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July 19, 2011

International Community Denounces New Israeli Anti-Boycott Law 
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A new Israeli law outlawing citizens and organizations from advocating
for boycotts against any Israeli person or entity is drawing criticism
from around the world as an attack on freedom of speech. Under the new
law, any person — including journalists — calling for the boycott or
divestment of Israel or the occupied West Bank can be sued by the
boycott’s targets without having to prove that they sustained damage.
Prominent Israeli columnist Ben Caspit, who is opposed to boycotts,
denounced the new legislation writing, “This is a blatant and a
resounding shutting of people’s mouths. This is a thought police.
There is no choice but to use this word. Fascism at its worst is
raging.” The Jewish daily newspaper, The Forward, issued an editorial
claiming, “a boycott can be a legitimate use of non-violent protest to
achieve a worthy goal.” The editors of the paper then drew a line
through the sentence, along with several others, to illustrate the type
of reasonable thoughts that will be punishable under the new law.



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