US-funded projects in the occupied Palestinian territories are facing a sharp backlash amid calls for an organised boycott in reply to Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Among those pushing hardest for a more organised boycott of US-funded projects has been the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) national committee, which issued a statement calling for a boycott of “activities organised or sponsored by US institutions (such as USAid), in Jerusalem and abroad”. The issue of whether to widen the boycott is due to be discussed at an upcoming meeting of the Palestinian central council, which will meet to discuss the Palestinian response to Trump’s Jerusalem decision. But after Trump’s decision there has been a lot of sensitivity. Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the BDS movement, said pressure to cut ties with US-funded projects was being driven by the widespread feeling that the US was not an honest broker.

Source: The Guardian January 07, 2018 11:01 UTC