The Association for Civil Rights in Israel issued yesterday (Monday) a press release confirming that the Boycott bill was approved for a final reading, making it highly likely that it will pass in the final vote in Knesset. According to ACRI’s translation of the bill, a “a boycott against the State of Israel” is “deliberately avoiding economic, cultural or academic ties with another person or another factor only because of his ties with the State of Israel, one of its institutions or an area under its control, in such a way that may cause economic, cultural or academic damage”.

According to the bill, not even participating, but just making a public call for boycott is considered a civil wrong which is punishable by a variety of measures enumerated in the bill. Furthermore, NGOs who are found guilty of calling for a boycott would be in danger of losing tax exemptions and the loss of eligibility for benefits afforded by various laws, so this is a political aimed at damaging and limiting the operations of human rights organizations in Israel.

The Cultural Center in Ariel (Photo: Al Ittihad)

Furthermore, the bill does not specify any difference between Israel inside and outside the Green Line, but rather simply states “The State of Israel,” meaning that if this passes into law, Israel will be prohibiting a legitimate and democratic expression of protest against the occupation. This means that even the Israeli artists and their supporters who are boycotting the Cultural Center in the Ariel settlement in the West Bank would be implicated.

Left-wing members of Knesset spoke fervently against the bill. MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) called it an “insane, fascist and delusional” bill, while all Hadash MKs said it was an anti-democratic law that undermines the freedom of expression and aimed at silencing criticism.

MK Hanna Swaid (Hadash) said the law is aimed at “perpetuating the occupation,” adding that it “violates freedom of expression and every citizen’s right to choose to boycott products from the occupied territories. There is racism here which must be condemned.”

Related:

http://maki.org.il/en/political/132-articles/10592-anti-boycott-bill-passes-first-knesset-reading