Binyamin Netanyahu
Binyamin NetanyahuMeir Vaknin/Flash 90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday welcomed the German Bundestag’s approval of a resolution condemning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and defining it as "anti-Semitic".

“I congratulate the German Bundestag on the important decision that recognizes the BDS as an anti-Semitic movement and declares that it is forbidden to fund it. I particularly appreciate the Bundestag's call on Germany to stop funding organizations working against Israel's existence. I hope that the decision will lead to concrete steps and call on other countries to adopt similar legislation,” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter.

The resolution passed on Friday calls on the government to refrain from any support to organizations that are involved in boycott activities against Israel.

“All-encompassing calls for boycotts in their radical nature lead to the stigmatization of Israeli citizens and citizens of Jewish faith as a whole," the resolution reads. "This is unacceptable and worthy of the sharpest condemnation.”

According to the resolution, “The arguments and methods of the BDS movement are anti-Semitic”. The resolution states that the actions are a reminiscent of Germany’s Nazi past.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, also welcomed the decision of the German parliament to define the boycott movement against Israel as anti-Semitic.

"This is a crushing victory for the truth and a great achievement in the struggle against Israel's detractors. Germany proved to BDS supporters that its lies do not go unnoticed, but will pay a price. I congratulate the German parliamentarians who took part in passing this historic decision and call on the rest of the world leaders to join Germany, and work towards shaping a future without hatred against Jews and against Israel," said Danon.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)