Israel is barring members of 20 global activist groups over their calls for a boycott of the Jewish state because of its Palestinian policies.
The 20 groups come from Chile, Europe, South Africa, and the United States. They include the Nobel Peace Prize winning Quaker activist group American Friends Service Committee.
"We have moved from defense to attack," Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Sunday."The boycott organizations need to know that the state of Israel will act against them and will not allow them to enter its territory in order to harm its citizens."
An American Friends Service Committee official said the group "answered the call for divestment from apartheid in South Africa and we have done the same with the call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions from Palestinians who have faced decades of human rights violations."
It is unclear how Israeli authorities plan to keep such activists from entering the country if they have the proper passports and visas.
Sunday's announcement comes after Israel passed a law last year barring entry to any individual who calls for a boycott of Israel.