This document is a full translation of the proposed anti-Boycott bill. (Thanks to Emily Schaeffer for the translation.)
The bill was introduced by 25 Knesset members, of both coalition and opposition parties, on 9 June 2010, and has not been yet submitted. At this early stage, it is unclear what version, if any, would pass the legislative process.
According to the bill, individuals who initiate, encourage, or provide support or information for any boycott or divestment action can be sued for damages by the companies harmed; foreign residents who do so will be barred from entering Israel or doing business in it for at least 10 years; and foreign governmental entities will have their assets confiscated to pay the damages, and will be banned from engaging in any economic activity in Israel.
The proposal puts a special burden of proof on anyone involved in such actions up to a year BEFORE the law goes into effect. The section about “foreign governmental entities” is specifically designed against the Palestinian Authority’s recent initiative to promote a boycott of settlement goods. According to the proposal, the Palestinians will in fact keep paying for the products they choose not to purchase, by directly compensating settlement businesses for their “damages from the boycott” using PA tax monies withheld by Israel. Note also that this law proposal would require the state of Israel to monitor the views and actions of activists abroad.
Read Proposed Israeli anti-BDS Law
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