ISRAEL'S BULLY BOY TACTICS

Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab are 'ordered' to pay a $19,000 fine by an Israeli court for encouraging singer Lorde to cancel her Tel Aviv concert. But the fine is meaningless. 

ALTHOUGH THE Israeli authorities will never be able to enforce the 'conviction', an Israeli court has 'ordered' Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab to pay $19,000 in 'damages' because they encouraged singer Lorde to cancel her concert in Tel Aviv.

The Zionist Federation of New Zealand tweeted that it was 'uncertain'  how the fine was to be 'collected', but it was "an important statement made by Israel'.

Justine and Nadia wrote an open letter to the singer asking her to join the artistic boycott of Israel. Lorde subsequently cancelled the concert.

Israeli law group Shurat HaDin, which has close links to the Israeli government, then filed legal proceedings against the two women under a 2011 law that allows civil lawsuits against anyone campaigning for a boycott against Israel.

Justine and Nadia are members of Organise Aotearoa. It said that it had "a great deal of respect and admiration for its two members".

"Israel is an apartheid state, trying to exercise the same tyrannical control it uses on Palestinian people across international borders. Its bullying tactics only bring more attention to the illegitimacy of Israel's state power."

In the meantime, Justine and Nadia have started a GiveaLittle to raise money for the Gaza Mental health Foundation. You can donate here.

Update: As of 14 October, over $16,000 had been donated to Justine and Nadia's GiveaLittle appeal.