Bill banning entry of boycotters moves ahead

The Knesset advances a bill forbidding persons calling for a boycott against Israel from entering the country.

The preliminary version of the bill, which needs to pass three more rounds of voting before becoming law, was passed with a majority of 55 to 31 MKs. It was held as news came from Europe that a decision was made to label products made in Israeli territory captured after the Six Day War.

The bill, presented by Jewish Home MK Yinon Magal, sates that persons or entities calling for a boycott of Israel or representing organizations working to promote such boycotts will not be able to enter the country for any reason.

“Gone are the days when people called for a boycott against Israel, landed in Ben Gurion [airport] and took a taxi to [Palestinian village] Bil’in only to throw stones at soldiers,” says Magal.

Joint List MK Dov Khenin, who voted against the bill, says the “real title of the law should be ‘The law to promote boycotts against the State of Israel.’”

According to the proposed law, he says, “every person taking part in labeling products cannot enter Israel. So it’s all of Europe out. In order to protect settlements they’re willing to pay the price of deeper delegitimization and harm to tourism.”