Israel mulls law penalizing boycott of settlements

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israel's Knesset parliament is expected to approve on Monday a bill outlining penalties against individuals and organizations calling for boycotting Jewish settlements in the West Bank, local media reported on Sunday.

The "Boycott Law" initiated by Ze'ev Elkin, a Likud lawmaker, awaits second and third readings in the Knesset.

"The law's importance lies in the fact that the increasing calls to boycott Israel come from within the country, which makes it harder to counter similar international initiatives," the daily Yedioth Ahronot newspaper quoted Elkin as saying.

The law would enable sanctions and filing civil suits against individuals, companies and nongovernmental organizations that either directly call or support boycotting Israeli institutions because of their location in the West Bank, or other areas in the region deemed politically controversial."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-07/10/c_13976709.htm



Haaretz Editorial: A law to subvert democracy

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-law-to-subvert-democracy-1.372604

Knesset members who vote for the anti-Boycott Law must understand they are supporting the gagging of protest in an effort to liquidate democracy.

<snip>

"Today, the Knesset was slated to approve the final reading of the Boycott Prohibition Law, which imposes severe punishments on anyone who calls, directly or indirectly, for boycotting Israel. Inter alia, the law says any person or organization that calls for boycotting Israel, including by calling for a boycott of the settlements, would be deemed guilty of a civil offense. Organizations that call for boycotts would not be entitled to receive tax-deductible donations or obtain funding from the state.

This contemptible law blatantly violates Israel's Basic Laws. It is couched in vague language: It defines "a boycott of the State of Israel" very broadly, while the definition of causing a boycott is fluid. Under the law, it would suffice for a call to boycott Israel to have "a reasonable possibility" of leading to an actual boycott for the lawbreaker (under the Torts Ordinance, New Version ) to be defined as having committed a civil offense. The lawbreaker would then be deprived of significant economic benefits and would also have to pay high compensation to those purportedly harmed by the boycott.

This vagueness is intentional, designed to conceal the goal of spreading a wide protective net over the settlements, whose products, activities and in fact very existence - which is controversial to begin with - are the main reason for the boycott initiatives, both domestic and foreign. The legislators are thereby trying to silence one of the most legitimate forms of democratic protest, and to restrict the freedom of expression and association of those who oppose the occupation and the settlers' violence and want to protest against the government's flawed order of priorities.

The law's sponsors are also creating a mendacious equivalence between the State of Israel and Israeli society as a whole, on one hand, and the settlements on the other. They are thereby granting the settlers sweeping legitimization.

This is a politically opportunistic and anti-democratic act, the latest in a series of outrageously discriminatory and exclusionary laws enacted over the past year, and it accelerates the process of transforming Israel's legal code into a disturbingly dictatorial document. It casts the threatening shadow of criminal offense over every boycott, petition or even newspaper op-ed. Very soon, all political debate will be silenced."

[Dept of Beer]

1. Is it really considered a bad thing to boycott an apartheid state?

South Afrika ring a bell anyone?

Apartheid sucks no matter who is doing it.

[Larkspur]

2. Looks like Gandhi's vision of Israel losing its democracy to maintain its Jewish state

is coming true.

[AverageJoe90]

4. Unfortunately, it does appear that way.........to a POINT.

Doesn't mean Israel IS NOW an apartheid state, though. At least Jews & Arabs aren't forbidden from mingling with each other & intermarrying, like whites & blacks were in certain parts of the U.S. up until ~50 years ago.

[The Magistrate]

3. This Proposal, Sir, is Indefensible, and If Passed Into Law, Unconscionable

[Hardrada]

5. Agreed.

[Violet_Crumble]

7. I totally agree n/t

[LeftishBrit]

16. Agreed. Very anti-democratic.

[Violet_Crumble]

6. Opposition determined to fight 'boycott bill'

The opposition is determined to fight the "boycott bill" which will be put to a vote on second and third readings at the Knesset Monday. In a press conference held Monday opposition factions vowed to do everything to prevent the law from passing.

The bill states that any boycott against Israel or any group located within its territory, including Judea and Samaria, will be labeled a civil offense and its initiators will be subject to litigation.

Boycotters will be susceptible to demands for compensation that far outweighs the damage done to those boycotted, in addition to a prohibition from competing in state tenders.

The Kadima faction decided to vote against the bill. "The bill is a silencing attempt which offends basic rights," MK Shai Hermesh said. "Not every settlement is wrong. But the boycott bill will not protect Israeli farmers, it just adds fuel to the fire."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4093855,00.html

[Scurrilous]

8. Knesset passes 'boycott law' with a majority of 47 MKs

Opposition blasts law, which penalizes persons or organizations who call for a boycott of Israel or the settlements, calling it unconstitutional and irresponsible.

<snip>

"The Knesset passed Monday a law penalizing persons or organizations that boycott Israel or the settlements, with a majority of 47 MKs. 38 MKs opposed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not present during the vote. MK Zeev Elkin, who proposed the law, said the law is not meant to silence people, but "to protect the citizens of Israel."

According to the law, a person or an organization calling for a boycott of Israel, including the settlements, can be sued by the boycott's targets without having to prove that they sustained damage. The court will then decide how much compensation would be paid. The second part of the law says a person or a company that declare a boycott of Israel or the settlements will not be able to bid in government tenders.

MK Nitzan Horowitz from Meretz blasted the law, calling it outrageous and shameful. "We are dealing with a legislation that is an embarrassment to Israeli democracy and makes people around the world wonder if there is actually a democracy here," he said. Ilan Gilon, another Meretz MK, said the law would further delegitimize Israel.

Kadima opposition party spokesman said the Netanyahu government is damaging Israel. "Netanyahu has crossed a red line of political foolishness today and national irresponsibility, knowing the meaning of the law and it's severity, while giving in to the extreme right that is taking over the Likkud."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/knesset-passes-boycott-law-with-a-majority-of-47-mks-1.372711

[azurnoir]

9. something I am unclear about

does this law apply only to Israeli citizens or does it apply universally to citizens of any country or any country who's courts will enforce judgements on Israel's behalf?

[shira]

10. The US and EU already have laws in the books against boycotting Israel...

http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?action=html&documentId=852555&portal=hbkm&source=externalbydocnumber&table=F69A27FD8FB86142BF01C1166DEA398649
http://www.bis.doc.gov/complianceandenforcement/antiboycottcompliance.htm#boycottlaws

Israel's law would order fines for violations in comparison to US law which can impose b/w 1-5 years in prison for violations.

Israel's law only applies to its citizens.

And I'd say chances are better than 50/50 the far more liberal Israeli Supreme Court shoots this one down.

[azurnoir]

11. so how many are in jail in the US for boycotting Israel? n/t

[Violet_Crumble]

12. Everything I'm reading says it applies to Israeli citizens

The only other antiboycott law I can think of is the US one aimed at US businesses, which is very different than the antidemocratic law just passed in Israel. In a democracy people should have the right to call for or participate in boycotts without the fear of prosecution

[azurnoir]

13. from what I read while there the penalties in the law regarding

receiving state funds ect would only apply to Israeli's there is nothing that would stop a 'company' or settler enterprise from suing for damages under the law virtually anyone, anywhere that is deemed to have 'damaged' Israeli business really foremost here IMO would be the PA which has called for a boycott of settlement goods across the West Bank

[eyl]

14. Rights groups to appeal 'Boycott Law' at High Court

Four human rights organizations announced overnight Monday that they will appeal the newly approved "Boycott Bill" at the High Court, in a letter sent to government officials prior to the law's approval in the Knesset.

Groups participating in the appeal include Adalah - the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel, Physicians for Human Rights and Coalition of Women for Peace. The four organizations sent a letter to Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz demanding a halt in the approval process of the law.

According to the rights organizations, the "Boycott Bill" is "a completely unconstitutional law which limits freedom of political expression and is contrary to international law."

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=228957">JPost

[Violet_Crumble]

15. Good. I hope they succeed.

That law is indefensible, imo....

:hi: