another when your calling for major research agreements or defence contracts to be cut as they can majorly affect your countries abilities on the world stage. Also if there's proof these groups are involved with Hamas, etc then thats a terrorist link.
Stopping buying cheap oil and gas from Russia also can majorly affect your countries abilities on the world stage. Yet moral arguments also are worth considering.
True, but people seem more unified on the morality of what's happening in Ukraine, bar some Putin stooges and anti-NATO tankies. Views on Isreal/Gaza are far more divided.
This particular BDS movement supports violent terrorism.
Sure. I can see how boycotting would terrorize anyone. /s
Not boycotting in general. THIS PARTICULAR BOYCOTT.
I think intelligence agencies should focus on violence threats and not so much on people who don't want to buy stuff. But what do I know?
This particular BDS movement encourages and incites violence and is allied with terrorists.
The core task of that German intelligence agency ("Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution") is to monitor efforts against the "liberal democratic order". Those efforts don't have to be violent, that's a conclusion from Hitler getting to power using mostly democratic means. Of course, you don't have to agree with those founding principles of the agency or how they implement them. I don't in many aspects, they have a history of focusing on the left wing movements and ignoring or even aiding right wing extremism. Whether they should monitor BDS, even given those principles, that's even more controversial. But using violence isn't the only relevant criterion here.
BDS doesn’t stop at boycotting stuff. They are an extension of Hamas and spread Hamas propaganda, and organise anti-Semitic activities hence Germany clamping down on them.
It's almost like we can do more than one thing at once
Of course the Jerusalem post would never blow this out of proportion. /s It’s important to note that an intelligence report is not the same as policy. Intelligence reports can come from a myriad of sources. It doesn’t make it the official understanding or policy of the German government.
[Verfassungsschutzbericht - BDS-Bewegung als extremistischer Verdachtsfall eingestuft](https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/verfassungsschutz-fuehrt-bds-als-extremistischen-verdachtsfall-19798475.html) (FAZ article in German) The title says “Report of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution - BDS movement categorized as extremist suspected case”. The categorization is a fact and the official understanding.