Challenge to new law banning Israel’s citizens from boycotting
Summary of story from MorningStar July 12, 2011
An alliance of Israeli human rights groups has announced that it will ask the country’s Supreme Court to overturn a new law that bans citizens from boycotting Israel’s illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Tamara Traubmann, a spokeswoman for the rights’ groups, said they would submit their petition to the high court within the coming week.
The organisations have already written a letter of protest to Israeli authorities emphasising that “irrespective of their own positions regarding the tactic of boycott, outlawing it severely restricts freedom of expression by targeting non-violent public expressions of opposition to Israeli policies.”
Eilat Maoz of the Coalition of Women for Peace added: “Members of the Knesset [Israeli parliament] are responsible for the further isolation of Israel as a country that intentionally violates human rights and civil liberties.”
How can you outlaw a boycott? I’m afraid I haven’t read about this – what form did the boycotts take before they were banned?