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Date Fri 22 July 2011
BDS Campaign: Israeli Democracy and Human Rights
In an open letter to The Herald newspaper in Scotland, Mike
Kirby, Scottish Secretary questions potential attacks on the
human rights organisation, B'Tselem, which has been supported
by UNISON.
For some time now, we have witnessed attempts in the Israeli
Parliament, Knesset, to undermine democracy and human rights
in Israel. Over the past year, this has increasingly taken the
form of measures directed at groups that criticize government
policy and behaviour in the Occupied Territories. B'Tselem,
as one of the most well-known human rights organizations, is
a central focus of these attacks.
Last week, this offensive took a particularly dangerous turn,
with the Knesset’s enactment of the Boycott Law. This law creates
tort liability for any Israeli individual or entity that calls
for an economic, cultural, or academic boycott of Israel, its
institutions, or “an area under its control.” While B'Tselem
does not promote boycotts, in its explicit penalization of a
non-violent form of protest, the passage of the Boycott Law
is a red line that has been crossed regarding the democratic
foundation of the State of Israel.
The ink is barely dry on this stain on the law books, and the
Knesset is scheduled to vote on the initiative to establish
a parliamentary inquiry into the funding and activities of organizations
that “delegitimize the Israeli military” in the words of its
initiators. Also on the agenda are bills to restrict contributions
from foreign governments to human rights organizations in Israel,
and several other anti-democratic bills. It is clear that they
are part of a broader trend to silence and hinder human rights
organizations, and stifle criticism more broadly. More initiatives
will undoubtedly follow.
As they and similar bodies have done for over twenty years,
B’Tselem shall continue to monitor the reality on the ground,
conduct comprehensive research, demand accountability and advocate
for positive change regarding human rights in the Occupied Territories.
Now, more than ever, it is important to defend the civic space
for such work in Israel – indeed to defend Israeli democracy
itself.
Mike J Kirby
UNISON Scottish Secretary
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