Boycotting, Divesting and Sanctioning Explained #

What Does BDS Mean? #

“Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Australia is part of the global effort to end support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.”1

How Does BDS Work? #

The BDS movement empowers us, the people, to put direct pressure on the Israeli government by impacting their economy via our personal choices.

This is done by targeting companies that are complicit in the occupation of Palestinian land and the genocide of Palestinian people. We are not just targeting random Israeli corporations.

It is especially helpful when our government is refusing to call for a ceasefire or end to apartheid.

Who Is The BDS Movement? #

BDS is a Palestinian-led group that highlights companies that are complicit in Israel’s genocidal apartheid regime.

Is BDS Effective? #

Yes! When done correctly and collectively, it is incredibly effective. We have already seen it start to work.

See this TikTok for a recent example.

How To Effectively BDS? #

BDS requires targeted boycotts, not untargeted boycotts, to be most effective.

Targeted boycotts allow us to focus on the few most complicit companies to have a larger, more concentrated impact on the Israeli economy. Targeting too many smaller companies spreads our efforts too thin, and the result is far less impactful.

Minimum number of big corporations = Maximum impact.

See the infographic below for a visual explanation.


2

Image Description: Instagram tile from BDS titled ‘targeted versus untargeted boycotts’. An illustration of a circle of arrows pointing at a red target circle appears above the word ‘targeted’. An illustration of scattered arrows pointing in different directions at multiple red target circles appears above the word ‘untargeted’. Tile states, ‘We focus our boycotts on a small number of companies/products for maximum impact’

Types Of Boycotts3: #

Targeted boycotts are split into four types. This helps us to know what kind of actions are required for each type of boycott campaign.

Consumer Boycott: BDS targets brands with a proven record of complicity in israel’s apartheid by calling for a complete boycott.

Divestment Targets: these are generally non-consumer goods and services. BDS calls on us to put pressure on organisations that partner with entities complicit in Israel’s Apartheid by excluding and divesting.

  • e.g. the recent campaign to pressure RMIT to stop working with Elbit Systems.

Pressure (non-boycott) Targets: BDS has >not called for a boycott of these targets. Instead, it calls for us to partake in pressure campaigns against these brands and services.

  • e.g. the No Tech for Apartheid campaign, that calls on Amazon CEO’s ad Execs to end all ties with Israel Apartheid.

Organic Boycott Targets: BDS did not initiate these grassroots boycott campaigns, but is in support of them due to these brands openly supporting Israels Genocide against Palestinians.

Note: we should prioritise BDS boycott targets before moving onto Organic Boycott targets.

Australian Campaigns #

Puma4 #

  1. Sign this petition.
  2. Call and email the Puma HQ or in Naarm/Melbourne and tell them ‘’I won’t buy any Puma while Puma supports Israel’s genocidal apartheid regime, and I will make sure everyone I know doesn’t buy Puma too.’’
  3. Boycott Puma - don’t buy their products!
  4. Email the following organisations using this draft letter, asking them to review their deals with Puma.
  5. Comment directly on their social media accounts but do not harass them, use the phrase in Step 2.

HP5 #

  1. Sign this petition.
  2. Contact HP now and tell them ‘’I won’t buy HP until HP cancels all contracts that supply the Israeli state with the means — technology, equipment, and expertise — to violate the basic human rights of Palestinians and break international law.’’
    • Phone: 13 15 47

Stop Elbit6 #

  1. Sign this petition and this petition:
  2. BDS Australia calls on RMIT to end all ties with Elbit Systems.
    • Contact RMIT Academic Board Chair – Dr Sharon Andrews sharon.andrews@rmit.edu.au
    • Contact RMIT Professor John Thangarajah, – john.thangarajah@rmit.edu.au – Professor in Artificial Intelligence and Associate Dean of Computer Science and Software Engineering and Director of Centre for Industrial AI Research and Innovation
  3. Follow _Wage Peace - Disrupt War _and get involved with anti-militarism actions:
  4. If you are in Melbourne, you can get involved with actions and protests organised by RMIT Students for Palestine

AXA Australia: #

Complicity in Apartheid: AXA invests in Israeli banks that fund Israels settlements, making it complicit in violations of International law.

Since 2020, ALL main Israeli Banks are listed in a UN Database for their complicity in Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise. AXA benefits from the optics of being a UN global compact without complying with its principles

  1. Ask AXA to divest from companies violating Palestinian rights:
  2. Institutional Investment Sales:
    • Michelle Lacey +61 423227273
    • Richard Hyland +61 488 199 958
  3. Head of Asset Management:
  4. Get your Organisation or Union to join the International coalition “Stop AXA Assistance to Israeli Apartheid,
  5. Boycott AXA Investment firm and its subsidiaries:

Check Your Superannuation Fund7 #

  1. Send your super fund an email and ask: do they invest in companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements?
    • You can find a list of companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements here
    • Use this form to send an automatically generated email to your super fund requesting assurance that it does not have investments in companies complicit in illegal israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
  2. If they are, jump onto your super fund’s website, and you’ll notice a section that refers to their investment policy, often with the term “responsible investing”. This refers to their investment decision criteria focusing on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors. Any investment and contribution to such corporations contradicts their publicly promoted ideals. Bring this to their attention!

Siemens (Consumer Boycott): #

Complicity in Apartheid: Siemens has won the tender for the construction of the Euro-Asia Interconnector, a submarine electricity cable from Israel to Greece, which will connect Israel’s electricity grid to the EU enabling it to profit from Electricity produced from Fossil Gas in occupied Palestine, to Europe.

  1. The following companies stock Siemens Products, please refrain from buying Siemens appliances. If you are working at a company or business looking to source Appliances, encourage them to boycott Siemens appliances.
  2. The following companies stock Siemens Products. If you are looking for appliances you can file a statement to these companies letting them know you are boycotting their Siemens range.
  3. PETITION:

The Stop East Med Pipeline is an international campaign directed at Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission, calling for a termination of the EAST MED pipeline project. This Petition has not got much traction so please share within your networks

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-the-eu-support-for-fossil-gas-in-the-east-mediterranean

Sabra And Obela Hummus (Consumer Boycott): #

Complicity in Apartheid: Sabra and Obela are brands owned by the Strauss Group, a corporation known for its support of the Israeli military, whom they fund and provide care packages for. Strauss Group funds the Golani and Givati Brigades of the IOF, since 1948 they have been notorious for their severe human rights abuses and war crimes in both Lebanon and Palestine.

  • Boycott Sabra and Obela products.
  • You can find BDS campaign stickers here. Place these stickers on Obela and Sabra products to alert consumers to the unethical practices of these businesses.
  • Obela is sold in Aus and NZ at the following supermarkets :
    • Woolworths Group
    • Coles
    • IGA
    • Fresh Choice
    • Four Square
    • Pack n’ Save
    • Super Value

Let these retailers know that products that support genocide are not welcome.

Don’t Buy israeli Dates8 #

  • Boycott any date brands marketed by Hadiklaim, Agrexco or Medjool Plus, including:
    • Jordan River
    • King Solomon
    • King Medjoul
    • Carmel
    • Barhi
    • Avoid any products with a barcode beginning with 729

Carrefour (Consumer Boycott): #

Complicity in Apartheid: On 8 March 2022, Carrefour Group announced a new franchise agreement in Israel with Electra Consumer Products and its subsidiary Yenot Bitan, both active in the illegal Israeli settlement enterprise

  1. Carrefour is a French goods retailer, stocked in some supermarkets and groceries. Watch out for Carrefour products in grocery store isles.

Watch out for this label:

Ahava Consumer Boycott: #

Complicity in Apartheid: Ahava Cosmetic goods are made in occupied territories in the West from pillaged resources from the Dead Sea for their cosmetic Goods.

  1. Boycott AHAVA goods, and notify stockists such as Sephora, of your boycott

Google And Amazon #

Complicity in Apartheid: Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Executives have signed a $1.22 Billion contract with the Israeli government and military called Project Nimbus. This occurred in 2021, when the Israeli military bombed homes, clinics and schools in Gaza and threatened to push Palestinians out of their homes in Jerusalem.

  1. Sign your name onto the No Tech For Apartheid Statement. This statement demands that Amazon CEO and execs end all ties with the Israeli Apartheid and cut the Project Nimbus Contract.
  2. Sign Here: https://www.notechforapartheid.com/

Notes #

  1. BDS Australia. <https://bdsaustralia.net.au/> Accessed 27/12/23. ↩︎

  2. BDS Movement. <https://www.instagram.com/p/CyvhYB3ALWV/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng%3D%3D&img_index=3> Accessed 27/12/23. ↩︎

  3. BDS Movement. <https://bdsmovement.net/Act-Now-Against-These-Companies-Profiting-From-Genocide> Accessed 13/12/23. ↩︎

  4. BDS Australia. <https://bdsaustralia.net.au/campaigns/boycott-puma/> Accessed 27/12/23. ↩︎

  5. BDS Australia. <https://bdsaustralia.net.au/campaigns/dont-buy-hp-products/> Accessed 27/12/23. ↩︎

  6. BDS Australia. <https://bdsaustralia.net.au/campaigns/stop-elbit/> Accessed 27/12/23. ↩︎

  7. BDS Australia. <https://bdsaustralia.net.au/check-your-superfund/> Accessed 27/12/23. ↩︎

  8. BDS Australia. <https://bdsaustralia.net.au/campaigns/boycott-israeli-dates-checkthedate/> Accessed 27/12/23. ↩︎