Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked on Thursday signed regulations under the Boycott Law against organizations which call for a boycotts against Israel.
The law enacted in 2011 sets forth two tracks for dealing with a boycott of Israel: a tortious judicial course, and an administrative route according to which an organization calling for a boycott of Israel will not receive public funding and tax benefits, and its participation in state tenders will be limited.
The administrative sanctions have never been imposed, following a Supreme Court ruling requiring that certain alterations be made in the implementation process - alterations which have not been made
In the past year and a half, Amnesty International has brought the law back into the headlines by launching a worldwide campaign against Israel. Amnesty had received tax benefit under section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance. As a result, the Finance Minister decided to cancel the tax benefit to the organization, but as mentioned, he needed to enact regulations under the Boycott Law. For this purpose, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Strategic Affairs joined together and drafted regulations under the Boycott Law, which would enable the denial of benefits to organizations calling for the boycott of Israel limiting their participation in the tender.
After the regulations were finalized and approved by the Ministry of Finance and the Minister of Finance, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked signed a document this morning to install the regulations. Now the regulations will be passed for final approval by the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.
Shaked said recently: "The boycott regulations will give the State of Israel the tools to fight its enemies and its boycotts from within and without. The boycott law passed in 2011 stood as an unfinished stone until now."
"I will continue to fight in any way with boycott organizations and BDS that are working to delegitimize the State of Israel. I will not allow anyone to undermine the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces by taking advantage of funding or assistance from the state. I call on the Constitution Committee to immediately approve the regulations. I thank Shai Glick for his decisive work on the matter and for Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon for the cooperation that enabled the enactment of the regulations."
Shai Glick, the director-general of B'Tzalmo, appealed to the Ministers of Finance and Justice to welcome the Minister's signature and said: "The State of Israel is saying here in a clear voice not to finance incitement, hatred and boycotts of Israel. The call for a boycott is not part of the freedom of expression, as the President of the Supreme Court, Justice Esther Hayut, has already determined."
"I am certain that the Constitution Committee will convene immediately and approve the regulations, and soon the absurdity in which the State of Israel finances those who subvert it and harm the only democracy in the Middle East will cease."