Illegal for Israelis to support BDS?
Posted by Joseph Dana
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement endorsed by Palestinian civil society organizations in 2005 has become one of the most controversial issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the spirit of the boycott movement against Apartheid South Africa, BDS activists have racked up a number of successful cultural, academic and economic boycotts of Israel over the country’s treatment of Palestinians under occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. This afternoon, the state of Israel took steps towards criminalizing support of BDS by Israeli citizens.
A Knesset bill (Hebrew) that would criminalize support of BDS by Israeli citizens passed its first reading this afternoon. According to the Alternative Information Center the bill was,
First submitted on 9 June 2010 by 25 Knesset members and endorsed by members of various factions. Its hazy wording would make a number of actions, now considered free speech, illegal. It is prohibited to initiate a boycott against the State of Israel, to encourage participation in it, or to provide assistance or information with the purpose of advancing it,” section 2 of the proposed bill states.Sections 3 and 4 of the proposed legislation state that, “An act of a citizen or resident of Israel in violation of Section 2 constitutes a civil wrong, and it will be subject to the provisions of the Torts Ordinance,” and “The court will award compensation for the civil wrong according to this law in the following manner: a. Punitive damages of up to 30,000 NIS to an injured party subject to the proof of any damage.”
If proven they participated in a boycott, individuals who are not citizens or residents of Israel can also be punished by having their right to enter the country denied for at least 10 years, according to the proposed legislation.The bill’s initiators say it aims “to protect the State of Israel and particularly its citizens from academic, economic, and other boycotts.
The BDS bill reveals a number of important details about how Israel understands the movement. Israel is in a panic about the boycott and BDS has been successful in challenging the status quo of continued occupation, control and ‘peace talks’ which have been the reality on the ground for the past five years. The bill also reflects the dangerously poor health of Israeli democracy. Various left wing Israeli organizations labeled the bill as an anti-free speech measure by right wing parties such as Yisrael Beityanu. Organizations such as the Coalition of Women for Peace argued that the bill was directed at silencing free speech and the right to protest the occupation. Indeed, if the right to protest nonviolently against Israel’s Occupation is criminalized, the democratic character of the county is in serious question.
The state of Israel is about to show, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that occupation and control of the Palestinians are more important than a healthy democracy for its own citizens. The bill is a slippery slope towards total control of dissent in Israel. Before you know it, even reading this piece about BDS will be illegal in the ‘only democracy’ in the Middle East.
This bill targets the most privileged Ashkenazi intellectuals, professors and thinkers in the country supporting a nonviolent measure against Israel’s occupation. If the state is trying to silence and criminalize dissent from the upper echelon of Israeli society,just imagine how they treat Palestinians.
Posted AT
Also see THIS report from HaAretz…..
Desertpeace 
David Baldinger said,
February 16, 2011 at 09:58
Total insanity!
Amerikagulag said,
February 16, 2011 at 16:35
Just say “NEIN” to 729
Doug said,
February 16, 2011 at 18:27
So, “the only democracy in the Middle East” does not allow individuals to choose for themselves with whom they do business, eh? How very Soviet of them.
Of course, the same is true in the United States, where it is illegal to not do business with Israel. It seems that people are only free to choose for themselves when they choose the way the Zionists want. Otherwise, the Zionists resort to their roots and bring out the old hammer and sickle.
As a wise Jew once said, “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
maggie said,
February 16, 2011 at 19:12
I boycott Israel at every opportunity. I also encourage others to do so. I refuse to buy their products, and I refuse to use their businesses (I own three homes). I refuse to allow them to dictate how I live, and I refuse to allow them to sell to me or my family members. I refuse to pay taxes that go to Israel (equity fund in California). I refuse to patronize their businesses and there are a lot here on the beach where I live. I take every opportunity to grab a “soapbox” and talk to others in front of their businesses. I do what ever it takes, so damned them all to hell. Arrest me.
NewsSeeder said,
February 16, 2011 at 20:43
From what I understand, it’s also illegal to boycott Israel in America. I believe that this applies to companies etc not individual citizens.
I kid you not, such a law is on the books in the U.S.
Kosher Nostra said,
February 16, 2011 at 20:55
…every from of human life except the Zio Nazis has become illegal.
Third Reich again?
Michael Kerr said,
February 16, 2011 at 20:59
I have not done my part being active in the BDS but by God I will now because it is working !!!!
Richard said,
February 16, 2011 at 21:05
Why not make it illegal for foreigners to support the boycott?
They are the ones who could really make it hurt…
Pure-Gentile said,
February 16, 2011 at 21:10
Lord of the Rings comes to mind here:
We have to unite, to destroy this evil.
Only this time we must wipe the smudge off the earth.
Only then: will we be able to hold our heads high, and chant:
“Satan does not live here anymore”.
Tweets that mention THIS BLOG IS NOW ILLEGAL! …. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK « Desertpeace -- Topsy.com said,
February 16, 2011 at 23:02
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by David Baldinger, Pascal Uccelli and Kelly, Panoptique. Panoptique said: RT @GabyVerdier: THIS BLOG IS NOW ILLEGAL! …. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK Illegal for Israelis to support #BDS ? http://bit.ly/gezDot […]
Illegal for Israelis to support BDS? | Philosophers stone said,
February 17, 2011 at 10:22
[…] the state of Israel took steps towards criminalizing support of BDS by Israeli citizens. [more…] […]
Donna Bubb said,
February 17, 2011 at 17:41
DESERTPEACE our family looks to you online everyday for the truth about the Middle East, especially Palestine and Israel and we hope that you will be there for us and all the rest of the world for a long time to come. Two longtime supporters here in Spokane, WA, USA, have erected a small sign high up above the downtown buildings on their property near a main freeway powerfully messaging Boycott Israel. That’s what we’re doing: refusing to buy from Starbucks, MacDonalds, stores selling Israeli goods. We sign many petitions with Code Pink, Ending the Israeli Occupation, Jews for Peace, etc. and others to stop the building of an apartheid state of Israel so
destructive to both Palestinians and Jews.
Quicklinx for the Week of 2/14 (see Quicklinx page above for previous) « said,
February 17, 2011 at 18:48
[…] Israeli Knesset passes law outlawing support for the BDS – “Boycott, Diversify, Saction&… […]
Robin said,
February 17, 2011 at 18:53
Regarding the comment above by NewsSeeder. What he is referring to is the Ribicoff Amendment which came about to break the Arab Boycott. It is illegal for US companies doing business with Arab countries to sign on to the boycott agreement which occurs if the Arab country or company a US company is doing business with asks them to affirm that they are not doing business with Israel and do not plan to do so.
The Ribicoff Amendment led to the establishment of the Antiboycott Compliance division of the US Bureau of Industry and Security. Thus far there has been no prosecution OR pending prosecution of US citizens participating in or advocating BDS. There is a “watchdog group” trying to get the authorities involved in the matter but they have not been successful because the Ribicoff Amendment concerns compliance with the Arab Boycott with specific rules in place regarding that.
http://www.bis.doc.gov/complianceandenforcement/antiboycottcompliance.htm
Concerning the above, it is laughable because there are Starbucks and other companies which BDS asks to boycott a plenty in the Arab world. Google Starbucks in the Gulf. You find them everywhere with plenty of ARAB customers. It’s sickening.
Robin Ellis said,
February 19, 2011 at 01:18
I boycott Israeli products and I make no apologies for that whatsoever.No evil zionist scum are going to order me around.I defy them to even try.
Illegal for Israelis to support BDS? « THE INTERNET POST said,
February 21, 2011 at 13:22
[…] continued here […]