Let’s talk about BDS and Deadly Exchange.

For starters, what exactly is BDS?

Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) is a global movement discouraging any form of investment in the State of Israel, whether economic, cultural, or social. It aims to pressure governments, companies, NGOs, and educational institutions to disassociate from Israeli products, services, and organizations.

Since its launch in 2005, BDS’s goal has been to aid in dismantling Israel as a Jewish state and establishing a single Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. The founder of the BDS movement, Omar Barghouti, has repeatedly objected to a two-state solution and cast doubt on Jewish ancestral ties to Israel.

Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of more than 200 hostages, the BDS movement endorsed Hamas’ actions and justified their attacks as “armed resistance against the oppressor’s military and civilians.”

How does BDS impact campus culture?

A key tenet of BDS is anti-normalization, which discourages engagement with people or organizations connected to Israel. The American Jewish Committee’s 2025 State of Antisemitism in America survey found that more than three-quarters of American Jews consider caring about Israel important to their Jewish identity. BDS campaigns put Jewish students and professors to a litmus test, having to choose between their connection to Israel and acceptance within campus communities.

The campaigns also create practical barriers to Jewish religious observance by targeting Israeli goods and suppliers that provide items used in Jewish life. Campaigns to restrict or boycott Israeli-linked food providers reduce access to kosher options, making it harder for observant Jewish students to maintain their dietary practices. Some Jewish ritual items, like the etrog*, are primarily sourced from Israel, and efforts to boycott Israeli products can affect students’ ability to access the foods and ritual objects they need to practice Judaism.

*The etrog is also grown in Italy and Morocco, but Israel is a major supplier to American Jewish communities. Other products used in Jewish religious life, including kosher-for-Passover snacks, candies, matzo products, wines, and specialty packaged foods, are difficult to source without Israeli suppliers.

The impact of BDS on college campuses.

  • A student-union resolution sought to restrict access to kosher food from providers identified as “Zionists.” Critics argued that the policy could interfere with Jewish students' access to kosher food, an important aspect of Jewish religious practice.

  • The Coalition for Palestinian Liberation introduced several BDS-related resolutions, including a demand that the university end study-abroad programs in Israel. Critics argued that ending such programs could limit academic opportunities for students and disproportionately affect students who use study abroad to explore Israeli, Jewish, or Middle Eastern culture and history.

  • Israeli postdoctoral researcher Dr. Shay Laps alleged that he experienced harassment and discrimination in a Stanford laboratory because he was Jewish and Israeli. A lawsuit filed on his behalf alleged that colleagues tampered with his research, isolated him, and made a false complaint that contributed to his removal from the lab. Stanford disputed the allegations.

What’s the Deadly Exchange?

A related campaign that has appeared on college campuses is “Deadly Exchange,” which targets U.S.-Israel law-enforcement training and exchange programs. These programs have included professional delegations of American police and law-enforcement officials traveling to Israel to meet with Israeli police and security officials and learn about counterterrorism, emergency response, intelligence, and security.

The “Deadly Exchange” campaign characterizes relationships between Israeli security personnel and American law enforcement as the transfer of Israeli policing practices to the United States. The campaign oversimplifies the purpose and substance of these exchanges and treats Israeli security practices as inherently suspect. More broadly, its rhetoric casts Israel and participating organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League as responsible for systemic racism, racialized policing, and police brutality in the United States. This framing attributes longstanding problems in American policing to Israel and the Jewish community.

Are BDS campaigns antisemitic?

BDS campaigns and antisemitism are related but distinct subjects. Criticism of Israel, support for Palestinian rights, and advocacy for boycotts are not inherently antisemitic. At the same time, BDS-related activism becomes antisemitic when it targets Jews and Israelis on the basis of national origin, invokes anti-Jewish stereotypes, holds Jewish or Israeli students collectively responsible for Israel’s actions, or excludes Jews because of their Jewish identity or perceived connection to Israel. Furthermore, BDS’s opposition to Israel’s existence as a Jewish state rejects Jewish self-determination, an important facet of Jewish identity to many in the Jewish community.

“[A] BDS rally featured posters depicting a Star of David right next to a drawing of the Hollywood sign colored in red, promoting the antisemitic stereotype that Jews control Hollywood.”

— Anonymous, University of California, Los Angeles

So, what now?

If a BDS proposal reaches student government, students can:

  • Learn the proposal. Read the actual resolution and identify exactly what it would require the university to do.

  • Understand the process. Each university has its own procedures for introducing, debating, and voting on student-government resolutions.

  • Organize Jewish students. Create space for Jewish students to explain how the proposal could affect their academic, religious, cultural, or campus experiences.

  • Engage student representatives. Meet with senators and student-government leaders. Provide specific information and explain concerns about the proposal rather than relying on slogans.

  • Build broader support. Speak with students, faculty, and organizations who may have concerns about academic freedom, religious accommodation, viewpoint diversity, or institutional neutrality.

  • Document and report discrimination. If students experience harassment, exclusion, or discrimination because they are Jewish or because of a perceived connection to Israel, document what happened and use the university's established reporting and grievance procedures.

  • Engage university administrators. Request meetings with relevant administrators and explain how the proposal or surrounding campus activity may affect Jewish students.

  • Seek outside guidance. Consult Jewish organizations for resources, guidance, and support in responding to antisemitism, discrimination, or campus initiatives targeting Israel. These organizations can help students understand their options, document concerns, and identify appropriate next steps.

At Boston University, Jewish students organized around a proposed BDS resolution in February 2025 and spoke at a student-government meeting about its potential impact on Jewish students. The resolution did not pass. At the University of Connecticut, a campus chapter circulated a petition opposing a proposed BDS resolution in February 2025; the resolution was subsequently tabled and then defeated in September of that year.

The specific outcome of a BDS campaign will depend on the proposal, the university’s policies, and the student-government process. The most effective response begins with understanding what is actually being proposed, documenting its potential effects, and making sure Jewish students have a meaningful voice in the discussion.