US students ramp up BDS movement in wake of Gaza war

In the wake of the Israeli genocidal offensive in Gaza, leaders of BDS movement in the United States have decided to ramp up their anti-Zionism campaign across the country.

At the University of Central Florida, members of the Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) have grown by nearly half over the summer. The SJP, with chapters on 114 campuses across the U.S., has ramped up its presence at universities jointly with other anti-Israeli groups, according to Haaretz.

They are now planning on introducing more BDS resolutions.

“This Gaza attack has been able to catalyze a lot of people,” said Taher Herzallah, national campus director of American Muslims for Palestine, a group that provides funding and training to SJP.

“What happened in Gaza will add intensity to the work that we’re doing,” said Herzallah. “This has helped us get a lot more public support from people we have trouble reaching, people who are usually apathetic.”

While BDS has been a growing focus among Palestinian advocates over the past few years, it will likely become even more of an emphasis now, with campus groups using the Gaza war as a linchpin for resolutions and other activities, experts say.