The UK’s National Union of Students (NUS) has voted to align itself with the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel movement.

In a 19-4 vote with one abstention, the confederation of 600 student unions across the United Kingdom passed the pro-BDS boycott of Israel proposal last Tuesday at a meeting of its National Executive Council. UK student leaders have indicated that this BDS boycott of Israel victory “signals that the argument for BDS has become normalized within the student movement, as ‘common sense solidarity’…this vote represents a long battle being won, with credit due to years of work by activists on the ground.”

In 2011 South Africa’s largest and oldest student movement, the South African Students Congress (SASCO) as well as the South African Union of Students (SAUS), which represents Student Representative Council (SRCs) at all SA Universities, also lent its support for the BDS boycott of Israel campaign. Subsequently various South African SRC student government bodies have endorsed specific academic boycott of Israel resolutions. South African Government Minister for Higher Education and SACP General Secretary Dr Blade Nzimande has also been a vocal supporter of the BDS movement and Palestinian struggle against Israeli oppression and occupation.