Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan addressed the struggle against the anti-Israel BDS movement Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking at a legal conference, Erdan said: "The boycott movement is an anti-Semitic movement. They will never recognize the state's right to exist. It's members don't even hide it. When you look at who supports this movement, you find Hamas and many other anti-Semitic organizations."
"Why is this fight so important?" Erdan asked. "Because the struggle today against the boycott movement is a struggle for the next generation."
"The question is whether the boycott is a legitimate legal tool or modern anti-Semitism. After all, the place that is being boycotted is a state, not a Mcdonald's or a Mazda. So what changed? It all started with a UN conference which was meant to combat racism, but which became racist itself. [The purpose of the conference] was to explain why they needed to destroy Israel and to demonize us.
Erdan criticized the conduct of the judicial system on the issue of boycotts. "Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has clipped the wings of the anti-boycott law. I am sure its intentions were good, but I look at the results. We are left with a useless law. We will propose a limited amendment in order to implement sanctions against the boycott activists."
He added that an initiative would soon be launched "to protect the State of Israel" by the state in cooperation with an association of international jusrists.