This report studies the "Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions" movement against Israel on campus. It finds that the movement's success on campus is mixed, while its broader movement is well-funded and growing in influence.
The “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” (BDS) movement against Israel is one of the faces of anti-Semitism in the United States. It threatens not only Jewish students and scholars but also the political neutrality of the university. The BDS movement is particularly concentrated in higher education and creates an environment of academic politicization to the detriment of academic freedom, freedom of speech, and constructive civil discourse. BDS, similarly, contributes to a hostile campus environment for Jewish students, and supporters of Israel. The BDS movement promotes a one-sided narrative that demonizes the Jewish state while disproportionately amplifying narratives of Palestinian grievance and Arab victimhood.
Anti-Israel student activism is a growing problem that threatens the political neutrality of universities due to the widespread connections between pro-BDS student groups and a larger network of progressive and left-wing organizations.
