Ex-Brit Jonathan Rynhold, the head of the Argov Centre for Israel and the Jewish People and a senior researcher at the BESA center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University, makes an excellent point in the Jerusalem Post about how the boycott law will boomerang on Israel.
As someone actively involved in combating the assault on Israel’s legitimacy, I believe that the new anti-boycott law passed by the Knesset hands a big victory to the enemies of Israel. It divides Israelis and the country’s advocates and friends, while damaging its image as a democracy. As such, it is assisting the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement to reach two of its strategic objectives: weakening the anti-boycott campaign, and strengthening the chief rallying cry of delegitimizers– the libel that Israel is not a democracy, but an apartheid state.
But then, those who support this law, the Soviet-style fascists and the messianic zealots, couldn't care less about handing victory to Hamas. All they are interested in is stifling debate.
By passing this law, the Knesset has taken Israel’s strongest cards and started to burn them.
This self-destructive action augurs badly for the country’s wider struggle. In 1948, Israel won the War of Independence, in no small measure, because of its smart, practically-orientated strategy and its unity of purpose. The Arab side was potentially stronger, but despite the bombastic rhetoric of Arab unity, it lost as each group focused primarily on advancing its own narrow interests.
It would be deeply tragic and potentially disastrous if Israel were to follow the same path.
Nero fiddles while Rome burns.
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