BDS

Spain has long been a hotbed for anti-Israel pro-BDS activity. Back in December, the nation’s powerful BDS supporters swarmed a delegation from the West Bank in a Madrid hotel, physically attacking leaders of the Arab and Jewish communities. Protestors hurled insults at the group, which included the Palestinian Authority’s chief Islamic judge. This underscores the hypocrisy of BDS and proves what Israel supporters have known for years: BDS isn’t about loving Arabs or supporting Palestine, it’s just about hating Jews. Ironically, the group was in Spain to appeal an EU decision to label West Bank products. Mandatory labeling of products...

Imagine walking down the street in your own country and suddenly coming across two Israeli soldiers pointing rifles at a terrified Palestinian man who is begging for mercy. It would probably take a split second to realize the scene wasn’t real, but instead a street drama acted out by pro-Palestinian campaigners. However, the damage done in a split second can last a lifetime. The image of these evil, murderous Israeli soldiers is now embedded in your mind. The feelings of terror, horror, disgust. This street drama took place last month in the Austrian capital of Vienna. Right in the middle...

The US has once again chosen to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel in the battle against anti-Semitic lies and discrimination. Last month, Missouri became the 28th state to pass an anti-BDS bill. Lawmakers approved the “Anti-Discrimination Against Israel Act,” banning the state from doing business with companies that boycott Israel. This is fantastic news for Israeli businesses, including all the producers and artisans in the Lev Haolam family. After contending with the devastating effects of BDS for so long, we’re finally starting to see some relief. BDS stands for “Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions.” It is a deeply anti-Semitic movement that seeks...

For years, we’ve had to suffer the BDS propaganda machine spouting lies about the evils of Israel and the Zionist regime. They have preached about the boycott of Israeli products, artists and academics no matter what the cost. Even when thousands of Palestinians have lost their jobs as Israeli companies have been forced out of Judea and Samaria, BDS claims that it’s a small price to pay for a greater good: the downfall of the tyrannical Jewish State. Funnily enough, the ordinary Palestinian people are very population that BDS claims to support, but they’re actually suffering more than nearly anyone...

One of the most rewarding aspects of our work at Lev Haolam is the sense of partnership with so many amazing friends and supporters across the world. We know that we are on a joint mission to bring a message of hope and truth, and to stand with Israel against the lies of BDS. We simply couldn’t do what we do without you. An amazing and deeply moving set of events that happened in recent weeks reminded us again of this special worldwide partnership. Manuela Neuhaus — a faithful, long-term supporter of Lev Haolam in Belgium who has been receiving...

On Tuesday December 3, the French National Assembly approved a resolution stating that anti-Zionism was a form of anti-Semitism. The legislation called on the French government to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. The IHRA definition sets out examples of modern-day anti-Semitism, which include “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” and “applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.” The IHRA also states that using classic anti-Semitic symbols and ideas—such as the blood libel—to describe Israel or Israelis equates...

The myth of Palestine gets told so often that many people believe it’s true. This is the story: For thousands of years, the Palestinian people dwelt peacefully in their nation of Palestine tending to their olive groves and living well. Then the Zionist Jews came, stole their land, abused them and turned them into a nation of refugees. If only the refugees could return to their ancestral homes, there would be peace. Of course, this is a simplified version of the story. But it’s amazing how many people believe it’s true and have no idea what the facts really are....

On November 12, the European Union’s Court of Justice passed a ruling that all food products made in Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights must now be labelled as ‘Israeli settlement’ goods. Products made in these historic Jewish areas will no longer be able to claim they are ‘made in Israel.’ All 28 EU member states are legally bound to enforce this law in their own territories. The effects of this law are expected to be devastating. Hardest hit will be the Jewish farmers and producers in the Golan, Judea and Samaria who are already living with daily threats and...

The BDS (Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions) movement parades itself as a humanitarian, fact-based and impartial response to social injustice. In truth it’s a dangerous and misguided ideology fueled by hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Here are a few facts that reveal the dark spirit of antisemitism lurking beneath the respectable facade of BDS. Fact 1: BDS seeks the annihilation of Israel No movement can seriously describe itself as peace-making and reconciliatory if it plots the destruction of one of the parties! Yet this is exactly what BDS does. The movement tries to appeal to moderates by saying it...

A common myth people believe about Israel is that the Jewish state is guilty of ethnically cleansing its Arab population. A quick look at the facts tells a very different story: Fact 1: There never was an independent nation of Palestine Many think that prior to the creation of Israel in 1948, there was a flourishing independent country called Palestine with an Arab population dating back thousands of years. This isn’t true. Before the First World War, the region known as Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire, which included much of the modern-day Middle East. There was never a...

BDS (Boycotts, Divestments and Sanctions) is a movement that seeks to delegitimize Israel through economic measures such as boycotting Israeli businesses, cultural and academic institutions, particularly those operating in the so-called ‘occupied territories’, which are really the Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria. BDS is a movement based on myths and lies. Here are some of the false claims, and what the truth really is: Myth 1: BDS helps ordinary Palestinian people Truth: The BDS movement does more harm than good for Arab people living under the Palestinian Authority. Israeli companies operating in the wrongly described ‘occupied territories’ actually benefit...

In a recent landmark vote, the German Bundestag passed a motion ruling that the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel equates to antisemitism. The motion requested all German government agencies to withdraw support – financial or otherwise – from organizations connected to BDS or those that question Israel’s right to exist. The BDS campaign, which drew inspiration from the South African anti-apartheid movement, has caused significant damage to innocent Israeli business and individuals. Last year, 20 artists, including the singer Lana Del Rey, withdrew their participation from an Israeli summer festival following pressure from BDS activists. Members of...

Have you ever wondered about the phrases “history repeats itself” and “there is nothing new under the sun”? The latter is from Ecclesiastes, written in ancient times, not too long after the beginning of recorded history. These sayings point to the strange patterns that keep repeating themselves despite man’s best efforts to learn. One of the more sinister patterns, actually a virus, is anti-Semitism. Today, the BDS   movement’s targeting of Jewish economic life threatens to set a terrible historical pattern in motion. Where did the Holocaust Begin? At the end of WWII, as the depth of Nazi travesty and inhumanity against...

Claiming the Promised Land and securing the survival of the Jewish people have always involved an element of struggle, and victory has rarely been effortless. Throughout history God has raised up heroes like Esther and Mordechai, or the Maccabees, whom we are commemorating right now by lighting the candles during Hanukah. These were leaders who brought the people and the forces of good together. You personally can find out what’s going on in the struggle today and how you can help fight the good fight. One chapter in the struggle for the Holy Land is taking place with Airbnb, who...

You may have heard of the BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanctions) movement, whose main goal is to boycott goods and products from Isreal in order to delegitamize the country and weaken its economy. It’s a worldwide movement that started over 13 years ago and still continues to this day. The BDS movement has been in the news recently, and this past week has been no exception. Here is everything you need to know in order to stay on top of the news. Let’s start off with another monumental victory for anti-BDS campaigners, this time in the German city of Berlin....

As of this past month, global sports brand Adidas will no longer sponsor the Israel Football Association (IFA) after repeated protest from the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement. Adidas is just one major brand that has been viciously boycotted by the BDS movement. The long list includes famous companies such as Victoria’s Secret, AirBnb, Viber, SodaStream, and more – simply because they do business with Israel. Back in March, over 100 Palestinian football clubs petitioned Adidas to end its sponsorship of the IFA – all because six Israeli Football teams were based in the disputed Israeli holy land. After...

Last week, two cities in Spain made a bold statement after they overturned a pledge to join the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement. Villarrobledo, a small city about 100 miles from the capital of Madrid, originally signed up to be part of the BDS movement and boycott Israeli-made products back in April 2017. However, this was short lived: a Spanish civil liberties group called ACOM (loosely translated as Action and Communication about the Middle East) took legal action to reverse the motion – and won. Villarrobledo reversed their stance on August 21. The week after, another small Spanish city...

Over the past month, Ireland has sent shockwaves throughout the world by voting in favor of passing a bill that would ban the import of products created in Israel’s Judea & Samaria territory. What’s most alarming about this bill is that it sets the stage for other European countries to do the same – with terrible consequences. If Ireland bans products from Israel, it will lead to great losses of profits that family-run companies in the Israeli heartland rely on in order to survive. The Israeli government opposes this ban, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He notes, “Legislation, which promotes...

(BDS activist Ariel Gold. Picture: Ariel Gold’s Facebook Page) A Jewish American citizen with close ties to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement who attempted to enter Israel last night was denied entry at Ben Gurion international airport. Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority acted last night to prevented the entry of BDS activist Ariel Gold, who is known to the authorities for her anti-Israel agitation and links to the radical left Code Pink group which describes itself as “a feminist organization that supports and promotes BDS against Israel”. Gold is currently serving as the national co-director of US left-wing activist...

“We call it Judea and Samaria. It’s the biblical name of it. And we deal very straight. This is our homeland. It was the here for thousands of years. We don’t speak politics, we speak the truth about our history about our rights here by the Bible, by the history books.” Transcript: Reporter: Hundreds of supporters of the Jewish state from Norway Germany and Finland have just come together at a conference on how to fight back against BDS. Joining me now with more is attorney Nati Rom, the founder of Lev HaOlam, which organized this conference and...

by Zvi Manasseh | Jun 15, 2018 | BDS, IDF, Israel (IAI Heron, WikiMedia Commons) German lawmakers have approved a massive deal to lease several Israeli-made Heron-TP drones in a deal worth an estimated €1 billion ($1.2 billion), despite significant pressure against the German government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been busy with brief trips to multiple countries in the last two weeks, including Germany and Britain, and has welcomed numerous senior officials to Jerusalem over the same period. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the deal was discussed while visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in...

by Zvi Manasseh | May 10, 2018 | BDS, Israel Netta Barzilai during her time in the Israeli Navy’s band (Photo: Facebook) Netta Barzilai, Israel’s representative and bookmakers’ favorite to win the 2018 Eurovision contest, held this year in Lisbon, has come under fire from anti-Israel activists calling for the public to boycott the musician. Activists in the BDS Movement last week opened a Facebook campaign in Europe calling on the public to sabotage Israeli participant Netta Barzalai’s chances by giving her “nil points” (zero points) in the popular song contest.     BDS activists are claiming that they are...