While militarily strong and facing no existential threats Zionism and Israel's policies toward the Palestinians has been taking a beating in world opinion. [ii]
The UN passed six new resolutions against the Jewish state, including one denying Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem 151-6.
The United Nations General Assembly in New York passed six resolutions on [November 30, 2017] affirming Palestinian rights and condemning Israeli violations of international law, Middle East Monitor reported.
According to one resolution ('Jerusalem'), "the Assembly reiterated that any actions by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem were illegal and therefore null and void."
This resolution was adopted by 151 votes in favor to 6 against (Canada, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, United States), with 9 abstentions (Australia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Honduras, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, South Sudan, Togo), the Monitor said.
Israel's delegate condemned the resolutions, claiming that the UN "continued to annually adopt biased resolutions and devote precious resources"to politicized bodies whose sole purpose was to attack and denounce Israel". The US representative "echoed that opposition." [iii]
Even in North American public opinion, both Jewish and non-Jewish, Israel is losing support. [iv] For example here is a quote from an article in Jewish Forward magazine: "Where Zionism used to be a given among American Jews, it is increasingly being viewed with skepticism by Jews who see where the political ideology has led us. Startlingly only 40% of American Jews age 18-34 said they were "comfortable with the idea of a Jewish State." [v]
Israel has been resorting to lawfare in an attempt to hold back the tide of negative opinion building against the "Jewish State" for its treatment of the Palestinians and its 50 year illegal Occupation of the West Bank.
An Israeli legal group is suing two New Zealanders, one Jewish and one Palestinian, for allegedly convincing the pop singer Lorde to cancel her performance in Israel. This appears to be the first lawsuit filed under a contentious 2011 Israeli anti-boycott law. The Israeli law opens the door to civil lawsuits against anyone calling for a boycott against Israel, including of lands it has occupied, if that call could knowingly lead to a boycott. The law, which is part of Israel's fight against a global movement calling for boycotts against the "Jewish State," allows for courts to impose damages against defendants. Critics said the law would stifle free expression. [vi]
Amnesty International has condemned the law in unequivocal terms:
Despite proponents' claims to the contrary, this law is a blatant attempt to stifle peaceful dissent and campaigning by attacking the right to freedom of expression, which all governments must uphold," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. "The broad definition of boycott could apply to anyone seeking to use this non-violent means of dissent to criticize any individual or institution involved in human rights violations or violations of international law in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories", he added. [vii]
The Israeli anti-BDS law has not yet been tested in court. Even the Shurat Hadin leader Darshan-Leitner has said that the law poses a challenge, "because proving a link between a boycott and a call for one is difficult". She said in this case the connection is clear, claiming that the first time Lorde brought up her reservations on the Tel Aviv performance was after the Sachs and Abu-Shanab's open letter, and that the two women "took credit" for Lorde's decision to cancel the concert on social media and elsewhere. [viii]
Israel is now proposing to enforce its anti-BDS law against Amnesty International, after the human rights organization embarked on a campaign calling for a boycott of products from Judea and Samaria and a weapons embargo on Israel. Amnesty International has also accused Israel of committing war crimes.
Under its "Israel's Occupation: 50 Years of Dispossession" campaign, Amnesty calls for "governments to stop enabling the economy that keeps these illegal settlements growing and fuels the suffering of Palestinians " and help put an end to the cycle of violations suffered by Palestinians living under Israel's occupation."
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