Strategic Affairs Ministry to form anti-BDS legal network

Published: DECEMBER 20, 2018 17:17

Updated: DECEMBER 21, 2018 01:57

Minister of Public Security and Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan (photo credit: SIVAN FARAG) — Minister of Public Security and Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan

(photo credit: SIVAN FARAG)

The ministry is planning to invest NIS 3.25 million on the project in its first two years.

The Strategic Affairs Ministry will invest more than NIS 3 million over the next two years to establish an international legal network to fight the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

The ministry posted its intention to contract with the International Legal Forum on the Government Procurement website.

The forum would help administer grants of up to NIS 600,000 to members of the network, which could include jurists, lawyers and other legal professionals or organizations, to fight BDS on the legal battleground.

“This is an important step in moving us from defense to offense,” said Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan, noting that the network will help expose legal violations that BDS supporters carry out throughout the world and eradicate them.

According to a statement by the ministry, the need for such a network was determined after many attempts by BDS supporters – mainly in Europe and the United States – to use a variety of tactics to boycott the Jewish state that would need to be halted through legal means. The network will act against BDS at the municipal, academic, economic and cultural levels.

The International Legal Forum is a global legal coalition initiating and centralizing efforts to fight for human rights in the international arena. The forum is already engaged in the struggle against BDS in 20 countries, and provides its members and partners with knowledge, strategy, research services and a global network of contacts necessary to combat BDS effectively and professionally.

As part of its new contract, the forum will work to identify gaps in its network and then expand and strengthen itself accordingly by identifying potential new partners in the relevant countries. It will also work to establish a digital communication platform and a digital database that will provide members with access to legislation from various countries, verdicts, legislative proposals, relevant articles and more.