25 fundamentalist members of Israeli Knesset submitted a bill proposing that the Knesset transfer money allocated to the Palestinian Authority to Jewish settlements, to punish the Palestinians for their boycott campaign.The Knesset members said that this bill is meant to compensate Jewish settlers hurt by the Palestinian boycott and divestment campaign targeted Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.
Israeli Ynet News reported that the bill was presented by the “Land of Israel” Knesset lobby and received endorsement by several Knesset factions, including the Kadima opposition party.
The bill does not only target the Palestinian BDS campaign (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) but also targets Israeli citizens as it states that “Israeli citizens must not encourage, initiate or help the boycott campaign”.
It also stated that those who “violate the new law” will be obliged to pay compensations to those who were affected by the boycott, Israeli Ynet News reported.
The bill goes on to violate the international law and the right to this form of nonviolent resistance as it states that individuals who are not Israeli citizens, and are involved in the boycott, will be denied entry to Israel for ten years.
Furthermore, the bill states that foreign entities and individuals who represent them will be banned from using Israeli stocks, bank account, or Israeli land, the Ynet added.
Dalia Itzik of the Kadima Party said that the Palestinian Boycott campaign should instead resort to the negotiations table as this campaign is causing harm.
Boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance guaranteed by the International Law and the basic principle of human rights.
Israel collects taxes paid by workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories before transferring them to the Palestinian Authority.
