Apparently The Milk & Honey Land Is Not Exactly A Democracy As Claimed.

Israel’s Authoritarian Blacklisting Of Citizens Who Support Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)

Israel have announced plans to blacklist any citizen who dares to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

Israel PM Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu also affectionately known as “NutAndYahoo”

Israel moves to create punitive ‘blacklist’ of citizens who back BDS

Citizens or organizations who support a boycott of Israel from receiving tax breaks or from participating in government bids will find themselves bereft of government contracts and funding, Israeli’s Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon confirmed.

Middle East Monitor reports: Israeli officials in the strategic affairs ministry “expect a list of Israeli citizens and organisations who support BDS” to be compiled, in addition to “the existing list of foreign groups that promote BDS”.

The paper continued that “if and when the new regulations are approved, an inter-ministerial team will begin work on” a list “for local groups and activists under the supervision of legal advisers”.

Sources in the strategic affairs ministry “said that the effort would focus on central groups and activists – including Israelis – and not on people who are critical of Israel and believe Israel should be boycotted”.

Israel to Deny Benefits for Pro-BDS Citizens, Local Groups

Israel is ramping up its crackdown on the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as the government plans a blacklist for citizens and companies in Israel that support the movement to then deny them tax breaks and other state benefits, Israeli media reported Thursday.

Those blacklisted would be prevented “receiving benefits from the government or government contracts and jobs, said the officials”.

Finance ministry officials, meanwhile, “said that anyone who is to be sanctioned under any new regulations would first be summoned for a hearing on the matter.”

In addition, Haaretz reported, Israeli authorities are “working to advance an amendment to the Boycott Prevention Law that would allow the filing of civil lawsuits against boycott activists and organisations”.

Israeli law does not distinguish between a call to boycott settlements in the occupied West Bank and a general boycott of Israel.

The list could also include those who are less hostile towards Israel and only call for boycotting the illegal Israeli Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank as Israel does not distinguish between calls for boycotting the settlements or Israel itself, Haaretz argued.

Such a list would be a complement to the already-existing Boycott Prevention Law that lists foreign organizations and individuals supporting the BDS and ban them from entering the country or doing business or work in Israel. A list of those people and organizations was published in January.

The BDS movement was launched in 2005 to promote a peaceful action around the world to help end Israel’s abuses against Palestinians, by cutting off cultural, academic, and economic ties with the state.

Supporters of the movement argue that the latest Israeli offensive against boycott efforts is evidence that the campaign is fruitful and is hurting Israel internationally as many global artists, prominent figures and companies have in fact positively responded to calls by the pro-Palestinian activists for boycotting Israel.

The latest endorsement of BDS came from New Zealand singer Lorde when in December she canceled a show in Tel Aviv after two fans wrote an open letter asking her not to perform in Israel, as that would be seen as supporting the state’s abusive policies and occupation in Palestine.

She was then attacked by the Israeli right-wing government and its supporters, prompting more than 100 artists, actors and authors from around the world to pen a letter in support of her endorsement of the pro-Palestinian boycott.

Over 100 Artists Pen Letter Backing Lorde’s Israel Boycott