Germany has officially classified the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement as an "extremist movement" due to its anti-Israel activities.
The decision comes following a 2023 report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, which indicated that the pro-Palestinian movement was suspected of extremism.
Founded in 2005, the BDS movement seeks to politically and economically isolate Israel through, as its name suggests, boycotts, sanctions and divestment. The report indicates that BDS has links to secular Palestinian extremist organizations and violates international understandings, though it does not specify incidents.
The designation allows German authorities to monitor BDS activists and recruit informants within the organization. The report highlighted the participation of BDS-affiliated groups in anti-Israel rallies and conferences following the October 7 massacre and referenced the movement's founding document, which demands the liberation of "all Arab lands," a phrase interpreted as a call for Israel's elimination. These demands were reiterated following the October 7 Hamas attack.
In 2019, the German Parliament condemned BDS, labeling its methods and propaganda as antisemitic and questioning Israel's right to exist. It urged states, cities and local councils to avoid funding BDS events and banned transferring German aid to related bodies. The current designation is part of a broader report addressing the severe threats Germany faces from extremism across the political spectrum and from international espionage.
The report noted a sharp increase in anti-Israeli and antisemitic violence since October 7 and the Gaza war, attributing much of it to far-right and far-left extremists. German intelligence cited Middle Eastern tensions as a key factor accelerating extremism in Germany and heightening concerns about jihadist attacks.
The report recorded a surge in antisemitic incidents, from 208 in October 2022 to 1,342 in October 2023, predominantly from far-right extremists. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and intelligence head Thomas Haldenwang warned of the significant jihadist threat posed by 27,000 activists affiliated with radical terrorist movements.
Germany's primary danger, according to the report, comes from sleeper terror cells and "lone wolves," though the country is also a major target for larger terrorist organizations. "Our democracy is strong, but it’s under mounting and continuous pressure. We must protect our country from people who want to cause democratic instability," Faeser said at the report's presentation.
The report noted a 67.4% increase in politically and ideologically motivated crimes in the past year, with most offenders linked to Islamist ideologies, a threat that has intensified since October 7.