Katie Nelson

Also on July 21, 2014, Nelson posted on Facebook: “With not all due respect, f**k Zionism.”

Nelson retweeted a July 21, 2014 tweet that said: “Palestinian tunnels are an inspiring, and justifiable, example of anti-colonial resistance to siege and occupation. #GazaUnderAttack#Gaza.”

Hamas terror tunnels are intended for mass murders and hostage-taking scenarios against Israeli civiliansand soldiers. They stretch from the Gaza Strip into Israel.  

On July 21, 2014, Nelson tweeted: “Facebook has revoked all my privileges. No posting commenting sharing or pics After I got into a public debate with Zionists / #FreePalestine.”

Anti-Israel Activism (BDS)

Nelson reportedly campaigned in 2014 for the Concordia Student Union (CSU) to pass a referendum in support of the BDS movement, which included “an academic boycott of Israeli institutions.” The campaign was titled “YES TO BDS” and was supported by the BDS Concordia: Action Network. 

The referendum was approved on December 5, 2014. The next day, Nelson posted on Instagram a screenshot of the results of the divestment vote. She wrote: “Concordia Student Union has officially taken stance against Israel. #BDS#yestobds#concordia#conU#palestine.”    

Following the BDS campaign, Nelson reportedly referred to Concordia students who protested the referendum as “pro-Apartheid supporters” and “very firmly and publicly racists” in a Facebook post.

In November 2014, Nelson posted on Instagram a graphic in favor of the BDS campaign. In the post, she wrote: “It has been such an amazing week…that really put priorities back into perspective for not only our communities but for our society as a whole. Yes [to BDS] campaign has done an incredible job…and I am so proud to say I will be voting yes to the CSU referendum question on BDS. #voteyestobds…”

In June 2015, Nelson signed a statement opposing Concordia’s art history department’s participation in the “Sustainable Israel” conference at Concordia from May 31, 2015, through June 3, 2015. 

The statement also opposed the art department’s involvement in both the sustainable architecture exhibit showcasing the work of Israeli architecture students, and the panel titled: “The Ethics of Sustainability in Israeli Art and Architecture.” Both events were part of the conference.

The statement accused Israel of “apartheid” and claimed that “architecture is a key weapon of Israeli settler-colonialism.” The statement also encouraged scholars, planners, architects and artists to “join the BDS movement.”

Beneath Nelson’s signature, she commented: “Apartheid is not sustainable...”

BDS

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement was founded by Omar Barghouti in 2005 to challenge “international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.” BDS is an allegedly “Palestinian-led movement,” although leading BDS activists have admitted [00:01:01] this is not true. 

One of the demands of BDS includes [point 3] what is generally known as the “right of return,” a demand discredited as a way to eliminate Israel. Barghouti said the “right of return” is a means to “end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.”  

Barghouti has said that BDS “aims to turn Israel into a pariah state, as South Africa once was.”

In his activism, Barghouti has also said [00:05:55] regarding Israel: “Definitely, most definitely, we oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine. No…rational Palestinian, not a sellout Palestinian, will ever accept a Jewish state in Palestine.”

The movement has been linked to numerous terrorist organizations and received a public endorsement from Hamas in 2017.

BDS initiatives include calling on institutions and individuals to divest from Israeli-affiliated companies, promoting academic and cultural boycotts of Israel, and organizing anti-Israel rallies, protests and campaigns.

The movement’s most notable achievement has been the infiltration of university campuses through lobbying for “BDS resolutions.” In these cases, student governments and student groups, backed by their own anti-Israel members and affiliates, have proposed resolutions on some form of boycott of, or divestment from, Israel and Israeli-affiliated entities.

Boycott resolutions, although non-binding, have been passed by student governments on numerous North American campuses.

BDS activity is often aggressive and disruptive. It has been noted that universities that pass BDS resolutions see a marked increase in anti-Semitic incidents on campus. On one campus, when the student government debated a BDS resolution, reports emerged of violent threats against those opposing it.

Social Media and Weblinks

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/changeisinthewind [Deleted]

Twitter:https://twitter.com/KatieNelsonMTL [Deleted]

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katienelsonmtl/ [Deleted]