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Minnesota Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions Community (MN BDS Community)

Website:

www.facebook.com/MinnesotaBDS
Type:

Pro-Palestinian Group
Formation:

2017

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The Minnesota Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions Community (MN BDS Community) is a far-left, anti-Israel, and pro-Palestinian activist organization. MN BDS Community calls on the state to divest from Israel, claims a “genocide is happening today” in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and hosted events with numerous left-of-center organizations, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). 1 2 3

History and Leadership

The Minnesota Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (MN BDS) Community was launched sometime around 2017. 4 Bob Goonin, Karen Redleaf Schraufnagel, and Sylvia Schwarz are three activists associated with MN BDS Community. 5 6

Activities and Funding

The Minnesota Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Community (MN BDS Community) is a far-left anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian organization. MN BDS Community says that a 2017 Minnesota statute prohibiting vendors from discriminating against Israel is unconstitutional, 7 claims that a “genocide is happening today” in Israel and the Palestinian territories on its Facebook page, 8 and has provided bussing for its members to attend conferences hosted by American Muslims for Palestine. 9 10

The organization supports the Minnesota State Board of Investment divesting all investments and pension funds from Israel 11 and has encouraged its supporters to bring Palestinian flags to a rally it organized in November 2023 that demanded divestment strategies similar to those that brought down the government in Apartheid-era South Africa. 12 13

In June 2024, individuals associated with the MN BDS Committee testified at a Minnesota State Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee to share views on alleged anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incidents at the University of Minnesota. These comments also addressed the university’s handling of these events related to the Minnesota Human Rights Act, Minnesota’s anti-BDS statute, and First Amendment protections guaranteeing freedom of speech. 14

In January 2024, the MN BDS Committee signed a letter organized by Southern Social Movements that supported South Africa’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that invoked the Genocide Convention against Israel. The letter alleged “genocidal actions, war crimes, and crimes against humanity” are being committed by Israel against Palestinians for Israel’s response to Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. 15

Other organizations signing this letter included 11 March Movement, the Arab American Civic Council, the Arab Commission for Human Rights, CUNY for Palestine, Democracy Works, the Democratic Socialists of America, Doctors Against Genocide, the Friendship Office of the Americas, the Green Party of Monroe County USA, the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the International Jewish Antizionist Network, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Kairos Center for Religious, Rights and Social Justice, the National Lawyers Guild, the New York Peace Council, the Palestinian American Council, Progressive Democrats of America, Progressive International, the Progressive Technology Project, Project Enduring Peace USA, RootsAction, Socialist Action USA, Veterans for Peace, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Women’s March Global, the Workers World Party, and others. 16

In 2023, the MN BDS Community hosted an event in Minneapolis that welcomed Nkosi Mandela, the grandson of South African President Nelson Mandela, to highlight the Nakba, the Arab term for the Arab coalition’s defeat by Israel in the Israeli War of Independence. The event was initiated by the Anti-War Committee and Twin Cities Coalition for Justice for Jamar. It was co-sponsored by left-of-center organizations including Black Lives Matter Minnesota, the Climate Justice Committee, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Jewish Voice for Peace, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, the Students for a Democratic Society, and Women Against Military Madness. 17

The MN BDS Community has sponsored an event with CAIR to call for the Minneapolis City Council to vote on a Gaza Ceasefire Resolution, 18 and signed a letter organized by the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt that supports South Africa’s application to the ICJ against Israel for alleged violations of the Geneva Convention. 19

Funding

The Minnesota BDS Community receives funding for its activities through donations from sponsors. 20

References

  1. “Image.” MN BDS Community Facebook Page. Posted August 4, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=507809345091514&set=a.507809465091502.
  2. “Image.” MN BDS Community Facebook Page. Posted November 22, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360472066491910&set=pb.100075873588894.-2207520000&type=3.
  3. Harbison, Robyn. “Palestine protestors shut down Lockheed Martin subsidiary.” Fight Back! News. November 22, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://fightbacknews.org/articles/palestine-protesters-shut-down-lockheed-martin-subsidiary
  4. “Image.” MN BDS Community Facebook. Posted December 19, 2017. Accessed August 26, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/MinnesotaBDS/photos/pb.100075873588894.-2207520000/1530702543691804/?type=3.
  5. “Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.” Minnesota State Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. June 25, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.senate.mn/schedule/hearing_minutes.html?hearing_id=18857&ls=93.
  6. “Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.” Minnesota State Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. June 25, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.senate.mn/schedule/hearing_minutes.html?hearing_id=18857&ls=93
  7. “Will calls for Minnesota to divest from Israel result in action?” Minnesota Post. December 15, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2023/12/will-bds-calls-for-minnesota-to-divest-from-israel-amidst-war-in-gaza-result-in-action/.
  8. “Image.” MN BDS Community Facebook Page. Posted August 4, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=507809345091514&set=a.507809465091502.
  9. “Image.” MN BDS Community Facebook Page. Posted November 22, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360472066491910&set=pb.100075873588894.-2207520000&type=3.
  10. Harbison, Robyn. “Palestine protestors shut down Lockheed Martin subsidiary.” Fight Back! News. November 22, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://fightbacknews.org/articles/palestine-protesters-shut-down-lockheed-martin-subsidiary.
  11. Smith, Lucia Wilkes. “Palestine/Israel and the U.S.: Updates.” Rise Up Times. Vol. 40, No. 4. Women Against Military Madness. October 24, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://riseuptimes.org/2022/10/24/palestine-israel-and-the-u-s-updates-and-the-death-by-sniper-of-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh/
  12. “Image.” MN BDS Community Facebook Page. Posted November 22, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360193593186424&set=pb.100075873588894.-2207520000&type=3.
  13. “Image.” MN BDS Community Facebook Post. September 28, 2022. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=182401454298973&set=pb.100075873588894.-2207520000&type=3.
  14. “Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.” Minnesota State Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. June 25, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.senate.mn/schedule/hearing_minutes.html?hearing_id=18857&ls=93.
  15. “We Support South Africa’s Genocide Convention Case Against Israel.” Southern Social Movements Newswire. January 11, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.cetri.be/We-Support-South-Africa-s-Genocide?lang=fr.
  16. “We Support South Africa’s Genocide Convention Case Against Israeli” Southern Social Movements Newswire. January 11, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.cetri.be/We-Support-South-Africa-s-Genocide?lang=fr.
  17. “Mandela Nakba Tour Comes to Minneapolis.” All Events. May 16, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://allevents.in/mobile/amp-event.php?event_id=200024515611231.
  18. CAIR-Minnesota, TakeAction MN, Jewish Voice for Peace, Minneapolis Council Members, Dozens of Groups to Introduce Resolution in Support of Gaza Ceasefire and Palestinian Human Rights.” CAIR Press Release. January 4, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-minnesota-takeaction-mn-jewish-voice-for-peace-minneapolis-council-members-dozens-of-groups-to-introduce-resolution-in-support-of-gaza-ceasefire-and-palestinian-human-rights/.
  19. “Letter urging the States of the world to support South Africa’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel for violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Gaza.” Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt. January 15, 2024. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.cadtm.org/Letter-urging-the-States-of-the-world-to-support-South-Africa-s-application-to.
  20. “Image.” MN BDS Community Facebook Page. Posted November 22, 2023. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360472066491910&set=pb.100075873588894.-2207520000&type=3.
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