Why Would Israel Bar BDS Activists?
JERUSALEM, Israel – The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is alive and well, not just in Europe, but also in America. To counter those seeking to delegitimize Israel, the government has stepped up efforts to ban foreign activists from entering the country.
Last month, the Knesset passed legislation to prevent BDS activists from entering the country.
On Monday, Israel refused entry to the executive director of the Palestinian Federation of Chile, Anuar Makhlouf, who has actively supported boycotting Israel on many different levels.
Israeli Public Security and Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said allowing BDS supporters to carry out their activities inside the country is a thing of the past.
"The days when foreign BDS activists, who want to harm Israel are coming here and acting freely are over," Erdan said. "We will not allow entry to our country's enemies," The Jerusalem Post reported.
A few days earlier, Israel denied entry to Kamel Hawwash, a board member of the London-based Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
Meanwhile in America, the Tufts University student senate passed a resolution calling on the university to divest from Elbit Systems, G4S, Northrop Grumman and Hewlett Packard Enterprise because of their connection with Israel. Universities that have adopted similar resolutions include the University of Chicago, Stanford, Northwestern, Oberlin, Vasser, Wesleyan University and University of California.
And in Europe, Trinity College Dublin plans to host a conference organized by Academics for Palestine calling for an academic boycott of Israeli universities and colleges.
"Across the world, academics and students have responded to the Palestinian call for boycott by refusing to cooperate with Israeli higher education institutions on grounds of conscience," the conference website states.
The French government, while officially prohibiting boycotts against Israel, funds many organizations actively seeking to deligitimize Israel.
"France's financial support goes beyond the French government's November 2016 decision to support labeling products produced in the settlements and instead supports the boycott of such products," a report entitled "France's War to Delegitimize Israel" states.
Click here to read the full report.
