According to the Strategic Affairs Ministry, 2017 marked a sea change in the campaign against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
One of the central achievements was the decision by a number of countries to halt funding to BDS organizations after the Strategic Affairs Ministry exposed their anti-Semitism and ties to terrorist organizations like Hamas.
FIFA, the world soccer body, rejected a motion to exclude Israel from international competition. And in the U.S., where 24 states have passed anti-BDS legislation, the state of New Jersey suspended its financial ties with Danske Bank, Denmark's largest bank, due to its boycott of Israeli companies.
The ministry also noted success in the cultural sphere. Although New Zealand pop singer Lorde's decision to cancel a planned appearance in Tel Aviv following pressure from boycott activists was widely reported in the media, a number of artists, including Britney Spears, Justin Bieber and rock groups Radiohead and Guns N' Roses, rejected calls for a boycott and played in Tel Aviv as scheduled.
According to the Strategic Affairs Ministry, as a result of these successes, the BDS movement has been playing defense and focusing more on the protection of "the right to boycott" rather than the boycott of Israel itself.
Looking ahead to 2018, the ministry plans to continue its efforts to counter the BDS movement, particularly in Europe, by exposing its deep ties to anti-Semitism and at times terrorism, as well as by working to prevent the funding of such groups. According to the ministry, the countries that presented the greatest challenge to the anti-BDS campaign were South Africa, Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said Israel's anti-BDS efforts were proving effective because boycott activists now "understand that they, too, have something to lose.
"We will not allow them to continue to delegitimize Israel," he said.
