The Irish government has said that the global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement represents a “legitimate” means of protest “intended to pressure Israel into ending the occupation.” This is another blow to the Israeli campaign to criminalize Palestine solidarity activism, following an announcement by the Netherlands last week supporting its people’s right to join the BDS movement against Israel. The Electronic Intifada reports: In the Irish parliament on Thursday, foreign minister Charles Flanagan stated that “while the government does not itself support such a policy,” the BDS movement holds a “legitimate political viewpoint” and that the government does “not agree with attempts to demonize those who advocate this policy.” Second blow in a week This is the second major setback Israel has suffered this week to its campaign to delegitimize and criminalize the global movement within the European Union and other Western states. Ireland is the third EU government to make such a statement in recent months. Earlier this week, Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders said that “statements or meetings concerning BDS are protected by freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, as enshrined in the Dutch constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.” In March, the Swedish [...]