More than half of US students support boycott of Israel

More than half of American university students support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an official survey conducted by Israeli Foreign Ministry released on Monday has found.

The survey, Israel’s Ynet News said, found that 48 per cent of US students support Israel and believe it is an asset while 56 per cent supported the boycott of Israel as long as it continues to occupy the areas it captured in 1967. This included students who support Israel but also believe it should be boycotted, the survey of 513 students found.

According to the survey, 50 per cent of the students reported they viewed Israel positively compared to 36 per cent who said they did not have a positive view of the country.

Ministry officials said the findings are not all bad “because students tend to be more extreme in their political views.” They added that the older the students get the more positive a view they have of Israel as a high tech and democratic state.

However, Ynet News reported that Israeli officials were alarmed by the findings and indicated that the BDS movement has considerable influence on campuses.

READ: Palestinians protest Israeli settler intrusions into Al-Aqsa complex