Commitment and trust are the foundation of the AFZ community, and we acknowledge that ending complicity with Israel’s system of oppression is a journey. One that takes time, empathy, and sustained action. The minimum requirements for becoming an AFZ mark a meaningful step in this process, grounding our collective efforts in shared principles and tangible solidarity.

We invite all new AFZs to join with trust and respect for the growing community, meeting the campaign requirements as a sign of your commitment. While we encourage fulfilling these at the time of signing, we also recognise that genuine alignment is a process and welcome your ongoing efforts toward full compliance.

Together, we strengthen a global movement built on integrity, action, and common purpose.

There is so much more that every community member - AFZ or individual - can do to go beyond the campaign’s minimum requirements.

While we’re working on resources to guide these extra steps, we encourage you to reach out so we can help find opportunities that fit your interests and capacities. For instance, you might bring other potential AFZs into the network, or connect with existing AFZs to collaborate - perhaps exploring new ethical suppliers for commercial needs or organising joint actions like class-action initiatives.

You could also assess your financial services, such as your bank, health insurance, investment choices, and pension provider, to ensure they align with the campaign’s values. And of course, if you’re interested in hosting events or contributing to developing campaign modules that have been left generic in this early stage, we would love to hear from you.

We get it - cutting all ties with oppressive systems can feel overwhelming, especially for a Commercial AFZ.

But starting somewhere is what counts, and we’re here to support you. We provide a targeted list of must-boycott companies to help you meet the minimum requirements, along with a broader list of should-boycott entities for those aiming to go further. Furthermore, we recommend you to download Boycat: it’s easy to use and it’s an official partner of BDS since 2024.

In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions; we’re here to help you every step of the way.

BDS is a peaceful movement, rooted in international law, advocating for human rights and equality through its three core demands: ending the occupation of Palestinian territories, ensuring equal rights for Palestinians, and respecting the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

In the Netherlands, BDS is recognised as an official ANBI (Public Benefit Organisation), underscoring its legitimacy as a nonviolent initiative. Furthermore, calling for boycotts is a lawful expression of free speech and assembly, rights that are enshrined in Dutch law and have been explicitly supported by a former Minister of Internal Affairs.

While questions about funding can arise due to the contentious nature of public debate around BDS, these concerns are not rooted in the legality or ethics of our work but rather in political sensitivities, which are inevitable anyway.

That is not compatible with the spirit of the campaign, nor with the capacity of the volunteer team running it. AFZ is about community, trust, and commitment.

Becoming an AFZ is not about achieving 100% compliance overnight. Instead, it marks a step on a journey toward aligning with BDS principles in solidarity with the Palestinian people, principles rooted in international law. The campaign sets minimum criteria, and organisations commit to meeting these goals progressively.

The relationship between the campaign team and participating organisations is based on mutual trust. While we lack the capacity to monitor compliance exhaustively, we trust that every AFZ will uphold the campaign’s principles and strive to fulfil the criteria. We remain available for guidance and support throughout the process.

Any serious, trust-based commitment should be made in respect for the emerging national AFZ community, as well as the international one that has existed for many years. Becoming an AFZ means sitting side by side with others who have taken this step. As the AFZ team, we will connect these diverse stakeholders to leverage our collective intelligence to innovate, improve the campaign, and create added value for all members.

Applying the minimum requirements to achieve full compliance with BDS principles is a journey that triggers positive internal changes and can inspire creative solutions to embed new practices into your organisation’s daily activities. The AFZ team remains available to discuss specific scenarios and provide guidance. To get started, here are some practical ideas:

• Supply review: list all your suppliers for products and services and map them against the BDS boycott list. Identify which can be phased out easily and which may require more time. This process will help you create a realistic roadmap and better understand your current points of complicity.

• Procurement guidelines: for new purchases, especially in larger organisations, translate BDS principles into clear procurement guidelines. This will ensure your purchasing process is well-informed and aligned with your AFZ commitment from the start.

• Code of conduct: integrate BDS principles into your organisation's code of conduct. This sets clear expectations for employees and makes them active participants in your AFZ journey, regulating the relationship between the organisation and its team.

• House rules: as a Social AFZ, consider establishing house rules for any third party renting or using your space. This ensures that BDS principles are respected on your premises by all users.

• Contract clauses: embed BDS compliance clauses in new contracts with suppliers, service providers, and partners. This formalises your commitment and creates a contractual basis for ethical partnership.

We also strongly recommend being honest with your customers, clients, attendees, and suppliers about what being an AFZ entails. This ethical practice aligns with the spirit of the campaign. Openness can lead to adjustments in commercial relationships and builds trust. For instance, if a boycotted product remains on your shelf due to specific transitional challenges, informing your customers about this situation and your plan to address it is a responsible and compliant way to navigate the journey.

The CBI and AFZ campaigns, in the specific context of the cultural boycott movement of Israeli apartheid and occupation, are not mutually exclusive but rather represent steps in a journey toward full alignment with BDS principles and international law. Both are based on the PACBI guidelines, but the AFZ campaign requires additional concrete actions beyond the pledge. For example, an institution like a museum must also address commercial aspects (e.g., reviewing suppliers for its bar or restaurant) and other minimum requirements.

As clarified by PACBI, ending complicity is a journey, and cultural institutions that have endorsed the cultural boycott pledge have already taken a significant step. The AFZ campaign provides a framework to build on this commitment, address misunderstandings, and move toward fully ending complicity in a strategic manner.

An old man gave his sons a bundle of sticks tied together and said, "Break this." Each son tried and failed. Then, the old man untied the bundle and gave each son a single stick. They broke them easily. "See," he said. "Alone, you are weak and can be broken. But together, as a bundle, you are unbreakable."

Ultimately, it's about collective impact. If enough organisations took even a fraction of the actions recommended by BDS, the Israeli regime would already struggle to sustain its incredibly expensive machine of apartheid and occupation, a system that depends entirely on foreign support (The Netherlands, for instance, is one of its largest investors). Unfortunately, we are not there yet.

While we welcome every organisation to begin and/or continue its journey of compliance in private, history teaches us that revolutions happen when a center of critical mass is created. Regimes can fall, social habits can shift, and new paths can emerge.

That is why we call on all organisations - and especially those that have already met the criteria on paper - to publicly join as AFZs. Help us draw the contours of a Dutch civil society that stands in active solidarity with Palestine. The bigger we are, the stronger we become, and the more we inspire others to begin their own journey.