Dalit Baum: Israeli Feminist Scholar to Speak in Portland June 17th on BDS: Is it an Important Social Justice Movement or a Dangerous Threat?
In advance of her talk in Portland Friday evening June 17th, KBOO spoke with Dalit Baum, PhD, Israeli researcher, scholar, feminist and social justice activist
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) has scored impressive victories in its efforts to encourage Israel to stop its human rights violations of Palestinians. SodaStream, Orange, Veolia, Ahava, and G4S, among other companies, have pulled out – or pledged to pull out – from the Israeli occupation or from Israel all together. And on increasing numbers of campuses, university student governments – including here at Portland State – wrestle with whether to divest from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation.
In response, New York Governor Cuomo signed an executive order last week calling on New York to blacklist supporters of BDS. In addition, anti-BDS bills have been introduced in more than 20 state legislatures. Is the New York governor employing McCarthyite tactics in an effort to stifle protest against the Israeli occupation? Are state legislatures considering bills that seek to deny the use of boycotts which the Supreme Court has declared to be free speech protected by the First Amendment?
Those questions and others swirl around as the BDS battle comes to Portland where from June 18-25, Presbyterians from all over the country convene their General Assembly to address a myriad of issues, some of which deal with the Israeli occupation and the BDS Movement.
Dalit Baum will speak on “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about BDS” on June 17 at 7 pm at TaborSpace, 5441 SE Belmont in Portland.