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Normalization

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aliases

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Summary

In Barghouti’s account, joint relations and projects with an Israeli side that give the false impression of normalcy despite continuing colonial oppression, and the boycott criteria Palestinian civil society applies to distinguish such projects from legitimate joint struggle (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights, PDF p.213).

Details

  • “Normalization in the Arab — including Palestinian — context is defined as joint relations and projects with an Israeli side that give the false impression of normalcy despite the continuation of colonial oppression. Such projects and relations, by definition and by effect, attempt to normalize the abnormal: Israel’s colonial and racist oppression.” (PDF p.213)
  • The two conditions for a normalization-free relationship, set by PACBI and adopted by the great majority of Palestinian civil society since November 2007: the Israeli side must recognize the internationally sanctioned and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including self-determination; and the project itself must have as one of its main objectives resisting the occupation and/or apartheid (PDF p.213).
  • “Nothing in the boycott criteria opposes” a project meeting the two conditions (PDF p.213).
  • Whether such projects are useful is a pragmatic question for activists in each project: “It is not intuitively true that Israeli involvement in any Palestinian struggle is invariably welcome or has positive effects”, but that “has nothing to do with whether the project is itself a violation of the boycott criteria” (PDF p.213).
  • The PACBI guidelines printed in the appendices apply the same test: academic and cultural events and projects that promote the normalization of Israel in the global academy, or that promote “balance” between the “two sides” on the false premise that colonizers and colonized are equally responsible, are boycottable, unless based on unambiguous recognition of Palestinian rights and framed within explicit opposition to occupation and oppression (PDF p.241, p.243, p.251-252).
  • The Conclusion’s second campaign priority extends the boycott to events that “cover up and whitewash Israel’s violations of international law, as in the Brand Israel campaign” (PDF p.218-219).

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions: The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights, PACBI, BDS movement, Academic boycott, Cultural boycott, Brand Israel

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