Gaza, ALRAY - (Israel) is ramping up its efforts to fight the growing campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS), the Electronic Intifada reported.

The Palestinian US-based platform committed to combating the pro-Israeli, and pro-American spin quoted Anshel Pfeffer as writing in Israeli daily Haaretz:

"Today’s battle is BDS – the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign being waged against Israel. Significant efforts are being invested by the government and pro-Israel organizations to fend off BDS,"

"This week I discovered that in the Israeli embassy in London alone, there are two people (one diplomat and a local employee) whose full-time brief is to monitor and counter BDS attempts,"

"Apparently the Foreign Ministry with its diplomatic corps is not enough and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has added fighting BDS to the responsibilities of Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz,"

This revelation followed a decision by Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year to hand responsibility for fighting BDS to the ministry of strategic affairs.

Netanyahu said the ministry would coordinate “efforts with NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] in Israel and all over the world,” a role which would include “the establishment of a professional special staff for countering delegitimization.”

Reut Institute, an Israel-aided NGO, identified London as one of the major hubs in a so-called “delegitimization network.”

Pfeffer downplayed the importance of the Palestinian campaign “BDS has failed to create any form of pressure on Israel to change its policies and has done nothing to dent Israel’s economy,"

EI added that he acknowledged that BDS has had a deep psychological impact on Israelis from “generals and politicians who feel an unease landing in some countries” where they could face arrest, to “academics looking for a university for their post-doctorate year and business people trying to drum up interest in professional conferences.”