President Carter and “Elders” Group Oppose Palestinian Boycott Movement

The Palestinian “BDS” movement, which works to foment “boycotts, divestment and sanctions” against Israeli goods and groups, suffered a setback on Monday when former US President Jimmy Carter told the Associated Press that he and the groups called “The Elders,” [comprised of former Irish president Mary Robinson, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, and former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari], reject the idea of the boycott and divestment but favor labeling of goods originating in the post-1967 territories so buyers can decide for themselves whether to purchase the product. The movement has been resonating in the international community with successes in preventing headline entertainers from performing in Israel and in convincing cultural and educational entities to avoid Israel. This week, the British arm of the international architects’ professional organization passed a resolution calling on the parent body to remove membership from its Israeli group. Carter and the Elders are viewed as highly critical of Israeli policies.