Israel outlaws calls to boycott settlements

 
By Steve Weizman
Israel is at the centre of a firestorm of criticism after passing a law that outlaws calls to boycott settlements in the West Bank.
The legislation, dubbed “fascism” by one Israeli commentator, targets the efforts of artists, intellectuals and activists who have sought to protest Jewish settlements by boycotting their produce and institutions.
Championed by supporters of the settlements, the law passed despite the opposition of the Knesset’s own legal advisor, who warned the bill “collided directly with freedom of expression in Israel” and was likely to be overturned by the country’s Supreme Court.
It has also drawn international criticism, with a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton saying in a statement that there are concerns “about the effect that this legislation may have on the freedom of Israeli citizens and organizations to express non-violent political opinions.”
And British ambassador Matthew Gould told the mass-circulation daily Maariv that his country was uneasy with the new law.
“We are concerned about the passing of this law, which damages the legitimate right to freedom of speech and which conflicts with the strong Israeli tradition of lively and vigorous political debate,” he told the paper.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended the law, which allows people to be fined for advocating a boycott.
“Make no mistake, I authorized the bill. If I had not authorized it, it would not have got here and it would not have passed,” Mr. Netanyahu told parliament in a speech.
Right-wing MPs warned judges on Wednesday not to overturn the ban, insisting it was backed by Israel’s public as well as parliament.
The lawmakers were responding angrily after activists said they would challenge the law before Israel’s courts, and legal experts warned the law would be unlikely to survive judicial scrutiny.
On Tuesday, Israeli anti-settlement lobby group Gush Shalom petitioned the court to strike down the so-called “boycott law” as “unconstitutional and undemocratic.” Other groups are expected to follow suit.
“It violates the right to freedom of expression and to equality, which are fundamental rights of citizens of Israel,” a Gush Shalom statement quoted the petition as saying.
Anti-settlement group Peace Now announced it would defy the legislation. It set up a Facebook group under the title “Prosecute me, I boycott the settlements!” that attracted several thousand followers.
London-based rights organization Amnesty International said the law, which allows civil suits against those calling for the boycott of Israel or its settlements, would have “a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Israel.”

Source: National Post