World Jewish News

France's Supreme Court confirms: BDS is illegal as promoting boycott against Israel is 'inciting to hate'

France’s Supreme Court has confirmed a ruling that promoting a boycott against Israel is tantamount to ‘’inciting hate or discrimination,’’ upholding the convictions and fines on twelve anti-Israel activists.

In 2009 and 2010, the 12 activists from the BDS (Boycott,Divestment, Sanctions) attempted to boycott Israeli products in Carrefour supermarkets, one in 2009 and one in 2010. The boycotters were wearing shirts with the slogan "Long Live Palestine, Boycott Israel," handed out pamphlets stating that the sale of Israeli goods supports "war crimes" in Gaza, and yelled slogans such as, "Israel assassinates, Carrefour is complicit."

The Paris-based Court of Cassation, the highest appeals court for civil and criminal matters in France, confirmed the convictions of the 12 individuals by the Colmar Court of Appeals in connection with actions in the supermarkets near the eastern city of Mulhouse.

The Supreme Court said that the actions demonstrated an attempt to discriminate against a particular country, in this case Israel. The ruling was based on France's law dealing with freedom of the press, which forbids "discrimination, hatred or violence toward a person or group of people on grounds of their origin, their belonging or their not belonging to an ethnic group, a nation, a race or a certain religion."

The law prescribes imprisonment or a fine of up to 45,000 euros ($50,000). Another French court had previously fined the individuals $14,500 collectively for their actions.

Pascal Markowicz, head of the legal department for CRIF, the umbrella representative group of French Jewish organisations, said that “BDS is illegal in France,” and that boycotts singling out Israel, “are completely illegal. If they say their freedom of expression has been violated, then now France’s highest legal instance ruled otherwise.”

EJP