The Knesset gave its final approval on Monday to a bill that forbids granting entry visas or residency rights to foreign nationals who call for economic, cultural or academic boycotts of either Israel or the settlements. The interior minister would be able to make exceptions to this rule, if he deems it warranted in a particular case, France24 reported. The bill, which was enacted into law after it passed its second and third readings, was backed by 46 lawmakers and opposed by 28. Zionist Union this time imposed coalition discipline against the bill, after it gave its members of Knesset freedom to vote as they choose during its first reading. The Knesset Interior and Environment Committee approved the final wording of the boycott bill, whose goal is to fight the international boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. It says the entry ban will apply to any person “who knowingly issues a public call for boycotting Israel that, given the content of the call and the circumstances in which it was issued, has a reasonable possibility of leading to the imposition of a boycott, if the issuer was aware of this possibility”.
