One of the first things that Anat Berko of the Likud did upon entering the Knesset was to form a lobby to combat the delegitimization of Israel and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. To do this the suicide bombing expert approached Knesset member Michael Oren, Israel’s former ambassador to Washington, who holds a doctorate in Middle East history, and asked him to co-chair the lobby with her.

Within just a few days, Berko and the Kulanu Party legislator easily recruited over 20 Knesset members from the right, the left, the center and the ultra-Orthodox factions. The conflict with the Palestinians at soccer's governing body, FIFA, over the Palestinian request to suspend Israel from the association was brewing in the background, making the issue especially pressing and the new lobby especially relevant.

Though more and more members of the Knesset were joining Berko’s lobby, she received a brusque rejection from Knesset members representing the Joint List, the unified slate of predominantly Arab parties, and Meretz. In an interview with Al-Monitor, she said she was not surprised by the response from members of the Joint List. On the other hand, she was shocked by the decision of the left-wing Meretz Knesset members, who chose to refrain from participating in the struggle against something that she considers terrorism in every sense of the term. “I have no problem with self-criticism, but the real meaning behind this delegitimization and boycott campaign is a call for our destruction. People have to understand that what happened in FIFA was terrorism no matter how you look at it.”

Berko is an interesting figure in the current parliamentary landscape. She is a lieutenant colonel in the reserves, who holds a doctorate in criminology and spent years researching the suicide bomber phenomenon. She published many papers and books on the topic, including a book about female suicide bombers. As a highly regarded expert on terrorism, she was recruited into the Likud’s Knesset list right before the March 17 election by none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself. In the current Knesset, she serves as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.