Want to Divest From Israel? Better Get Rid of Your iPhone (2024)

In the months since the Hamas pogrom of Oct. 7, Israel's exercise of its legitimate right of self-defense has resulted in a campaign of vilification against the Jewish State. Part of this onslaught against Israel is the renewed prominence of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement. Launched two decades ago, as Israel combated the terrorism of the Second Intifada, BDS once again serves as a potential weapon in the arsenal of those whose ultimate aim is to eliminate the Jewish state.

Fortunately, it's still not working.

The BDS movement has made very few concrete gains in recent months. Despite the howling of activists in Students for Justice in Palestine, no American university to date has adopted BDS. But the shadow bans that are not announced might be more nefarious: a recent article in the Israeli press documented many academics in Israel reporting having invitations withdrawn, lectures canceled and the like. Thousands of American and European scholars have responded with an open letter protesting this shunning.

But we have been more than able to beat back this sinister movement.

American Jewry's consensus remains constant and perhaps more emphatic than ever: The BDS movement is fundamentally antisemitic, singling out the Jewish state alone among the nations for economic punishment, cultural ostracism, and academic isolation. The campaign has disturbing resonances to earlier endeavors to exclude Jews from public life. Let us remember that under the Third Reich the Nazi regime began its antisemitic assault with a daylong boycott of Jewish businesses. These are the associations that many in our community make with the BDS movement. At the Conference of Presidents, we have defeated BDS in more than half of American states, helping pass laws that ban public institutions or state contractors from engaging in BDS. This has come in handy as a backstop in the current battle.

But passing laws and pointing out antisemitism is not enough. We also need to engage Israel's critics and those susceptible to the appeals of the BDS movement. To them I say that there is no peace without dialogue, and no dialogue is possible when a scarlet letter is placed on Israel. Cultural and academic exchanges are vital to the spirit of internationalism, harmony among peoples, and our ability to learn. We lose so much when we arbitrarily exclude one group. What is particularly galling is that Israeli universities—linchpins of the country's free society and liberal sector—stand to be the most harmed by BDS. Some of the government's most vociferous critics will be punished for that government's purported sins. Furthermore, no individual deserves to be held personally accountable for the actions of his/her government. This is precisely what BDS seeks to do, placing Israelis in a separate, lesser class of humanity.

One should also ask what it means to boycott Israel. Israeli innovation is embedded in much of the technology we use daily—from Google Maps' GPS directions to the iPhone's SIM card. Israel also punches far above its weight in pharmaceuticals: there is a high chance you have taken a generic pill manufactured by Teva. BDS supporters, if they want to be consistent and intellectually honest, would have to divest themselves of many of the conveniences of the modern world.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has little to no resemblance to the question of apartheid in South Africa or oil companies' profiting from the climate crisis. Israel, contrary to South Africa's treatment of blacks, has enshrined equality for its Arab citizens since its founding. The restrictive measures that it has adopted vis-à-vis Palestinians in the West Bank are directly related to the country's pressing security needs. Long the victims of European antisemitism, Israelis deplore racism and would never enshrine it as state policy. The oil comparison is also faulty and reveals the intentions of those who make it. Climate change threatens the very future of human habitation on this planet. Associating Israel with such a level of menace—and advocating such a remedy—is very ominous indeed.

Today, as 20 years ago, the BDS movement is repugnant in both moral and practical terms. In a world of so many evil regimes, to subscribe to this campaign is to treat Israel as the Jew among the nations. I encourage those tempted to support the BDS movement to engage and listen. We have much to learn from each other.

Also, did I mention? It's not working.

William C. Daroff is the CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (COP), the recognized central coordinating body representing 50 diverse national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern. Follow him on X at @daroff.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.