BDS is an acronym for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions. In 2005, a number of Palestinian civic groups called for external pressure on Israel to force the state to change its treatment of Palestinians. BDS activists want companies to stop doing business in Israel; consumers to stop buying Israeli products; and academics and cultural figures to stop collaborating with Israeli colleagues.
Supporters claim that the BDS Movement parallels similar calls in the face of apartheid in South Africa. They hope that these non-violent actions pressure the Israeli government to address some of the Palestinian concerns in an otherwise stalled political process.
Opponents see BDS as anti-Israel. They claim that radical activists are pushing for something incompatible with the two state solution, and instead the activist want to deny the Jewish people the universal right of self-determination.