Israel often describes itself as the “only democracy in the Middle East”, but its controversial new law barring Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions supporters from entering the country says otherwise. While the law bars those who are against illegal West Bank settlements, it is specifically issued to stifle the BDS movement in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made defeating BDS, the global campaign attempting to increase economic and political pressure on Israel to end the occupation, a priority of his administration. Last year, Netanyahu declared that the BDS movement had been “beaten”.
Not so fast. Barring entry to people on the basis of their political views will not defeat BDS. It actually defeats Israel. If Israel really is a democracy, as it says it is, it should be able to tolerate non-violent political protest and dissent, no matter how much it disagrees with the ideology or goals of BDS supporters.
The law is an attack on free speech and violates the most basic tenets of democracy by making political opinions a consideration when deciding who should and should not enter Israel. Those seeking to enter Israel are not supposed to align their political positions with the Israeli government. BDS supporters have a right to their opinions and to non-violent political action.
If Israel is to start cherry-picking the foreign nationals who publicly call for economic, cultural or academic boycotts of Israel and preventing them entering the country, where does this selection process begin and where does it end? What exactly defines a BDS supporter? If a professor, let’s say, is a member of a scholarly organization that endorsed BDS, is he barred from entering the country to give a lecture at a university, even if he didn’t vote to endorse BDS? If Israel is going to play this game, then world leaders and other famous people who condemn the occupation could be affected by the law. The law would imply that they are dangerous enough to be banned from the country.
Israeli officials often deny entry to anyone at their discretion. But the Interior Ministry is not supposed to decide which opinions and perspectives are worthy of being heard. This new law seeks to make a political test for entry the norm. Israel says it wants to be a home for all people but it is a country only open to a select few who hold acceptable political beliefs.
International human rights law prohibits discrimination on the basis of a person’s opinion and provides freedom of conscious and thought. The BDS supporter ban sends a message to the world that Israel is against any form of criticism, even peaceful movements.
The news and social media have made the world a pubic, open space for all to see. If Israel is so worried that BDS advocates will be able to spread their message inside Israel, Israelis can access ideas regardless of who is allowed to physically enter.
This new law is not barring people because they pose physical security risks. BDS supporters are not terrorists. They are being denied entry based on political discrimination.
BDS is not just working; it must be succeeding, else why this new law?
Instead of changing the policies that caused the BDS campaign in the first place, Israel is compounding the problem. This law is against freedom of expression, constitutes political censorship and is meant to silence people.
For years, Israel has tried to say it has no partner willing to make peace and sees nothing but those wanting violence against it. Today it makes clear that even those calling for non-violent dissent in the form of BDS are barred from the decision-making process. A country that cannot even tolerate non-violent dissent is no democracy. It is instead fundamentally at odds with the values of democracy.
