Engaging the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict from Home: BDS and Conscious Consumerism

Presenter 2: Eman Akbik ’17, Bayan Fares ’18, and Yamen Atassi ’17

Abstract: The presentation seeks to provide a basic summary of some of the transgressions against international law committed by the state of Israel, namely the uninhibited spread of settlements into Palestinian territory, the siege on Gaza, and the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. The objective of the presentation is to provide a practical measure for people to get involved in opposing these illegal and immoral acts. BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) is one movement that seeks to boycott goods produced by Israel, especially goods that are produced on Palestinian land. BDS is one way Americans can truly affect this conflict positively, in a manner that has not been achievable diplomatically by our government and other foreign powers. While the MSA is unapologetically pro-Palestine (and anti-Zionism, not anti-Israel, anti-Israeli, nor anti-Jew), we hope that the controversial nature of our topic is not a reason that it is not chosen. History has often taught us that justice is difficult to stand for and that we should not shy away from standing for justice even when it is not convenient.