Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton called the Israel boycott movement “alarming” in a speech Monday, characterizing activists as anti-Semitic and accusing them of “bullying” Jewish students on college campuses.
“Many of the young people here today are on the front lines of the battle to oppose the alarming Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement known as BDS,” said Clinton, speaking at the annual policy conference of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). “Particularly at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise across the world, especially in Europe, we must repudiate all efforts to malign, isolate, and undermine Israel and the Jewish people.”
BDS is a global movement of activists looking to pressure Israel into ending its occupation of the West Bank and restoring the rights of Israel’s Arab-Palestinian citizens. Opponents of BDS activism on campus frequently accuse BDS activists of “bullying opponents into silence” or trying to “de-legitimize Israel.”
In the past couple of years, AIPAC has aggressively promoted anti-BDS legislation, including legislation in some states to block funding for public universities that adopt divestment resolutions.
This is not the first time Clinton has signaled opposition to the BDS movement. Last year, in a public letter to Haim Saban, she called the movement an “attack” and “the latest attempt to single Israel out on the world stage.”
Jewish peace activists were quick to respond to Clinton’s remarks.
“At Columbia, the launch of our BDS campaign last month has created very healthy and necessary conversation within Jewish spaces on campus,” said Eva Kalikoff, co-chair of Columbia’s Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. “The idea that pro-Palestine students are bullying anti-Palestine students is offensive to the movement for Palestinian liberation.”
“The reality is that the campus supporters of BDS are condemning the Israeli government and its actions, not any student on campus,” said Abby Harms, a Palestinian rights activist at Josef Korbel School of International Studies in Denver. “University divestment campaigns were the initial successes of the boycott movement against South Africa that eventually led to global sanctions and divestment.”
Pro-Palestinian activism faces harsh resistance and censorship on college campuses. A report released last year by Palestine Legal documented hundreds of incidents of punishment and reprisal, including the firing of a pro-Palestinian professor, numerous suspensions of pro-Palestinian activists, the de-funding of student groups, and a student forced to take down a Palestinian flag.
Jewish peace activists have also been victims of exclusion from campus Jewish communities. Hillel Israel, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, has published “Standards of Partnership,” instructing college Hillel groups to exclude organizations supporting BDS.
“I think that such characterizations do a disservice to any Jewish people who have been subject to true forms of anti-Semitism,” said Eitan Peled, the coordinator of Open Hillel at UCLA, an organization of Jewish students dedicated to making Hillel fellowships inclusive of dissenting views, in a statement emailed to The Intercept. “There is nothing anti-Semitic about promoting equal rights for Palestinians.”
According to Peled, when the UCLA chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace applied to be a member organization of UCLA’s Hillel fellowship, students were instructed to fill out a detailed, five-page questionnaire asking about their views on BDS, Hamas, Palestinian media, and whether “students at Hillel … feel bullied by pro-BDS students.” The chapter was denied membership.
In a statement emailed to The Intercept, Hillel International responded: “We welcome our students to express a diversity of opinions about Israel. Outside groups or speakers that are anti-Zionist, support the BDS movement, or deny Israel’s right to exist will not be hosted or given a platform by Hillel International.”
“If there is any institutional exclusion regarding this issue, it is the exclusion of Jewish activists who support BDS,” Peled said. “Jewish institutions such as Hillel International have essentially introduced a political litmus test within the Jewish community. There is no such political litmus test in the activist spaces I support.”
Opposition to BDS activism has an even stronger foothold overseas. In October, France’s highest appeals court ruled that BDS activists handing out fliers were guilty of “incitement and discrimination,” and last week, a woman was arrested for wearing a T-shirt that read, “Boycott Apartheid Israel.” In February, the U.K. government announced that it would block universities and public authorities from supporting Palestinian rights through investment practices.
Top photo: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses AIPAC’s annual policy conference, March 21, 2016, in Washington, D.C.
If everything is antisemitic than antisemitism has no meaning anymore and by default nothing is antisemitic.
I really believe there is a reckoning in store for Clinton and other blind, unquestioning supporters of Israel. I believe that reckoning will take place in the form of millions of previously unheard voices, after enough has been enough, finally unifying and asking our leaders to explain to us why we are to place a higher value on the lives of Israeli children than we do on the lives of Palestinian children.
This unified voice will also ask our leaders why America’s default position is one of always defending Israel when it’s so obviously wrong on so many of its words and deeds, and why simply pointing out that fact and protesting it is somehow anti-Semitic, anti-Jew or anti-Israel, or, as we’ve seen from this article, even criminal.
How has it come to this?
Absolutely shameful. You speak up about Israeli persecution of Palestinians, and you are by definition anti-semitic. Is there anything the Israeli government could do which Hillary or the Republicans would consider unacceptable? Not if they are running for election. I am truly ashamed of my country.
Bullying Jewish students?All that means is the Zionists were outnumbered for once,and couldn’t bully others,so they get their lawyers to squelch free speech.
She is the worst woman in the world,bar none.
And a bubblehead.Seriously.
The Arabs could learn a lot from Israel about institutionalized racism.
Israel could learn a lot from the great Arab democracies.
There are no Arab democracies precisely because of Israel.They can’t exist,as their people hate Israel,and we can’t empower them huh?
Why do think the MB no longer democratically runs Egypt?
But I bet you know all this,you are just coy,a Zionist trait.
Opposing the Israeli apartheid system with a BDS movement is not anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic, not any more than opposing the South African apartheid system with the same tactics was anti-white.
Certainly the fear is that if all Palestinians are given Israeli citizenship, i.e. if the West Bank and Gaza are incorporated into the state of Israel as federal states of a single country, then the demographics will be such that it’s unclear whether a Muslim or a Jew would be elected prime minister in an open election.
So what? White people in South Africa have lived with Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki and others as president with no ill effects. However, this would require reconciliation and understanding on both sides of the conflict – as well as official recognition of Israel’s status by other Middle Eastern nations, etc. The issue of the Palestinian diaspora would also have to be brought up.
Of course, what people then worry about is what would become of Israel’s nuclear weapons arsenal if the country gave the same rights to Palestinians and Israelis? Perhaps it’s time for IAEA inspections and Israeli transparency with respect to the numbers and deployment status of their nuclear weapons? It’s an important issue.
That’s really the only plausible long-term solution to the problem, just like the only plausible long-term solution to the Saudi problem is for the Royal Family to give up political power in favor of a democratic parliamentary system (as Britain did), and the same is true for Iran – the Supreme Leader should accept a non-political role for the Shia Islamic clergy, create an independent judiciary.
The whole region is currently stuck back in the medieval era, and has been held there by foreign interventions and foreign support for dictatorships and repressive regimes for decades now – but change can come. The future is unwritten.
Sensible prescriptions and analysis.
Israel should be headed by a Muslim. That’ll show ’em!
Hillary Clinton does not even support the BDS movement. She equates Israel with the “Jewish people,” and she says we have to support the warmongering and genocidal policies of Israel in order to show that we are not “anti-semitic” against the Jewish people. Clinton would be a foreign-policy NIGHTMARE for the United States, and the middle-east in particular.
Mr. Emmons
“……Opposition to BDS activism has an even stronger foothold overseas. In October, France’s highest appeals court ruled that BDS activists handing out fliers were guilty of “incitement and discrimination,” and last week, a woman was arrested for wearing a T-shirt that read, “Boycott Apartheid Israel.”….”
In normal times, these acts by the French government against free speech are worrisome, but these are not normal times. ISIS claimed responsibility for the brutal bombings in Brussels yesterday and ISIS was behind the Paris attacks which killed 130 people. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo massacre last year – and Jews were targeted at a market during the Charlie Hebdo killings (never reported by the Intercept). Five Jews were murdered. ISIS has threatened Jews world-wide (Independent):
“……“We assure you that soon there will not be a single Jew left in Jerusalem and throughout the country. “We will move to eradicate the disease [of the Jewish people] worldwide.”……”
This same threat was made by Nasrallah of Hezbollah – and Jews were murdered in Bulgaria and Argentina. This threat is not to be taken lightly (except at the Intercept). Of course, you will NEVER read this story in the Intercept (New York Times):
“………His attacker, a teenage fanatic who the police say was inspired by the Islamic State, was trying to decapitate Mr. Amsellem, a teacher at a local Jewish school……….It was the third such knife attack since October[2015] on a Jew in Marseille, where the Jewish population, around 70,000, is the second largest in France after Paris. And it was the latest example of how France is confronting both the general threat of terrorism, especially after two large-scale attacks in Paris last year, and a particular strain of anti-Semitism that has left many French Jews deeply unnerved……“This was something claimed by an individual who invoked Daesh, who wanted to kill a Jew. It is extremely serious,” said Marseille’s top police official, Laurent Nunez, in an interview. “Daesh” is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS or ISIL…….” my insert in brackets
Inciting anti-Jewish hatred is dangerous for Jews. It is an extreme measure, but one meant to protect a vulnerable Jewish population.
To equate the BDS movement to ISIS and
to say that the BDS movement is “anti-Jewish”
are two deliberate exaggerations and misrepresentations.
I’m not equating them. I’m just suggesting that these are potentially dangerous times for Jews in Europe because of the threats from extremists and because of protesters who might incite violence against Jews (like the knife attacks):
“…… And it was the latest example of how France is confronting both the general threat of terrorism, especially after two large-scale attacks in Paris last year, and a particular strain of anti-Semitism that has left many French Jews deeply unnerved……“This was something claimed by an individual who invoked Daesh, who wanted to kill a Jew……”
There is a large Muslim population in France. Some have not assimilated into western culture and come armed with anti-Jewish sentiments.
The BDS movement is not anti-Jewish, but seeks to undermine the Jewish majority state by right of return of Palestinian refugees and ending Israeli land and immigration laws which favor Jews (because they are a small minority world-wide).
Thanks.
France has a long history of virulent racism toward Arabs, largely due to it’s colonization of Algeria. The Algerian-French suffer, and have long suffered, intense discrimination in France and tend to live in poverty.
Especially young Arab males are attracted to extremist ideologies, and ready to hate someone else, such as Jews. This is a dynamic similar to Irish-Americans who came to the U.S. to endure WASP bigotry, but took “comfort” in at least not being black — and became extremely racist.
“……Especially young Arab males are attracted to extremist ideologies, and ready to hate someone else, such as Jews. …..”
Polls clearly show that Jews are not popular in the Middle East – which is where many if not most Muslims immigrate from when settling in Europe (and North Africa). In fact, Jews are not popular anywhere where attitudes toward Jews have been collected from dominantly Muslim countries. So in my opinion, anti-Jewish bigotry among European Arabs is not the result of racism faced by Arabs in Europe.
Thanks.
Jews save their most virulent hatred for other Jews,a very interesting phenomena.
Hey Craigy,where do you think Jews are most popular?Outside of Israel,Woodmere or Great Neck,of course.
Oh,and how could I forget,Washington DC.
The Wasps made the Irish racists?That’s a good one.The Irish were racist before they stepped on the boat,but in Ireland they had no objects to be bigoted toward.(Except the British of course)
You funny.
Which is one of the more sympathetic motives for ethno-religious supremacism. But the relatively “good” motive cannot and does not transform the fruit of ethno-religious supremacy into anything but a horrible culture and state. (Setting aside the gross injustices to the Palestinians.)
In Israel, the Ashkenazi are the top caste, which look down on every other species of Jew — Israelis are not one big happy family. They are fractured into a caste system in which the European Ashkenazi feel themselves superior, smarter and more cultured. Supremacy as a national value simply cannot lead to liberal democracy. For anyone.
“…….In Israel, the Ashkenazi are the top caste, which look down on every other species of Jew — Israelis are not one big happy family. They are fractured into a caste system in which the European Ashkenazi feel themselves superior, smarter and more cultured. Supremacy as a national value simply cannot lead to liberal democracy……”
Don’t you believe that you can make the same case for various people around the world? Racism and supremacy are not limited to (some) Jewish people. For example in South Korea according to Wikipedia:
“……Racism in South Korea is widespread and overt in nature, stemming from the country’s commonly-held belief that Koreans are a “pure blooded race” that have been homogeneous throughout history.[7][8][9] South Korean racism comes in a variety of different forms, such as nationalistic xenophobia, ethnic prejudices, and discrimination against persons on the basis of their skin color and ancestry…….”
It’s a little unsafe in Israel lately for Jews.I wouldn’t worry about France.
Its always unsafe for Palestinians in Israel.
Moron,Hitler said the same thing about the Jews in Germany re assimilation.
You are such a mediocre propagandist.
a boycott /= inciting anti-jewish hatred. it’s protected political speech in the u.s. according to the supreme court.
conflating a boycott with violence and terrorism is incorrect and silly at best, maliciously disingenuous at worst.
Remember that recent debate where Hilary was asked to name a foreign role model when it comes to international affairs? Her answer was Nelson Mandela… Something tells me she would consider him to be anti-Semitic or at least a threat to Israel if he were still around and offered his views on the subject.
I found Bernie’s speech a bit underwhelming, but when compared to Clinton it is very progressive and far less dangerous. Her speech made very clear that she’d be a pro-war president.
Hillary Clinton is just so …. vile. Genuinely, vile. She must love the thought of herself as President (and, she and Bill the first couple to both be elected President) that she’ll push the approved, VSP, establishment-writ-large-line until it pleads for mercy.
Her position in relation to the BDS movement is, quite frankly, about as un-American as it can get. So, she stands ready to trammel the first amendment without blinking an eye. Simply pitiful, were not the Palestinians, and their supporters, on the receiving end. She so richly deserves to be defeated in the Democratic Primary…. my keyboard to God’s ears.
She really is utterly vile. Putrid. That she’ll likely be the first woman president makes me want to vomit.
Vile and utterly destructive to world peace.
I think you are wrong about that.She is too hated by too many.
And the more she speaks,the bubblehead,the more hate her.
Does this sound like anyone we know?
In the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), Narcissistic Personality Disorder is defined as comprising a pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by the presence of at least 5 of the following 9 criteria:
A grandiose sense of self-importance
A preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
A belief that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people or institutions
A need for excessive admiration
A sense of entitlement
Interpersonally exploitive behavior
A lack of empathy
Envy of others or a belief that others are envious of him or her
A demonstration of arrogant and haughty behaviors or attitudes
Clinton’s remarks are utterly disgusting.
Agreed. She’s a despicable human being. I’m tired of so-called liberals, progressive, and Democrats standing up for her. Vote for her if you want to but at least be honest about who she is.
It should be clear that Hillary Clinton does not care very much about freedom of speech. Remember when she said this:
I am tired of being accused of being anti- semetic for being critical of Israel. I support BDS all the way and will continue to do so. Hillary Clinton proves once again that she is part of the establishment and is nothing more than the “same ole, same ole” just the female version! At least Sanders, who happens to be Jewish, understands the Palestinian plight. Sanders 2016!!
Sanders just said that some BDSers are antisemites.So that in effect besmirches all.
You can take a boy or girl out of Zion,but you can’t take Zion out of them.It’s why Sanders is not so good,his head is full of ziomush,inculcated from youth to adulthood,a victimization mantra belied by their wealth and power.An incredible reality twist.
Boycott-Divest-Sanction is a good idea for dealing with the entire Middle East situation but as with South Africa it should be pursued constructively and fairly.
First, since Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab dictatorships treat segments of their own population as unjustly as the Palestinians are treated by the Israeli government, the advocates of Israeli BDS should consider expanding it to a more regional BDS movement – Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait?
Second, the point of such sanctions is not to pursue them as a permanent project, but to get the countries involved to change their behavior (South African BDS was ended in 1990).
What would be the desired outcome in all cases?
The most important one is the right to vote freely for one’s government, as in South Africa.
This would mean that all Palestinians could vote in Israeli national elections – and no, if a Muslim Arab was elected to the position of Israeli Prime Minister, that would not mean that all Israeli Jews would be forced to flee the country – white South Africans have not been persecuted in South Africa despite the election of Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, etc.
Curiously, the pro-Israeli apartheid movement in the United States calls this outcome “the destruction of the state of Israel” as Israel would no longer be a “Jewish state” if Muslims and Jews were given equal rights and if freedom of religious belief was established, a tradition that the US should support, given the emphasis placed on religious freedom and separation of church and state in the US Constitution.
This makes me wonder: would American university students who called for this approach be labeled as anti-Semites and subjected to expulsion or suspension under the new rules being proposed by pro-Israeli apartheid politicians like Hillary Clinton?
Hillary, the architect of war and misery, criticizing boycott. Now, that is rich!
Accusations of Israel over it’s treatment of Palestine are as antisemitic as An American citizen’s criticism of US’s foreign policy is UnAmerican…IOW…NOT
Shhh…The truth is antisemitic.
Are we ready to accept yet that the Democratic Party is not the home to anyone in America with views to the left of Ronald Reagan?
As much as it pains me to say it, yes…
You can jiudge a movement by its enemies. Thanks Hillary! I now suport BDS more than ever.
Count me in!
Poor Israel, always picked on, blah, blah, blahasbara.
Wait til we see what this war-monger does after the nomination process is done. The American left is going to take in the shorts once again.
Get a Barbados (BDS) bumper sticker. In support of a non-religous nation state without the paranoia, apartheid and violence.
“We welcome a diversity of opinions” as long as they are just like ours… and unless they support the non-violent BDS campaign that is the first effective movement challenging the illegal decades-long Israeli occupation.
In other words, they are LIARS when they claim they welcome diversity.
Hillary’s disastrous embrace of these anti-free speech, censoring extremists shows her to be a biased, heartless soul who is incapable of basic fairness or able to grasp the fundamentals of justice.
The radical Jewish groups engaging in vindictive retribution for constitutionally protected actions must be seen as the criminals that they are… and their attempts to coopt our legislative processes to criminalize constitutionally protected actions as undemocratic and anti-American extremism.
In the marketplace of ideas, they are engaging in fraud since they are losing in fair competition.
This has inspired me to begin a BDS chapter at my university (SFSU) for the sake of free speech and because Palestine needs all the help it can get.
Yes,they do.They have no one left to defend them but Iran and Hezbollah,Shias,a very weird position for them,being mostly Sunni.
Most folks have no idea of all the pro Israeli anti Palestinian propaganda machine here in the US. Every attempt by a pro Palestinian movement is met with harsh or hostile criticism and efforts to censor. Universities are a prime example of just how far this movement has become. The anti BDS espoused by candidates in the AIPIC conference is just another example, Bernie wasn’t allowed a video link which has been used by past GOP candidates in the AIPIC talks. Yes hypocrisy runs deep in the way the US deals with Israel and their terroristic tactics but then look at their partner in crime the US govt and allies.
God HELP America. What an ugly legacy we leave our children.
If you want to see Hillary at her ugliest, just go to the Democracy Now web site. The clip referred to in the article is there.
We all knew that Hillary would do for AIPAC what Monica did for her husband, so this story is merely confirmation. The speeches by the republican contenders seem to have received little attention. Why is that?
ADVISER: These people can help get you elected.
CLINTON: So I’ll tell them what they want to hear.
ADVISER: Also they can give you lots of money.
CLINTON: So I’ll do whatever they want me to do.
Canada is also getting on the anti-BDS bus:
https://www.rt.com/news/333411-israel-canada-boycott-motion/
And in trying to understand the logic for such motions, I am leaning (halfway seriously; unsure which half) towards demonic influence:
https://noosphere.noblogs.org/i-tego-arcana-dei/