The Knesset approved Wednesday, November 11, the preliminary reading of a bill forbidding entry into Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) of anyone who calls for a boycott against Israel. The bill, which passed 55-31, followed Wednesday morning’s decision of the European Union to adopt new guidelines for labeling products from Israeli settlements.

Peace Now ad calling for the boycotting of products from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

“Anyone who wants to boycott Israel will be able to do it here,” said extreme-right MK Yinon Magal (Habayit Hayehudi), who submitted the bill. “The days are over when people who called for boycotting Israel landed at Ben-Gurion and took a taxi to Bil’in to throw stones at soldiers.” Interior Minister Silvan Shalom, who responded in the name of the government, said: “This bill is no doubt extreme, and there needs to be a thoughtful discussion about it and provisions for exceptions. The government is supportive, subject to coordinating legislation with it.”

MK Dov Khenin (Hadash – Joint List), who vigorously opposes the bill, said “The real headline for this bill is the law for encouraging boycotting the State of Israel.” He observed that according to the bill, “anyone who participates in labeling products can’t enter Israel.” He added: “All of Europe is out. People [here] are prepared to pay the price of deepening the delegitimization [of Israel] and of hurting tourism in order to defend the settlements.”