The growth and influence of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and other organisations campaigning against Israel raises an important question. Why is Israel subjected to a level of political, cultural and economic campaigning that is rarely applied consistently to other countries involved in serious and prolonged conflicts?

This is not an argument against legitimate criticism of Israel or its government, nor against peaceful protest. It is an argument about consistency, proportionality and double standards. Many bi-partisan reporters and observers have conceded they have never witnessed such appalling inconsistent and disproportionate double-standards.

The BDS movement describes its campaign as targeted rather than a blanket boycott of everything connected with Israel. That distinction is important. However, there have also been instances in which Israeli connections have been used as the basis for campaigns against individual businesses and organisations, including businesses in Britain and elsewhere.

Where that happens, it is legitimate to ask whether the distinction between opposition to Israeli government policy and opposition to people or businesses because of their Israeli or Jewish connections has been properly maintained. There is also the extra question about the selective application of these boycotts.

Israel has made significant contributions to fields including medicine, technology, cybersecurity, agriculture and communications, Israeli-developed or Israeli-linked technology is incorporated into many products and services used internationally. Yet campaigns against Israel do not generally call for the abandonment of every product or service containing Israeli technology.

That does not, in itself, invalidate a targeted boycott. But it does raise a reasonable question, namely what determines which Israeli connections are considered acceptable and which are considered grounds for boycott? The same applies to medical technology. Israel has been involved in the development of numerous medical devices, treatments and technologies used internationally. If Israeli involvement........

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