Israeli attorney Gilad Paz, an open supporter of the boycott movement against Israel (BDS), has sought political asylum in Canada due to his anti-Israel views.
In an interview with Ynet, Paz explained his decision to emigrate: "I am hunted politically in Israel. I understood that people like me don't have a place in Israel, therefore I decided to leave before it's too late."
Paz, 34 years old, landed in Montreal on August 11 and immediately requested official political asylum. In Israel, he had been active in the anti-Israel human rights group Amnesty International and the Meretz Political Party.
"It's been a long time since I stopped believing in the State of Israel. I believe that the Zionist Idea was mistaken at its root, and we're still paying the price for it today," he said in the interview. "The 'original sin' was the 'Nakba,' and that paved the way for the dirty occupation of '67 and the deterioration of the situation. I support BDS because, in my opinion, the State of Israel doesn't understand any other language."
Paz said that he decided to emigrate after Government Ministers Gilad Erdan (Likud) and Aryeh Deri (Shas) announced that the Government would be taking a tougher stance against BDS activists. "I'm not a masochist. So I decided not to wait and to preempt [any action against me]," he explained.
As of now, Paz is waiting for a hearing in Canada at the end of next month to determine his eligibility for asylum. In the meantime, he cannot leave Canada, as his passport has been confiscated by the Canadian Authorities.