The issue of human rights is alluring.
It appeals to our conscience and sense of altruism and who does not want to be on the right side of supporting human rights? But what happens when organizations and individuals who claim to be concerned with the cause of human rights discriminate against the rights of another?
When it comes to the BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanction) movement, the jig is up. Disguised as an organization concerned about the human rights of Palestinians, BDS’s obsessive focus on Israel at the expense of other conflicts and human rights abuses around the world, exposes it as a wolf in sheep’s clothing!
The Yazidis, Christians across the Middle East and Syrians also need help. So do countless others across the world who wonder why the only response to their suffering is a deafening silence. They also need a movement dedicated to giving them a voice. It seems like those who are in dire need of a voice are not the subjects of marches, rallies – and t-shirts!
BDS Bullies
BDS have a clear modus operandi when it comes to getting their point across. Not satisfied with marches and placards in many cases, activists have resorted to aggressive and sometimes even violent tactics. After all, if you cannot persuade people with the facts, perhaps they have to be beaten into submission.
We have seen this play out all over the world from University Campuses to businesses and even rock stars are not immune to a threat or two. By no means are these threats idle. Artists as diverse as the Malian maestro, Salif Keita, to legendary Beatle, Paul McCartney have spoken out about how their band members as well as themselves have been threatened. Former Pink Floyd bandmate, Roger Waters, the poster-boy for BDS activism makes a point of writing letters to every band or artists hoping to perform in Israel. Luckily, most of them see the intention between the Comfortably Dumb Water’s intentions and continue to rock the Holy land. It is not just in the cultural arena where the tactics of intimidation are used. University Campuses have become battlefields, and its so-called “safe spaces” offering freedom of expression in a protected environment, are theoretically ‘Open to All’ – except if you identify as Jewish or a Zionist. Then you are a candidate for bullying, intimidation and in recent cases – both in the UK and in South Africa – BDS supporters have resorted to violence. Israeli speakers invited onto campus often face a barrage of verbal abuse as was the case of former Israeli Ambassador to the USA, Michael Oren who was harassed at the University of California, Irvine when students disrupted his speech with cries of “Michael Oren! Propagating murder is not an expression of free speech!” The man’s yelling was followed by both heavy applause and objections.
Once every minute or so a student would stand up in one of the corners of the hall and shout: “I accuse you of murder”. This continued, and the ambassador’s speech was repeatedly interrupted by students who shouted: “How many Palestinians have you killed?” and “Israel is a murderer”. It seems that the freedom of speech is extended to all – just not Israel supporters. As one person said in a comment on social media in a post about the lack of tolerance by students on campuses: “Be careful that you have not become so open-minded that your brains have fallen out!”
Hype & Hypocrisy
In other parts of the world, the labelling of Israeli products or singling out of Jewish businesses hearkens back to a traumatic time in Jewish history. Today’s product labels are yesterday’s ‘yellow stars’ – a symbol of the singling out of Jews or Israel for discrimination.
No other country is marked for discrimination like Israel is and once again, the voices of those who really need help are drowned out by the agenda- driven screams of BDS. This is a prime example of the hideous double standards employed by this movement. This same self-righteous are silent on Syria, the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, the flagrant abuse of Yazidis, and the rape, mutilation and torture of women by Daesh (ISIS). Not a peep out of the mouths of this bunch. No marches, no demonstrations and no boycotts. This honor is reserved only for Israel and Jewish communities around the world. When Jews are shot touring museums, or doing their Sabbath shopping, BDS is deafeningly silent. The oxymoron exposes the incongruity and BDS hypocrisy. Why is it that BDS activity invariably inspires acts of anti-Semitism? There is an explanation – and its scary!
BDS are anti-peace. Bullyboy tactics and double standards are contra to what any peace-loving individual who wants to see a just and negotiated settlement reached in the Middle East. Discourse is the only way, while boycotts, inflammatory speech and belligerence sabotages the effective path to peace. I appeal to the sane and sensible and advocates for peace, not to believe the bulls spouted by bullies. Don’t let BDS polarize your community or import conflicts into your country! Rather give a voice to those who have no advocates – speaking or marching – on their behalf. That 
would be genuine human rights activism.
