What Are BDS Proponents Complaining About? Aren't They Getting What They Want?

Z Street is wondering what all the fuss is with Israel's new anti-BDS law:

The Israeli Knesset passed an anti-BDS law. Predictably, the delegitimizers, i.e. the BDS practitioners and their enablers (NIF, J Street, Peace Now) immediately attacked it as a gross violation of free speech. Less predictably, but more lamentably, many central to further right-leaning pro-Israel organizations are also expressing criticism - unwarranted, in my opinion.


 The law does NOT criminalize speech and it does NOT restrict free speech. BDS practitioners can continue to say whatever vile things they want about Israel, but they simply are not eligible for government contracts if they do. Well goodness, isn't that what they want? NOT to engage in financial transactions with the "evil ZioNazi government"? The only other consequence is similar to standard libel law - if someone can prove they were harmed by the defendant's BDS statements (good luck with that), then the litigant can obtain civil damages.

One argument that I've heard from people who generally tend to fall into the category of true Zionists: it gives Israel's enemies more weapons with which to attack Israel, i.e. "It makes us look bad." So does everything but capitulation, so no patience for that one.

Continue reading with Z Street's analysis of the anti-BDS bill:Israel Anti-Boycott Law Misrepresented by Interested Parties, as Expected

Technorati Tag: Israel and BDS.