By Patricia Sabga, Aug. 13, 2014, America.aljazeera.com

On July 8, 2014, the day Israel launched its most recent Gaza offensive, “Long Live Palestine boycott Israel”, a Buycottapp campaign that helps consumers avoid purchasing products seen to profit from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands, had attracted a mere 470 supporters. A little over a month later, with the Palestinian death toll creeping toward 2,000, and horrific images of dead and maimed Palestinians filling mainstream and social media platforms, “Long Live Palestine boycott Israel” had surpassed a quarter-million followers, making it the fastest growing campaign on Buycott’s platform.

That groundswell is just one measure of the growing reach of BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), a global, citizen-led movement that advocates using economic pressure to force Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian lands, tear down the West Bank barrier, grant full rights to Palestinians living in Israel and uphold the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.

Launched in 2005 by Palestinian groups frustrated by the failure of Western governments to persuade Israel to tear down the West Bank barrier (deemed illegal by the International Criminal Court), the BDS movement harnesses citizen power to advance its goals. “It’s a way to put pressure on the Israeli government, similar to the South African anti-apartheid movement, when governments have been unwilling to do so, like our government has,” said Rebecca Vilkomerson, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, a nonprofit that spearheaded the US-based BDS coalitionWe Divest.

BDS advocates a three-pronged approach that includes boycotting products, companies and sporting, cultural and academic institutions seen as profiting from Israel’s violation of Palestinian human rights; divesting from corporations viewed as complicit with such policies; and sanctioning Israel.