Swiss parliament to stop funding NGOs that boycott Israel

Switzerland’s parliament made an unprecedented decision on Wednesday to prevent the state from "financing any organization which supports racism, anti-Semitism, or the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement)."

Switzerland’s National Council, its lower chamber in Parliament, passed a bill on Wednesday by a vote of 111-78, that would cease all funding to non-governmental organizations (NGO) promoting boycotts against Israel and incitement to hatred.

The Bern leadership provides approximately one million Swiss francs each year to the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat in Ramallah, which then moves the money along to more than 30 pro-Palestinian Authority NGOs.

“By incitement to hatred, we mean, for example, campaigns carried out by NGOs that may be considered as provocations by opposing groups or sovereign states,” the legislation states. “Under the term BDS campaigns, we include the notions of boycott, withdrawal of capital, or sanctions against opposing groups or sovereign states.”

“Today’s positive developments in Switzerland are an important precedent in seriously countering BDS campaigns, antisemitism, and hatred,” said Olga Deutsch, director of NGO Monitor’s Europe desk.

The legislation will now be transferred to the Council of States, the Swiss parliament’s upper house, where it is expected to be voted on in May. Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon spoke earlier this week of his plan to convene an anti-BDS summit at the United Nations.

Meanwhile, the Israeli government has passed a law barring the entry of non-citizens who participate in the BDS movement and/or publicly call for boycotts against Israel.

Similarly, Spain's High Court of Justice approved a decision against the BDS several months ago, and a few days ago one of the country's ruling parties adoted a bill proposal opposing the organization, calling it "a modern version of anti-Semitism."