Israel's Justice Minister advances punitive steps against Amnesty

Israel’s Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked signed regulations yesterday designed to enact punitive financial measures against Amnesty International.

According to reports, the regulations fall under the 2011 Boycott Law, which allows for organisations supporting a boycott of Israel to be denied public funding and tax benefits.

The report notes that “the administrative sanctions have never been imposed, following a Supreme Court ruling requiring that certain alterations be made in the implementation process – alterations which have not been made.”

Amnesty International has been fiercely attacked by Israeli politicians in recent times, on account of the global rights organisation’s support for a ban on goods made in illegal West Bank settlements.

Israeli authorities have decided to strip Amnesty of its tax benefit, to which end, “the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Strategic Affairs joined together and drafted regulations under the Boycott Law.”

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After being finalised and approved by the Ministry of Finance and the Minister of Finance, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked signed a document to implement the regulations, which must now pass to the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee for final approval.

Shaked said recently: “The boycott regulations will give the State of Israel the tools to fight its enemies and its boycotts from within and without. The boycott law passed in 2011 stood as an unfinished stone until now.”

“I will continue to fight in any way with boycott organizations and BDS that are working to delegitimise the State of Israel. I will not allow anyone to undermine the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces by taking advantage of funding or assistance from the state.”

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