It seems that the dust has barely settled from the relentless genocide perpetrated by the Israeli entity in Gaza, that their focus has shifted to the West Bank. International pressure and an ultimatum from President Trump finally paved the way for a ceasefire after more than 50,000 Palestinians lost their lives in a putsch that began in October 2023.
With the world’s attention diverted, the Israeli government has now reinvigorated their efforts to promote settlements in the West Bank. Pakistan has been an official ally of the Palestinian people since Independence. The Prime Minister has also vowed to support the rebuilding of Gaza, but beyond these measures, what can one do in the face of such horrific carnage?
A recent story by this paper’s sister publication, Profit, takes a look at the effects of the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement in Pakistan. Founded in 2005, BDS is a successor movement. It is modelled on a method of targeted boycotts inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the US Civil Rights movement, the Indian and the Irish anti-colonial struggles, among others worldwide. It is non-violent, and believes that when it comes to corporations, consumer choice is a weapon that can be wielded to great effect.
The concept is simple: there are corporations all over the world that do business with Israel. Some of these companies are harmless while others provide key technology and equipment that is directly used for the subjugation of the Palestinian people. The idea is for individuals all over the world that support the end of Apartheid in Palestine to boycott these companies, and hopefully hurt the businesses of these corporations enough for them to notice and change their policies.
In Pakistan the effects have been clear. As the report reveals, franchise restaurants on the BDS list suffered a dip in sales of around 40% at one point, and Pakistan’s carbonated drinks market has shrunk by 20%. While Pakistan might not be a big player in either of these segments globally, small pressure like this in different countries will make large corporations that do business with Israel feel the heat.
As a matter of editorial policy, we hold that efforts to boycott certain companies in a targeted attempt to exert economic pressure on them for supporting Israel at a time when it is embarking on a relentless genocide in Gaza and The West Bank is an effective mode of resistance. More importantly than the effectiveness of such methods, we believe in the moral merit of boycotts simply because it is one of the foremost popular demands made by the Palestinian people. Now that a ceasefire is in place and international attention is diverted, it is more vital than ever to support the Palestinian people and do it the way they ask of us.
