New York bookseller bowed to Jewish state of Israel supporters after violent threats
By Ali Abunimah: A New York City bookseller faced threats of violence from Israel supporters before it caved in to demands to sign a statement repudiating the nonviolent BDS – boycott, divestment and sanctions – movement for Palestinian rights.An excerpt from the book P is for Palestine. (Courtesy of Golbarg Bashi)
The statement, written by a local rabbi, also declares that Israel has a “right to exist.”
Columbia University Students for Justice in Palestine and Columbia/Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace are reaffirming a call to boycott the bookseller, Book Culture, unless it rescinds the statement.
Book Culture issued the statement in the wake of threats and intimidation because it was promoting a children’s book called P is for Palestine.
The petition, signed by 18 faculty members and almost 200 students, alumni and community members, accuses Book Culture of “bowing to pressure from pro-Israel groups that seek to silence literary representations of the Palestinian right to resist.”