Lorde. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – A Jerusalem court ruled on Wednesday that BDS activists from New Zealand must pay some $12,397 in damages for their role in the cancellation of a scheduled performance in Tel Aviv last year by the popular singer Lorde.

Judge Mirit Fohrer said that Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab must pay restitution to three Israeli minors identified in the lawsuit who purchased tickets to the December 2017 concert. The legal action was filed in January by Shurat HaDin NGO president and attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.

But Israel Institute of New Zealand, a kiwi pro-Israel group, while applauding Shurat HaDin for bringing the suit, denounced the decision on Friday as a violation of freedom of expression.

“Shurat HaDin has done some great work over the years prosecuting individuals and groups that actively provide material support to terrorists committed to murdering Jews and destroying Israel, but this judgement undermines some of their previous work,” said Israel Institute co-director David Cumin.

“The BDS campaign is discriminatory, based on lies, and works against peace,” he added.“But that shouldn’t prevent its advocates from being able to express their views—however bizarre and unsustainable they might be.”

Cumin also said “silly and discriminatory ideas should be fought with facts, not fines.”