BDS targets Jewish people, not Israel

Some argue that the BDS movement contributes to a tense, anti-semitic atmosphere on college campuses and in other institutions that support BDS, which negatively impacts the mental well-being of Jewish people who have nothing to do with Israel’s occupation of Palestine. “Often time, BDS campaigns give rise to tensions in communities – particularly on college campuses – that can result in harassment or intimidation of Jews and Israel supporters, including overt anti-Semitic expression and acts. This dynamic can create an environment in which anti-Semitism can be expressed more freely.” ^[1] Examples include “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel” ^[2] and “accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.” ^[2] By doing this, supporters of BDS are making sweeping and unfair generalizations that demonize not only Israel, but also Jewish people. The cultivates a sense of "otherness" in regards to Jewish people, or an "us-versus-them" mentality that ostracizes Jewish people and mirrors how society treated and perceived them prior to and during the Holocaust. In addition, BDS negatively impacts many Jewish people living within Israel who may not support their government's treatment of Palestinians. For example, if an Israeli business is forced to close due to the financial pressure placed upon it by BDS, innocent working-class Israeli Jews will lose their jobs and struggle to provide for themselves and their children. BDS disrupts the comfort, security, and quality of life of Jewish people in both Israel and abroad.

[P1] The intensity of BDS allows for a potentially hostile environment to form on college campuses and within other institutions that support the movement. [P2] This could lead to people making anti-semitic remarks against Jewish people who are held responsible for Israel's human rights violations despite having nothing to do with them.