The case has shone a spotlight on the limits of what Israel views as legitimate criticism and human rights activity, as well as of its commitment to liberal democratic values. “The Supreme Court has put a veneer of legality on the Netanyahu government’s clampdown on human rights activities.”Neither he nor Human Rights Watch had called for a wholesale consumer boycott of Israel or its settlements, he said. Gilad Erdan, Israel’s minister for strategic affairs, who heads the fight against the boycott movement, applauded the court decision. Like the dossier, the courts also pointed to reports and advocacy by Human Rights Watch that called on businesses to cease activities that benefit Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. “Our ask now is for the government to reverse its decision,” Shakir said.

Source: bd News24 November 06, 2019 08:48 UTC