FRANCE – PayPal closes French B.D.S movement account

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE –  Online payment company PayPal has blocked cash transfers to the French branch of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

While the company would not discuss any specific action that may have targeted the BDS group, a PayPal spokesperson told the Jerusalem Post: “Compliance with all local laws is something we take very seriously. PayPal has dedicated significant resources to combat the use of our secure payment platform for illegal activities and works collaboratively with law enforcement agencies around the world to support both the detection of crime and the conviction of criminals.”

France’s Lellouche law, instituted in 2003, is one of the most powerful pieces of anti-BDS legislation in Europe and has been used to sanction BDS activists. The law bars discrimination against people based on national origin.
The PayPal move follows French bank Credit Mutuel’s closure of its account with BDS France in May.