Boycott law—who’s where
A story-so-far look-see:
--U.S. Jewish organizations opposed to the Israeli law banning boycotts of Israel affiliated entities, including settlements: that allows for civil penalties against those who advocate boycotts of Israel or its West Bank settlements.
The Anti-Defamation League
The American Jewish Committee
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs
The Union for Reform Judaism
Jewish Voice for Peace
The New Israel Fund
Meretz USA
Americans for Peace Now
Ameinu
J Street
The Zionist Organization of America opposes such laws in principle but has shied from condemning this particular law.
-Groups applying boycotts to settlement goods:
Americans for Peace Now
Meretz USA
Jewish Voice for Peace
As far as I can tell, only one U.S. group has come close to defending the law: Simcha Katz, the Orthodox Union president, says it's inappropriate to criticize Israel for measures it takes to protect itself. From Baltimore Jewish Life:
We live in the United States, we haven’t served in the army, we don’t pay taxes [in Israel], so it would be inappropriate for us to publicly, in some fashion, criticize Israel on what they do to protect themselves.
That's not quite a formal defense of the law, I should point out.
I should also point out, perhaps with a little mischief, that the Orthodox Union in 2005 formally protested to Israel's government the police profiling of travelers to Gaza who were wearing kippahs, during a withdrawal that had turned violent.
That was a policy that the government at the time implemented in what it saw as Israel's defense.
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Edelstein
07/23/11 11:26 PM
Mr. Kampeas mischaracterizes the recently passed Israeli law on boycotts. He states that the law bans boycotts. Others, such as J Street, have said that the law makes it illegal to promote a boycott. These characterizations are totally inaccurate. The law creates a new civil tort. It gives a person who believes he or she has been damaged by a call for a boycott a cause of action to sue for damages. The person will have to prove causation and damages.
There is plenty of room to debate the wisdom of the new law. However, responsible reporters and others engaging in the debate should, at a minimum, report on and debate the law that actually was passed.