The British Times newspaper revealed Wednesday that Israeli Knesset’s legislation prohibiting entry into Israel of foreign activists calling for a boycott against Israel aims to confront the heavy economic losses caused by the boycott campaigns.
Members of the Knesset described the legislation as a necessary step to fight the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement a global campaign that tries to place economic pressure on Israel the paper said.
Approved late on Monday by a 46-28 vote the bill applies to anyone who makes a “public call” for a boycott.
The law also applies to foreigners who support a targeted boycott of Israeli settlements which are illegal under international law. It would include employees of organisations such as Jewish Voice for Peace a liberal activist group in the United States.
“My grandparents are buried in Israel my husband and kids are citizens and I lived there for three years but this bill would bar me from visiting” the paper quoted Rebecca Vilkomerson the executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace as saying.
Economists say that the campaign has done only token damage to the Israeli economy shaving tens of millions of pounds off the country’s £240 billion annual GDP.
