From the Communist Party of Israel:
The “Boycott Bill” was approved in its final reading in the Knesset on Monday night (July 11), after a plenum discussion that lasted nearly six hours and uncertainty throughout the day as to whether a vote would take place. The bill passed with 47 in favor and 38 opposed, despite the fact that most Shas orthodox party lawmakers were absent. In addition, many cabinet members – including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu – did not attend the vote and the Independence faction (former Labor, and now leading by Defense Minister Ehud Barak) chose not to participate.
The new law allows citizens to bring civil suits against persons and organizations that call for economic, cultural or academic boycotts against Israel, Israeli institutions or regions under "Israeli control" – the occupied Palestinian territories. It also prevents the government from doing business with companies that initiate or comply with such boycotts. The Knesset legal adviser Eyal Yinon said on Sunday that the bill may be unconstitutional. “The broad definition [in the law] of a boycott on the State of Israel is a violation of the core tenet of freedom of political expression,” Yinon wrote.
MK Hanna Sweid (Hadash) said during the parliament debate, “This is the government of Senator McCarthy, but with kippas.” MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) demanded that the vote be canceled. "The law crosses a red line and renders settlements sacred, punishing anyone who challenges this sanctity with a high fine," he said. "The far right insists on breaking new records of anti-democratic legislation."
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." Furthermore, the groups allege that the law also "forces residents of east Jerusalem to cooperate with the occupation" and "violates the principle of equality by attempting to defend one political position while limiting other positions."
"Not only is the Israeli Knesset trying to silence the protest against the occupation – it is also trying to impose on victims and those in opposition to the occupation, to cooperate and actively support it," Director-General of Adalah Attorney Hassan Jabareen said. "[The bill] does not meet any criteria of international law and we believe that [the bill] will not receive the approval of the Supreme Court." It is impossible to distinguish between a boycott which is unconstitutional and is punishable, with another boycott against an industrial company or a municipality of some sort, Jabareen continued. "The distinction between different types of damaging protests exposes the unacceptable political intention of this law, which seeks to benefit only one side of the political spectrum and to silence public debate on a central and controversial issue," Jabareen added.
Peace Now movement announced Monday it opened a Facebook page calling for a boycott of products that come from the settlements. On Tuesday it plans to launch a national campaign, with the aim of convincing tens of thousands of people to support the boycott. The last Communist Party of Israel Central Committee meeting (Friday, July 9) published a declaration against the Boycott Law: "Israeli rightwing parties and leaders once more destroy Israeli democracy. The proposal for the "boycott law," currently placed before the Knesset, contradicts the meaning of freedom of speech – i.e. political freedom of criticism. The proposed law Imposes sanctions on political protest; attacks democracy; harms each citizen's right to criticize the government's policy and attempts to change it.
"In line with other anti-democratic laws, adopted in Israel in the last years, this boycott proposal means, for example, that a call by Israeli citizens – Jews or Arabs – for a boycott against a product that has its origins in a certain settlement, as a protest against settlements in general, will be liable to a civil suit which, in turn, would entitle the suing party to considerable compensation - without having to prove harmful doing. Moreover, if one were to trespass said boycott law, there is a chance that he faces criminal charges. Its only real purpose is – the silencing of political criticism, aimed at the Netanyahu's policy, and silencing the left wing parties and peace organizations".
