(JTA) — The Democratic Socialists of America voted to endorse a BDS motion against Israel at their biannual convention in Chicago.
The vote, which took place on Saturday, passed with 90 percent approval of the 697 delegates from 49 states.
The motion read, in part, “Democratic Socialists of America declares itself in solidarity with Palestinian civil society’s nonviolent struggle against apartheid, colonialism, military occupation and for equality, human rights, and self-determination; Democratic Socialists of America responds to Civil Society’s call by fully supporting BDS… .”
The statement from the resolution was tweeted by an attendee, the Legal Insurrection website reported.
According to its website, The Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, “is the largest socialist organization in the United States, and the principal U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International. DSA’s members are building progressive movements for social change while establishing an openly democratic socialist presence in American communities and politics.”
The organization also says: “We are socialists because we reject an international economic order sustained by private profit, alienated labor, race and gender discrimination, environmental destruction, and brutality and violence in defense of the status quo.”
“We are socialists because we share a vision of a humane international social order based both on democratic planning and market mechanisms to achieve equitable distribution of resources, meaningful work, a healthy environment, sustainable growth, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships.”
The organization reports that it has about 25,000 dues-paying members nationwide, up from 8,000 in recent years.
While the movement is not officially associated with Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour, DSA is aligned with her, according to the Jerusalem Post. DSA was an official participant in the Women’s March in January 2017, of which Sarsour was a co-organizer, the Post reported.
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