Christian Palestinian group lambasts Germany for anti-BDS motion

A Palestinian Christian group has slammed Germany for smearing the non-violent Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement as anti-Semitic, saying they are “saddened and confused” to learn about the motion.

Last week, Germany’s parliament sparked global outrage after voting in favour of a motion which claims the BDS movement uses anti-Semitic tactics to fulfill its “political” goals at the anger of Palestinians.

Kairos Palestine, a Christian Palestinian group on Saturday released a statement lambasting the decision according to Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA.

“The Palestinian BDS movement embraces the logic of peaceful means of resistance against the ongoing occupation and the Israeli human rights violations and discriminatory measures against our people”, the group said.

“It means inviting Israel to the ways of peace, even by instituting some kind of pressure to help the government to open its eyes and see the injustice it is imposing on another people, the Palestinians.”

The group added that Germany’s motion, if anything, harms Israel by enabling its abysmal record of violating Palestinian rights:

“While the Bundestag intends to protect Israel, by the anti-BDS law, putting Israel above the law will not help Israel. On the contrary, by doing this you are justifying and legalising its unjust measures against Palestinians and helping sustain the occupation and state of war," the statement read.

"Israel needs people and states who can help it reconcile with Palestinians and put an end to its permanent way of war,” it added.

Kairos Palestine is a Palestinian Christian advocacy group, which aims to bring light to the brutal Israeli occupation from the lens of Christian Palestinians.

Smearing non-violent activism

The nonviolent BDS movement says it is inspired by the campaign that targeted South Africa's apartheid regime and is seeking an end to Israel's brutal occupation.
Israel sees BDS as a strategic threat and accuses it of anti-Semitism - a claim activists firmly deny, calling it an attempt to discredit them.

But the movement, which adheres to peaceful resistance, aims to pressure Israel to adhere to international law and human rights by lobbying various states, institutions and personas to understand its oppression of Palestinians and take action as a result.

BDS operates by pressuring corporations, artists and academic institutions to sever ties with Israel with supporters saying activities are aimed at promoting a Palestinian statehood.

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