Israel to ban foreigners who support boycotts
Jeremy Corbyn and other prominent British critics of Israel could be barred from visiting under a new law aimed at those who support boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements. The law allows the Israeli government to block foreigners who call for academic, cultural or economic boycotts.
JEREMY CORBYN and other prominent British critics of Israel could be barred from visiting under a new law aimed at those who support boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements.
The legislation allows the Israeli government to deny entry to foreigners who call for academic, cultural or economic boycotts against Israel or its settlements in the occupied West Bank. Mr Corbyn, the Labour leader, has said in the past that he supports “targeted boycotts aimed at undermining the existence of illegal settlements in the West Bank”.
Other prominent boycott supporters such as Roger Waters, the co-founder of Pink Floyd, Ken Loach, the film director and Riz Ahmed, the actor, could also be barred, as well as many British academics and activists.
The law would also effectively stop supporters of boycotts from visiting Palestinian cities in the West Bank, as they would need to pass through Israeli border controls even if they entered the occupied territory through neighbouring Jordan.
The legislation was supported by Benjamin Netanyahu’s Right-wing government and is mainly targeted at activists in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, whose aim is to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians”.
Critics of the movement argue it unfairly singles out Israel and is actually aimed at delegitimising the Jewish state rather than supporting the Palestinians.
Mr Corbyn has been a long-time critic of Israeli policies in the West Bank and has spoken out forcefully against Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal by most of the international community, but he does not support a total boycott of Israel.
His spokesman said last night: “Jeremy is not in favour of the academic or cultural boycott of Israel or a blan- ket boycott of Israeli goods. He does support targeted boycotts aimed at undermining the existence of illegal settlements in occupied territory.
“Barring people on the basis of this widely-held position would be clearly wrong.”
Israeli government officials said privately that it was unlikely the law would be used against Mr Corbyn or any other member of a foreign parliament. However, the legislation gives Israel’s interior minister discretion over where and when to bar foreigners on the grounds they support boycotts.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Opponents said the law, which was passed on Monday by a 46-28 vote, was a blow for free speech and could impact Jewish visitors from around the world who support Israel but do not support the settlements.
The legislation is likely to be challenged in the Israeli court system.