Israeli government turns blind eye to boycott snowball
Companies around the world join the boycott of settlement products, while the Israeli right promotes a controversial law designed to punish Israelis who support the boycott.
The halls of the Israeli Supreme Court were a beehive of activity on Feb. 16. The many journalists, representing Israeli and foreign media, made their way to the hall where a special panel of nine justices debated petitions against the Boycott Law, which was passed by the previous Knesset in July 2011. The law enables the imposition of a fine on an organization or an individual who calls for the implementation of a cultural, academic or economic boycott on an individual or body due to its connection to Israel or an area "under Israeli control," meaning settlements in the occupied territories.
The petitioners — human rights groups and several individuals — declared war against the law, claiming that boycotts are a legitimate protest tool in a democratic society.
