Boycott of 'Israel' increasing, affecting us negatively: Herzog

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated on Thursday that "Israel is being subjected to constant boycott," adding that this phenomenon is escalating rapidly.

In a video address to the annual World Zionist Organization event, Herzog said, "The comparison between the State of Israel and the apartheid regime is not a legitimate criticism — it is a blood libel. Even if it is a legitimate criticism, it is a dangerous and intensifying terrorism, since the legitimacy of the State of Israel and the justification of its existence is directly related to its ability to protect itself and hence they are trying to undermine this ability."

"This is an act that has serious economic, political, academic, social, and other consequences," Herzog cried out, claiming that the ongoing campaign aims to "boycott and delegitimize Israel." He called the BDS movement a "brutal campaign by organizations promoting a boycott of Israel and spreading lies and false facts and seeking to build a long-term policy that will undermine the existence of the state."

Taking a swing at the BDS movement for exposing Israeli crimes and calling on influential figures to boycott the occupation, Herzog claimed, "Let's not be mistaken — this is not a peace-seeking campaign, it is a campaign promoting hatred and incitement."

Read more: BDS Movement: "If we abandon Palestine, we abandon ourselves"

Herzog off to Bahrain

The latest updates come as Israeli media reported earlier this month that Herzog altered the schedule of his visit to Bahrain, citing the demonstrations in the country against him and the government's normalization processes. 

Haaretz, an Israeli news outlet, reported that Herzog traveled on December 4 to Bahrain as the first Israeli president to visit the country and that this visit "will take place under intense security following protests against the Israeli leader that have taken place over the past days."

Furthermore, Bahraini authorities pledged "not to allow protests to take place during the visit."