“Success has many fathers,” they
say, and this is particularly true for the anti-Israel “Boycott and Sanctions”
(BS) group, also known by some as the "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" (BDS) group. BSemites have made little
headway since their group was founded, ten years ago, by Omar Barghouti (a
Qatari who has since moved to Israel to complete his graduate studies). Several food co-ops and student clubs have applauded
his views, some have expressed support and then changed their minds, and
several others have overturned the votes of misguided predecessors.
Nonetheless, even transitory BS feats
receive wide publication, not only because the group’s targets are so
outlandish (Palestinians tend to be their primary victims, which is why BS has
been rejected by the Palestinian leadership) but because two groups persistently
“advertise” BS exploits. The first are
the BSemites themselves who celebrate such successes as they can and cover up
failure after failure. The other are
Israel supporters who, in venting their outrage at the group’s hypocrisy,
inadvertently publicize its misdeeds.
The problem with reporting
occasional BS “hits” without also reporting the mass of BS “flops” is that it
creates perverse incentives for BSemites to continuously engage in rabble
rousing. If the group’s repeated
failures are never acknowledged, what downside is there to trying again and
again in the hope for an eventual fluke?
To raise the cost of yet another futile effort, one must announce BS
failures loudly and consistently. This
may lead the brighter among its members to think twice before launching another
attack that is doomed to fail.
Our goal is to bring to light the
many failures of the BS group that occur every day, week and month. For every rock star that gives in to BS
threats and cancels a visit to Israel, there are dozens that ignore BS warnings. For every supermarket that temporarily ceases
to sell humus that BS disapproves of, there are scores that show BSemites the
door. For every student group that
temporarily declares allegiance with BS, there are hundreds that reject it,
expose the true motivations of BSemites, or refuse to even discuss their
agendas.
Ten years later, BS has nothing to
show for its efforts yet it proclaims many “victories”. “Cut the BS” seeks to keep the Barghouti group
honest by helping it advertise each and every failure as it happens.
