Israel’s new anti-boycott bill, which brings stiff penalties for an call to boycott Israel or the West Bank settlements economically, culturally or academically, has been getting a ” title=”deservedly so” target=”_blank”>deservedly so. Much as Israel gets an unfair shake in the international community, punishing political activities and speech is not what democracies do.
Unpack this for a moment. We didn’t boycott, we just expressed sympathy in a way that could be seen as advocacy without taking the leap from speech to action. We didn’t target a product manufactured in Tel Aviv or Hadera or within the undisputed borders of Israel, or in any way seek to delegitimize the state. We surely didn’t advocate violence or express a destructive opinion about Israel or its government and leaders.
We simply said that promoting a boycott of goods from the occupied West Bank could be a legitimate form of political protest by those who love Israel and therefore wish to see her survive as a democratic Jewish state with borders that allow for a viable Palestinian state next door.
But it could get us in trouble.
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