Palestinians walk past a sign painted on a wall in the West Bank town of Bethlehem calling to boycott Israeli products.  (Photo: AFP)

Ramallah, January 11 (RHC)-- The international anti-Israel movement of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) has called for the intensification of its campaign against the occupying regime in the year ahead and the imposition of worldwide sanctions on Tel Aviv over its occupation and persecution of the Palestinians.

The BDS made the plea in an annual report on the movement’s achievements over the past year, and said its objective for 2021 is to put an end to Israel's occupation and colonial regime.

The anti-Israel movement also censured normalization deals recently struck between some Arab countries and Tel Aviv and underlined that collective efforts were required to preserve the Palestinian cause.

Four Arab countries announced normalization deals with Israel in 2020, starting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and followed by Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

The normalization deals have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. They say the deals ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.

In its annual report, the BDS called for making the price of normalization high in 2021 and to force the Quds-usurping regime to pay the price for its atrocities against the Palestinians.

The movement also said some 100 Arab artists, including Palestinians, have vowed to boycott all cultural activities sponsored by the UAE over its establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel.

The BDS movement was initiated in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian organizations that were pushing for “various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets its obligations under international law.”

Thousands of volunteers worldwide have since then joined the BDS movement, which calls for people and groups across the world to cut economic, cultural and academic ties to Tel Aviv, to help promote the Palestinian cause.