Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian civil society call for freedom, justice and equality. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the call for BDS from Palestinian civil society urges economic actions to pressure Israel to comply with international law.

BDS is a non-violent tactic that uses economic means to pressure powerful institutions (like governments and for-profits businesses) to change practices. Supporters of BDS act based on the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.

The stated goals according to the 2005 Call of Palestinian Civil Society are to boycott until Israel complies with international law by:
• Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the wall;
• Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
• Recognizing the Right of Return of Palestinian refugees as stipulated in UN Resolution 194

2004 - Economic actions against the Occupation initiated by Gainesville, FL church, garners national headlines

2005 - Palestinian Civil Society call for BDS

2006 - Organizational Meeting of IPMN, the Israel Palestine Mission Network
-Advocacy Strategy: BDS—One Letter at a Time
-Education Strategy: Publications to Inform and Teach the Church

2008 – Endorse Amman Call

2009 - Confessional document Kairos Palestine by Palestinian Christians as a cry for help from Christians around the world.

2010 - 219th G.A. called to pressure Congress to withhold military aid (S)

2012 - 220th G.A. (B)oycott of ALL Settlement Products

2014 - 221st G.A. (D)ivest all PC(USA) holdings from Caterpillar, HP and Motorola Solutions

2016 - 222nd G.A. Withstood expected backlash to add anti-BDS language to all I/P policies, and to sever ties with the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation
-Approved prayerful study of the Palestinian Civil Society call for BDS

We work to continue the non-violent, justice-oriented work of economic protest through BDS in the following ways:

• Monitor church agencies directed to carry out General Assembly directives—Most especially the latest actions to encourage Prayerful Study of BDS throughout the denomination and affirm the historic BDS stances elsewhere by the church over the past century.

• Cross-movement work and recognition of intersectional justice: Continue to build partnerships with other denominational traditions, as well as faith-based and secular organizations all seeking to promote human rights and freedom in Palestine, as well as in other contexts where peoples cry out for justice.

• Continue the long process of educating a 1.75 million member denomination about why justice for Palestine is important and necessary; including the publishing of additional resources and promoting trips to I/P.

Written by our very own PJNer, Kyle Cristofalo, this educational resource, “Holy Discontentment: Boycott! The Power of the Pocketbook to Create Social Change,” educates congregations on the ethical commitment to boycott. The decision to boycott goods produced in the illegal Israeli settlements is yet another example of the [PC(USA)]’s deeply held commitment to a just and peaceful resolution to the situation in Israel/Palestine.

The PC(USA) has a long-standing history of collective, non-violent protest. For a community of faith and conscious like the PC(USA), the motivation underlying a boycott is “the use of economic power to make a moral witness and seek change.”

Interested in learning more? Check out the robust collection of historical archives at the Presbyterian Historical Society’s site.

[You might also ask: does "positive investment" or "constructive engagement" work to bring about change? Click here to learn more about that tactic historically.]

There are plenty of ways we at PJN can support you if you’re interested in running a congregational campaign in your local church. Reach out to us or try some of these ideas in your community.

Teach a Sunday school class with one of our curricula, learn about how to preach on Palestine through our Hosanna Preaching Project, or begin with an educational campaigns in worship using the pledge card below.

Sometimes picking a specific product to highlight in your community can be a helpful way to movement-build.

The main plant of the company SodaStream, a home water-carbonation device, has been in the industrial zone of Mishor Edomim, an illegal settlement in the West Bank. International law, specifically the Geneva Conventions, forbids occupying powers (in this case Israel) from transferring their population to or profiting from occupied lands (in this case Palestine’s West Bank) and so Sodastream was put on the boycott list.

After closing their plant there, they have moved to the Negev/Naqab desert where Arab Bedhouins are being displaced. Read more about a potential Sodastream campaign here and here.

The nature of economic protest is that the situation on the ground changes rapidly. Companies respond to economic protest, and movements are shifted based on that response. The PC(USA) spent years talking back and forth with HP, Caterpillar, and Motorola before voting to divest holdings from them. Staying engaged with the company is a vital part of boycotting, divesting, and economic protest as a whole.

Boycotts and divestment work when people collect around specific campaigns. Stay up to date with your campaign. One great resource to help you do that is below.

Collective protest is inherently community work, but we believe it takes a lot of individuals to make up a collective.

Looking for work to do on your own? Firstly, you can heed the call from Palestinian civil society by personally not buying the products listed in the most recent BDS campaigns and telling others about the boycott of products made in illegal settlements.

Visit local businesses in your community to tell them about the importance of stocking ethical products by adapting this Store Manager card. Bring a resolution to your Session (or Presbytery!) to consider committing to pray, study, and act about this issue as a congregation with this sample Session resolution. Or education yourself on the history of PC(USA) boycotting talking points.