The State of Israel is now in the process of crafting a new law that would ban foreign groups or individuals that have been involved in “
significant, ongoing and consistent harm to Israel through advocating boycotts.” Previously, Israel constructed a fence or in some cases a wall cordoning off the portions of Judea and Samaria where suicide bombers and other terrorists were entering Jewish communities to kill Jews. The results of the fence have been a 95 percent reduction in such murder sprees.
It is reasonable to assume that those who seek to visit Israel while working to boycott Israel are motivated by reasons that are less than benevolent. Indeed, common sense would indicate that the boycott advocates are enemies of the state who seek to cause trouble for Israel. Letting them in would be like America letting in Nazis, white supremacists, communists, radical jihadists, and other avowed enemies. At best, their motives are not good, at worst they seek to engage in subversive activities or worse.
Responding to criticism, B’nai B’rith stated, “Israel is under no obligation to hold the door open for anyone, or any organization that attempts to harm the state.” This maxim, codified into international law and custom from time immemorial, should serve as an example for all sovereign nations. Every nation, just like every individual and every family, has a natural right to decide who enters their place of domicile. Indeed, such a right constitutes the foundation of freedom by which all other rights emanate.
Americans for Peace Now, a leftist American Jewish group that advocates the boycott, responded with the claim that “boycotts are a legitimate form of peaceful, political expression, which must be protected in any democracy.” They are, indeed, exercising their right to boycott anything they choose to boycott, a right that is not disputed. They are at the same time mixing up the right of Israel to, in turn, boycott them as a boycott, an act of hostility, can be a two-way street. They complain that the ban could lead to “the specter of Jews — or non-Jews — being interrogated about their political beliefs at Ben Gurion Airport.”
So what? Should Israel, like any other sovereign nation, not know the intent or motive of anyone seeking entry into their national home? In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed legislation amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to prevent the U.S. Government from denying visas to anyone based on their ideology. The result was an influx of radical jihadists who eventually destroyed the Twin Towers in Manhattan, on September 11, 2001, while the terrorists involved held visas. This insane law, signed by President George H.W. Bush, was mostly rescinded after the attack as part of the USA Patriot Act.
The Jewish Voice for Peace, another leftist Jewish group working for the boycott, responded to the ban by accusing Israel of “bullying.” Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman and CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations responded: “For JVP to complain about ‘bullying’ is the height of hypocrisy given their tactics.” The Jewish Voice of Peace, a group with a classically agit-prop type title, has a history of bullying supporters of Israel that includes harassing a pro-Israel LGBTQ group that marched at the Celebrate Israel parade in Manhattan. They have also been known to shout down speakers on campuses that they considered to be too Zionist.
Chuck Morse is a radio host who broadcasts live Thursday's at 10 a.m. ET at WMFO-Tufts. Chuck hosts the podcast "Chuck Morse Speaks" on iTunes and Stitcher and his books are available on Amazon.com. For more of his reports — Click Here Now.