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Published on 27 April 2016
French government indicates giant bank violates anti-BDS law
By Benjamin Weinthal, published in the Jerusalem Post April, 27 2016
The French embassy in Israel announced that an account held by Campaign BDS France with Credit Mutuel bank appears to violate the law.
"The French opposition against any form of boycott is well known. There are strict rules in France against calls for a boycott. These rules apply notably to all economic operators," the French embassy told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
France’s 2003 Lellouche law has been applied to punish Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) activists for seeking to damage Israel’s economy. The Lellouche law outlaws discrimination based on national origin. The French embassy statement sends a fresh blow to Credit Mutuel and could open a floodgate of litigation against the financial institution. Multiple Post press queries to the French financial institution Credit Mutuel were not immediately returned on Tuesday.
Frédéric Monot, a spokesman for Credit Mutuel, told the Post last week, “We do not disclose information covered by banking secrecy, but we strictly respect the application of French law.”
Credit Mutuel is now in the cross hairs of a two-front legal war. On the other side of the Atlantic, where Credit Mutuel has a branch office in New York City, the state’s legislature is negotiating a tough anti-BDS law.
“The New York legislation would certainly adversely affect those banks. In a time of crisis that is growing more acute by the day, Americans and New Yorkers want to stand with our strategic democratic ally. Israel and against hatred peddled by the BDS movement,” New York State democratic Assemblyman Charles Lavine told the Post in early April.
Roger Cukierman, the head of the CRIF( Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions), told the Post on Wednesday that “the boycott of Israel is forbidden by law” in France, and said the BDS France account should be closed... Read more.