Weaponization of Academia: The Palestinian BDS Movement and Campus Protests Against Israel

Abstract

This study exposes the strategic integration between the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the U.S. campus protests following the October 7, 2023 events, and Palestinian terror organizations. By analyzing financial records, organizational documents, and social media activities, this study demonstrates how terrorist organizations utilize the BDS movement as a sophisticated 'soft power' component in their broader campaign against Israel. The study provides concrete evidence of operational connections, including funding networks through NGOs linked to terrorist groups and synchronized protest activities. Analysis of post-October 7 campus demonstrations uncovers unprecedented coordination, with protest organizers systematically amplifying terrorist organizations' messaging through academic platforms. While the BDS movement's economic impact remains limited, its significance lies in its role as a psychological warfare tool that has successfully penetrated Western consciousness through academic institutions. The study concludes by discussing Western society's responses and implications, offering policy recommendations, and suggesting directions for future research.

Keywords: BDS Movement, Campus Protests, Terrorist Organizations, Soft Power, October 7, Israel-Hamas War