Alcee L. Hastings: It’s all too obvious that BDS doesn’t want peace — but we do | Times of Israel

I have traveled to Israel 18 times since first being elected to Congress. As a former president of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and a commissioner of the United States Helsinki Commission, an independent US agency that promotes democracy, human rights, security, and economic cooperation among the OSCE’s 57 member nations, I have had the privilege to represent the United States in Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and throughout the Middle East, the Gulf, the Maghreb, and Europe. During my numerous meetings overseas and my visits to refugee camps throughout the region, the movement to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel, known as BDS, has been a frequent topic of discussion.