Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to leading others in non-violent opposition to oppression. He started by focusing on using Gandhian methods to end the legalized oppression of his own ethnic group, African-Americans, but did not stop there.
He also believed that the Vietnam War was an act of oppression of the poor, who were disproportionately drafted to fight in a war which he also found to be a violation of the human rights of the Vietnam people. During his lifetime he also remarked on the Israeli occupation of the West Bank after the war of 1967, saying there would only be peace in that region if Israel gave back some of the land they conquered during that war.
Author Michelle Alexander believes that were Dr. King still alive today, he would be a supporter of the Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement that seeks to hold Israel accountable for human rights violations and apartheid treatment of Palestinians.
She writes in her NY Times aricle:
"... just as King received fierce, overwhelming criticism for his speech condemning the Vietnam War — 168 major newspapers, including The NY Times, denounced the address the following day — those who speak publicly in support of the liberation of the Palestinian people still risk condemnation and backlash....
"I cannot say for certain that King would applaud Birmingham for its zealous defense of Angela Davis’s solidarity with Palestinian people. But I do. In this new year, I aim to speak with greater courage and conviction about injustices beyond our borders, particularly those that are funded by our government, and stand in solidarity with struggles for democracy and freedom. My conscience leaves me no other choice."
Consequences of Conscience
Indeed, there is a moral imperative to speak out (or at least silently particpate in boycotts), yet many groups and individuals have made sure there is a valid threat to discourage anyone from doing so.
The NY governor has said that any group that boycotts Israel will find itself boycotted by NY. A NY Senator has equated opposing apartheid in Israel with being anti-semitic. As if being anti-apartheid in South Africa decades ago would have made someone anti-Dutch. Or as if NY's same governor boycotting Indiana over Christian-based laws against homosexuality make that governor anti-Christian.
Obviously boycotts aimed to protest human rights violations are not anti anything other than violation of human rights, wherever those violations are found. In fact, one lawmaker calling for BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) has also called for the same against Saudi Arabia. Is she both anti-semitic and Islamophobic?
Deeper Consequences
Beyond these public denouncements by prominent individuals that target anyone calling for non-violent opposition to human rights abuses in Israel, there is also a terrorist campaign called Canary Mission that targets student activists.
I use the word "terrorist" quite deliberately, for it can be called nothing less. The site maintains a blacklist of students who have participated in activism against human rights abuses in Israel/Palestine. It labels any such activist an anti-Semite and presents their photo, email address and social media profiles so that others can harass and threaten them. It calls upon employers to refuse to hire them. It mixes them with profiles of actual anti-Semites who are clearly working to do harm to Jewish people and have publicly announced their hatred of Jews.
And it works!
They do get death threats, email inboxes flooded with hate, interrogations by current employers, and even interrogation by the FBI, just for being listed on the site. This abuse comes with economic and psychological consequences for anyone targeted.
From an in-depth article on Canary Mission:
"The Intercept spoke with 13 people, all of them current or former students, who are profiled on Canary Mission. The majority of them, like S.A., requested anonymity because they were afraid that speaking out about the blacklist would result in additional harassment. Their shared experiences include feelings of anxiety and paranoia, and in some cases, stepping back from Palestinian rights activism — mirroring the results of the Against Canary Mission survey. Some reported receiving death threats online when Canary Mission tweets about them, and others said they believe they have had a tough time finding a job because of their inclusion on the list.
The blacklist has become especially frightening, some activists said, because it’s being used by law enforcement in Israel and the United States. Palestinian rights advocates have been interrogated and deported from Israel because of their Canary Mission profiles. Others have been interrogated by the FBI, as The Intercept reported in June."
Where Do You Stand?
I believe that if Dr. King was alive today, he would stand firmly with the BDS movement that seeks to use non-violent means to end the oppression of a group of people. That would be consistent with where he stood on all such issues during his lifetime.
But though today is the day to honor his life and his work, that doesn't mean that all those who embrace him must embrace ALL of his stances.
Do you support Boycott, Divest, Sanctions against Israel?
Are you bothered by the activities of Canary Mission?
In closing, I'll leave you with this video that goes into the BDS movement in more depth.
P.S. I have half a mind to start a website doing profiles of all the good things done by innocent people listed on the Canary Mission website, including I'm sure many activist actions in support of religious tolerance and inclusion, as well as personal acts of charity and compassion. Let's highlight them as the servants of humanity they truly are. (As for the real anti-Semites on there, well they're on their own!)