An Israeli legal rights group said Wednesday it is suing two New Zealanders for allegedly convincing the pop singer Lorde to cancel her performance in Israel in what appears to be the first lawsuit filed under a contentious Israeli anti-boycott law.

The 2011 law opens the door to civil lawsuits against anyone calling for a boycott against Israel, including of lands it has occupied, if that call could knowingly lead to a boycott.

The law, which is part of Israel’s fight against a global movement calling for boycotts against the Jewish state, allows for courts to impose damages against defendants. Critics said the law would stifle free expression.

Israeli law outfit suing New Zealanders over BDS, Shurat HaDin, has admitted Mossad ties https://t.co/8VZVfIYmn2

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 31, 2018

The two New Zealanders, Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab, penned an open letter to Lorde last year in which they urged her to “take a stand” and “join the artistic boycott of Israel.”

The New Zealand singer-songwriter replied to a tweet of the letter saying “Noted! Been speaking (with) many people about this and considering all options. Thank u for educating me i am learning all the time too.” She canceled her show days later.

The group, Shurat HaDin, claims the New Zealanders, one Jewish and one Palestinian, knew that their letter could trigger a boycott, making them open to a suit under the law.

Lorde has taken out a full-page newspaper ad in her home country of New Zealand, thanking people for “believing in female musicians,” after she reportedly wasn’t offered the chance to perform solo at the Grammys. pic.twitter.com/aK3KlGoj88

— AJ+ (@ajplus) January 31, 2018

The group, which filed the lawsuit in a Jerusalem court on Tuesday, is suing on behalf of three Israeli would-be concertgoers for about $13,000 in damages.

“This lawsuit is an effort to give real consequences to those who selectively target Israel and seek to impose an unjust and illegal boycott against the Jewish state,” said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the group’s head and a lawyer representing the plaintiffs.

“They must be held to compensate Israeli citizens for the moral and emotional injury and the indignity caused by their discriminatory actions.”

*Chef's kiss*
Three Israeli teenage Lorde fans who are joining occupation army next year are suing two New Zealand women—in New Zealand—for “emotional injury” caused by their alleged role in Lorde’s decision to cancel her Tel Aviv concert https://t.co/OZsfJdkfsM

— Nora BarrowsFriedman (@norabf) January 31, 2018

Darshan-Leitner said the law has not yet been tested in court because proving a link between a boycott and a call for one is difficult.

She said in this case the connection is clear, claiming that the first time Lorde brought up her reservations on the Tel Aviv performance was after the pair’s letter and that the two women “took credit” for Lorde’s decision to cancel on social media and elsewhere.

(SFChronicle, PC, Social Media)