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"Boycott Bill" Background

Israel's Knesset is set to vote today on a bill that would outlaw calling for any boycott of Israeli settlements - whether economically, culturally or academically.

Israel's largest circulation daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, yesterday published the following backgrounder on the bill:

Q: What does the bill stipulate?
   The boycott bill stipulates that any individual or organization that sponsors a geographically-based boycott against Israel will be liable for damages that can be sued for in a civil court by the party injured by the call for the boycott.

Q: What are the restrictions of the boycott?

   The bill, which is not going to apply retroactively, will apply to all forms of boycott, be it an economic, cultural or academic boycott.  In other words, if anyone calls for the Ariel Cultural Center to be boycotted, the administration of the center will be able to sue that person or organization for damages that might stem from the call for boycott. Furthermore, any company that has its products boycotted because they are manufactured in Judea and Samaria (as happens in practice overseas) will be able to sue for damages in court. The law will also apply in the case of right wing activists who call for a boycott on goods sold in Arab cities in Israel.

Q: What will happen to anyone who takes part in a boycott that has been declared?
   One of the clauses in the bill addresses companies and/or organizations that take part in a boycott. According to the new bill, these companies and/or organizations will be exposing themselves to sanctions, such as their disqualification from participation in government-issued tenders and the loss of tax benefits, in the event that the body in question is either an NPO or a public institution.

Q: How will this bill affect a consumers' boycott, such as the one that was declared in the fight against the rising price of cottage cheese?
   The bill addresses only boycotts that are geographically-based and does not apply to boycotts that stem from any other ideology. For example, the boycott will not apply in the event of a boycott of the dairy producers because of high prices.

Q: What is the background of this bill?
   The original bill was introduced jointly by Coalition Chairman Zeev Elkin and Kadima Faction Chairwoman Dalia Itzik. At a certain stage, Kadima came under criticism for its support of the bill, and it withdrew that support.
   "The principal importance of the bill is the fact that the calls to boycott the State of Israel increasing have come from within our own midst, and that makes it hard to wage a battle against a boycott in the world," said MK Elkin. "For years now there have been laws in the United States that come with fines and prison sentences for anyone who calls for a boycott of Israel, and yet the Israeli who persuades American companies to boycott us is completely exempt. That is ludicrous." Elkin said that the boycott of the settlements was only a secondary part of the bill, which focused on all of Israel."

Q: Why has the bill sparked such fierce opposition?
   "The bill will turn the Knesset into the thought police for Israeli society, and will mortally hurt the principle of the freedom of speech," said Peace Now Secretary General Yariv Oppenheimer. "Even before the ink dries on this bill, we are going to petition the High Court of Justice on the argument that it is discriminatory," said Adam Keller, a spokesperson for Gush Shalom. Keller noted at the same time that he would be obliged to remove from his organization's website a call in support of a boycott as soon as the bill was passed into legislation.

(Translation from Hebrew: Israel News Today)