Pete Seeger Officially Joins BDS Movement

Seeger, 92, one of the fathers of American folk music, is a veteran political and peace activist.

Pete Seger photo courtesy: Ha'aretz

(TEL AVIV HA'ARETZ.) - American folk music legend Pete Seeger on Monday officially joined the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign - an international movement to pressure and sanction Israel through economic means.

American folk music legend Pete Seeger on Monday officially joined the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign (AP) Seeger, 92, one of the fathers of American folk music, is a veteran political and peace activist. In the 1950s he was interrogated by the McCarthyist House Unamerican Activities Committee and two years ago performed for U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration concert.

His songs "We Shall Overcome," "Turn, Turn, Turn," "If I Had a Hammer" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" have all become anthems for peace movements and civil rights. Seeger contributes half of the royalties from "Turn, Turn Turn" to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

On Monday, Seeger withdrew his support of a project associated with the Jewish National Fund's American branch, after Israeli and Palestinian activists told him of the JNF's role in driving the Bedouins out of their Negev areas.

After a meeting with ICAHD coordinator Jeff Halper, Seeger reportedly said his participation in the JNF project had been misunderstood and announced his support for BDS.