Israel minister pursues tougher anti-BDS law

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is seeking a toughening up of the country’s anti-boycott legislation, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government continues its fight against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

According to a report in Arutz Sheva, Erdan is hoping to advance a “Boycott Bill” that would “render a body or person working to encourage the boycott of Israel eligible to be sued for 100,000 shekels [$28,500] without proof of damages – or 500,000 shekels [$142,500] with proof of damages”.

The bill states:

The increasing activity around the world and within Israel of the BDS movement, whose goal is to boycott, divest and sanction the State of Israel and its citizens, constitutes great harm, and it is the moral duty of the legislator to restrain and deter those seeking to aid it.

The report says that Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation could deliberate on the bill as soon as this Sunday, but there are concerns in the Justice Ministry that such a law would ultimately face obstacles in the Supreme Court.

MK Yoav Kish (Likud), a supporter of the bill, said: “I am sure that [Justice] Minister Shaked will ignore these voices and support the passage of the bill in the Ministerial Committee this Sunday.”

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