BDS: What Palestinians think
The BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement against Israel, which has gained some traction in mainline denominations, raises hotly contested questions. (See, for example, my article “Boycotting the boycott” and the responses to it.)
A particularly salient one: Do ordinary Palestinians support BDS? Do Palestinians in the occupied territory want more separation from Israel or more integration with it?
A poll sponsored by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy sheds some interesting light. It found that two-thirds of West Bankers want Israel to allow more Palestinians to work in Israel, and 55 percent want Israeli companies to offer more jobs in the West Bank. In short, they want economic cooperation and investment.
