An Israeli court has ordered two New Zealand Students to pay damages of 45,000 Israeli new shekels (12,400 dollars) for causing mental harm to the ‘artistic welfare’ of three Israeli teenagers who had purchased tickets to a music concert.
The two New Zealanders (one a NZ Jew and the other NZ Palestinian) wrote a letter to New Zealand Singer Lorde asking her to cancel her planned performance in Tel Aviv . The case was brought by Israeli law group Shurat HaDin under a 2011 Israeli law that allows civil lawsuits against anyone who encourages a boycott of Israel.
New Zealand lawyers have already declared the decision a peice of "political theatre" This is not really a legal issue - this is about a court in Israel trying to create a precedent, and it will have quite a large global impact"
However the Shurat HaDin Lawyer has declared “This decision makes it clear that anyone who calls for a boycott against the state of Israel could find themselves liable for damages and need to pay compensation to those hurt by the boycott call, if they’re in Israel or outside it.."There are reciprocal treaties between Israel and various countries to enforce foreign judgments, and now after the verdict, we will go after their bank accounts until it is fully realized,"
Whether the Israeli decision is enforced in New Zealand is now a matter for the New Zealand courts to determine based on the circumstances of the case, it isnt automatic and there will certainly be a whole lot of reluctance against any push to have the decisions of foreign courts imposed on New zealand citizens in New Zealand. I'm pretty certain that would be disatrous not only for NZ but for the rest of the world.
On the plus side the whole thing is a bit farcical, and despite what your views are on Zionism and the effectiveness of the Boycott Israel movement, Israel isnt doing itself any favours by shoving its strong arm into the affairs of two poor students in New Zealand.
(NZ-Israel relations are rocky at best, there is trade and tourism occuring however Mossad agents have been caught stealing NZ Passpots for nefarious purposes, NZ supported UN Resolution 2334 and in 2017 Israel dowgraded its diplomatic relations with New Zealand to the level of chargés d'affaires)
But what of you of artistically inspired perveyors of NSG? Does the Israeli Law and the Israeli courts decision on Artisitc Welfare go waay to far? or should the New Zealand courts honour its relationship with Israel?
What would you do?
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/bds ... -1.6551320
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/ ... rt-boycott
