Germany: Main bank closes top BDS-linked account

The Jerusalem Post reports:

There is a growing backlash against BDS in Germany.

Doris Ghannam

The Munich-based DAB Bank is slated to discontinue the account of one of the top BDS campaign websites in Germany, the Jerusalem Post has learned.

The BDS-Kampagne [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Campaign] group’s website lists DAB Bank Munich as the financial institution for electronic money transfers.

The Post uncovered the DAB bank account for the BDS campaign website targeting Israel.

Dr. Jürgen Eikenbusch, the spokesman for DAB Bank Munich, wrote the Post by email on Tuesday: “Because of bank secrecy [financial laws] we cannot provide you with concrete information about the account. We took the information very seriously and are examining the topic and are taking, if necessary. the corresponding measures.”

DAB Munich is the German branch of its French mother company bank, BNP Paribas. French law outlaws BDS activity targeting the Jewish state.  It is unclear if action by BNP Paribas against the BDS-Kampagne account is connected to possible violations of French anti-BDS or anti-terrorism laws.

The BDS-Kampagne website promotes a “petition in support of the right to call for a boycott of Israeli goods in France.”

According to German bank law, the BDS-Kampagne will have 60 days to close its account and remove the DAB bank information from its website.

Energetic anti-Israel activist Doris Ghannam is listed on the BDS website as the holder of the DAB account. Asked by the Post via telephone on Monday about the closure of her DAB account, she insisted that the newspaper send her a written query, but declined to respond to the queries, including questions about BDS-Kampagne’s views of Hezbollah and Hamas, which are designated by the EU and US as terrorist organizations, and about the Iranian-backed al-Quds Day protests in Germany.

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