From the Coalition of Women for Peace in Israel

CWP Update: The New Boycott Law
Dear Friends,

The boycott law which passed last night in the Knesset is illegitimate. We will not comply with this law, and this is also our message to the public. The Coalition of Women for Peace, together with Adalah – the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights, Physicians for Human Rights and the Public Committee Against Torture are about to appeal to the Supreme Court to drop the law on the account of its unconstitutional essence and violation of civil liberties.

Eilat Maoz, CWP Coordinator, quoted this morning in NRG-Maariv (Hebrew):"an illegitimate government passes an illegitimate law to protect an illegitimate occupation, while complaining about de-legitimization. We will continue boycotting, protesting, demonstrating and resisting the occupation – and we call on everyone else to do so".


Right to Resist Campaign – Blocking the Bill
When we launched our campaign Right to Resist, speaking against the boycott bill was considered a taboo even in progressive liberal circles. Public identification with boycotts and the BDS Movement seemed too big of a risk for most. Today, boycotting the occupation is more popular in Israel than ever.

CWP activists and staff have been working around the clock to generate the widest public opposition possible to this bill: monitoring and reporting live from Knesset committee meetings; launching a video-campaign featuring leading Israeli artists, cultural figures and activists speaking out against this bill; securing endorsement of an urgent appeal to halt the legislation by more than 50 Israeli civil society organizations including those objecting boycotts; securing extensive media coverage in Israel; conducting international advocacy efforts reaching unprecedented visibility; soliciting a letter by European Parliament Members to EU Commissioners to express their concern, and, finally, launching a mass-emailing campaign – in the past two days, more than 19,000 emails were sent to 120 Knesset Members, requesting them to vote against the bill. This complete transformation of public discourse is a great achievement - and the appeal to the Supreme Court is on its way.