‘When Failure Succeeds’: The true goal of BDS and the ASA vote
BY SAMUEL M. EDELMAN
In the recent boycott resolution passed by the America Asian Studies Association and being voted on by the American Studies Association we uncover the innate hatred, bigotry and destructive intolerance directed at Israel by boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) adherents and supporters. BDS stands for the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel.
Despite its virulence, the BDS effort in the United States has had virtually no success. Even the AASA and ASA resolutions will have no impact whatsoever. Though this past spring a number of University of California campuses passed student resolutions that support a boycott of companies that do business with Israel, not one of those campuses has instituted such a ban. Time and again, Jewish Voice for Peace and other organizations have attempted to get TIAA-CREF (one of the largest faculty pension funds) to divest from Israel only to be rebuffed.
Yet, there is a problem when Jewish responses to BDS activity have the unintended consequence of giving BDS and anti-Israel perspectives far more publicity and coverage than they would have had without a response. It is time that those of us opposed to BDS and the growing anti-Israel rhetoric BDS engenders rethink our strategy.
http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/when_failure_succeeds_the_true_goal_of_bds_and_the_asa_vote