New Israeli Law Sends British Boycott Leader Back to Britain: “BDSers” Denied Entry

A leading proponent of the anti-Israel “BDS” (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement in the United Kingdom was denied entry into Israel on Monday and placed on a return flight to Britain. The deportation of Hugh Lanning, head of the London-based Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, was made possible by the newly-passed legislation that allows the denial of entry to anyone known to support the “BDS movement” or calls for boycotts of Israel or its goods and services. Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan said, “the rules of the game have changed.” He defended the legislation and the deportation of Lanning, insisting that, “no sane country would allow access to key boycott activists working to harm the country’s core interests and lead to its isolation.”