Israel on Sunday named 20 groups from around the world whose members will be banned from entering the country over their calls to boycott the Jewish state, stepping up its fight against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, which it views as a serious threat.
Last year, Israel enacted a law that bars any activist who "knowingly issues a public call for boycotting Israel" from entering the country. Sunday's list of groups constitutes a follow-up to that legislation.
The 2017 law does not apply to Israeli citizens.
A statement by the Strategic Affairs Ministry said those who have caused "significant, ongoing and consistent harm to Israel by advocating boycotts could be barred from entry."
It said that "central figures in key boycott organizations" also risked being prevented entry.
"The boycott organizations must know that the State of Israel will act against them," Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan said in a statement. "This list is another step in our battle against the incitement and lies spread by the boycott organizations."
The list is part of Israel's efforts against grassroots groups calling for various boycotts and sanctions against Israel over its policies toward the Palestinians.
The movement has urged businesses, artists and universities to sever ties with Israel over its policies.
BDS has enlisted thousands of volunteers around the world. Supporters of the movement say the tactics are a nonviolent way to promote the Palestinian cause. Israel argues the BDS campaign goes beyond fighting its policies in areas the Palestinians claim for their future state and often masks a more far-reaching aim to delegitimize or destroy the Jewish state.
The listed groups, hailing from the United States, France, South Africa and elsewhere, include the Jewish Voice for Peace, the American Friends Service Committee, BDS France and its counterparts in Italy, Chile and South Africa. These groups boast thousands of members between them.
The selected groups were chosen because they are the main ones to "operate consistently and continuously" against Israel, Erdan's office said.
The American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group, said it would continue to work for "peace and justice." The group, together with a British Quaker organization, won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 for assisting World War II refugees.
"We answered the call for divestment from apartheid South Africa and we have done the same with the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions from Palestinians who have faced decades of human rights violations," AFSC official Kerri Kennedy said.
The U.S.-based Jewish Voice for Peace issued a statement saying, "Israel's decision to specifically ban JVP is disconcerting but not surprising, given the further erosion of democratic norms and rising anxiety about the power of BDS as a tool to demand freedom."
In the years since its establishment, the BDS movement has persuaded several church organizations to divest from Israel-related companies and has rallied support on U.S. college campuses. Most recently, pop singer Lorde joined a number of other performers who have canceled shows in Israel amid pressure from BDS activists.
Even so, a slew of other musicians, such as Elton John, Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, the Rolling Stones, Justin Bieber, Britney Spears and Rihanna, have stood their ground against pressure by the BDS movement and performed in Israel.
Israel has also enjoyed new economic partnerships and diplomatic ties despite calls for boycotts and it has become a top destination for international sporting and cultural events.
Since Erdan was tasked with heading Israel's counter-BDS efforts, the country's policy has changed from a defensive one to an offensive one.
Israel's efforts have so far prompted 24 states in the U.S. to pass anti-BDS laws and last week, Denmark and Norway both announced they would toughen funding regulations for Palestinian groups involved in BDS activities.
