WTF: Israeli rights group sues New Zealanders who urged Lorde to boycott concert
An Israeli legal rights group has said it is suing two New Zealanders for allegedly convincing the pop singer Lorde to cancel her performance in Israel, in what appears to be the first lawsuit filed under a contentious Israeli anti-boycott law.
- Israeli law allows courts to impose damages against anyone calling for boycott of Israel
- Group claims the New Zealanders knew their letter to Lorde could trigger a boycott
- Shurat HaDin is suing on behalf of three would-be concertgoers for about $16,000 in damages
The 2011 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.
The two New Zealanders, Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab, penned an open letter to Lorde last year in which they urged her to “take a stand” and “join the artistic boycott of Israel”.
The New Zealand singer-songwriter replied to a tweet of the letter saying “Noted! Been speaking [with] many people about this and considering all options. Thank u for educating me i am learning all the time too”.
She cancelled her show days later.
The group, Shurat HaDin, claims the New Zealanders, one Jewish and one Palestinian, knew that their letter could trigger a boycott, making them open to a suit under the law.
Shurat HaDin filed the lawsuit in a Jerusalem court on Tuesday and is suing on behalf of three Israeli would-be concertgoers for about $16,000 in damages.
“This lawsuit is an effort to give real consequences to those who selectively target Israel and seek to impose an unjust and illegal boycott against the Jewish state,” Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the group’s head and a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said.
“They must be held to compensate Israeli citizens for the moral and emotional injury and the indignity caused by their discriminatory actions.”
Ms Darshan-Leitner said the law has not yet been tested in court because proving a link between a boycott and a call for one is difficult.
Philosophers stone – selected views from the boat http://philosophers-stone.co.uk
Source: http://www.philosophers-stone.co.uk/?p=22445
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