Israel's Travel Ban on BDS Co-Founder Omar Barghouti Threatens His Permanent Residency Status

by Stephen Lendman

On the 10th anniversary of BDS's founding last year, Barghouti said it "played a critical role in changing the discourse on the question of Palestine after more than two decades of a fraudulent peace process," - hardening occupation, colonization and apartheid, undermining fundamental Palestinian rights.

Israel considers BDS effectiveness a threat to its aim for control over all valued parts of Judea and Samaria, ethnically cleansed of its longtime Arab occupants, the rightful owners of the land.

Banning Barghouti from travel outside Israel/Palestine follows threats by regime officials against him. The BDS National Committee (BNC) called targeting him "an escalation of its attacks on Palestinian human rights defenders who nonviolently advocate for Palestinian rights under international law."

Barghouti said he's "unnerved but certainly undeterred by…threats" against him. "Nothing will stop me from struggling for my people's freedom, justice and peace," he stressed.

Notorious Israeli Arab hating Interior Minister Aryeh Deri once served prison time for corruption. He hinted at revoking Barghouti's permanent residency status.

Netanyahu-led Israeli hardliners systematically target BDS activists. According to BNC general coordinator Mahmoud Nawajaa, it "launch(ed) a desperate and dangerous global war of repression on the movement."

Along with its Lobby, it's pressuring Western governments "to implement…anti-democratic measures that threaten civil liberties" and other fundamental freedoms.

Targeting Barghouti and similar repressive actions show how far Israeli viciousness will go to crush opposition to its ruthless rule.

Gilad Erdan heads Israel's anti-BDS campaign. He warned Barghouti and likeminded activists will "pay the price" for their human rights work.

Intelligence minister Yisrael Katz called for eliminating BDS leaders by targeted assassinations.

The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council affirmed "the right of all individuals to participate in and advocate for boycott, divestment, and sanction actions…"

Britain, France, Canada and various US states introduced anti-BDS legislation. Similar measures were introduced in Congress - ignoring the Supreme Court upholding the right of boycott during the 1960s.

Prohibiting it for any reason denies fundamental free expression rights. Without them, all others are at risk.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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