BDS Leadership & Key Members
The heart of the global BDS Movement is the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), which acts as the movement’s central leadership and strategic hub. The BNC itself is an umbrella body composed of 29 Palestinian unions, NGOs, and political parties. This intentionally decentralized structure gives BDS its “grassroots” appearance while maintaining a tightly coordinated agenda managed from the top.
Notable Core Leaders
| Name | Current/Recent Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Omar Barghouti | Co-founder, Senior Adviser | Intellectual architect of both BDS and PACBI (Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel); frequently cited in international BDS literature and media. |
| Mahmoud Nawajaa | General Coordinator, BNC | Oversees global strategy; his 2020 detention by Israel inspired a coordinated global solidarity campaign (#FreeMahmoud). |
| Jamal Juma’ | Secretariat member, BNC; Coordinator, Stop the Wall Campaign | Connects anti-barrier/“wall” activism to broader BDS efforts; deeply involved in grassroots mobilization. |
| Hind Awwad | Former National Coordinator (2009–2013), Public Face | Led early international outreach and awareness tours; fronted BDS in media interviews during its expansion phase. |
| Dr. Haidar Eid | Academic Member, BNC | University professor and prominent spokesperson—especially on cultural/academic boycott issues. |
Why So Few Names?
BDS is designed as a loose coalition to obscure its core decision-makers. The central BNC acts as a strategic nerve center, but many country chapters operate autonomously, and the majority of activists work under the radar, often as volunteers. This provides plausible deniability for senior operatives and makes BDS more difficult to legally challenge or hold accountable for its anti-Israel activism and its ties to hostile entities.
Key Points
- The BNC is the executive power behind BDS’s global strategy.
- Day-to-day operations are often volunteer-run and locally autonomous, lending the movement flexibility and resilience.
- While only a few names are public, their influence is far-reaching—setting the tone for campaigns across universities, cultural institutions, and political bodies worldwide.