The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement is a Palestinian-led, nonviolent global campaign that seeks to pressure Israel to comply with international law. It is a concept and a social movement, not an act, institution, or scheme. The movement was officially launched on July 9, 2005, by a coalition of 170 Palestinian civil society organizations. The call was made in light of Israel's persistent violations of international law and the failure of international intervention to end the occupation. The movement is modeled after the international anti-apartheid movement against South Africa.
The mechanism of the BDS Movement is its three-pronged approach: Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions. Boycotts involve individuals and organizations withdrawing support from Israeli or international companies and institutions complicit in what the movement describes as violations of Palestinian human rights. Divestment campaigns urge banks, universities, and pension funds to withdraw investments from companies that sustain the occupation. Sanctions call upon governments to impose embargoes and punitive measures against Israel. The movement's three core demands are: ending the occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the separation barrier; recognizing the fundamental rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and respecting the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties, as stipulated in UN Resolution 194. The movement connects to the broader concept of international civil society activism and draws inspiration from the historical use of economic pressure in movements like the Indian struggle against the British Raj and the US Civil Rights Movement. The movement is coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), established in 2007. There have been no recent replacements or amendments to the core principles of the BDS call since its launch in 2005.