Johnson Expected to Introduce Law Banning Councils from BDS
Morning Star, London
Former Tory MP and special envoy for post-holocaust issues Eric Pickles said the ‘Boycott, divestment and sanctions’ movement is ‘anti-semitic and should be treated as such’
An Israeli soldier aims his weapon at Palestinian demonstrators during a protest in the West Bank city of Hebron
BORIS JOHNSON is expected to unveil legislation banning local councils from boycotting products from foreign countries including Israel in the Queen’s speech on Thursday.
Announcing the plans in Jerusalem on Sunday, former Tory MP and special envoy for post-holocaust issues Eric Pickles claimed: “Boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) is anti-semitic and should be treated as such."
But campaigners have hit out at the new law, arguing that it kowtows to Israel’s global campaign to shut down BDS, which “seeks to hold Israel accountable for its violations of Palestinian rights and of international law.”
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal explained: “Israel has been engaged in a global campaign to have laws prohibiting BDS introduced so that it can act with impunity.
“Unsurprisingly a Conservative government that seeks to ally itself with Donald Trump and his far-right agenda is following suit.”
The Tories had previously pledged in their manifesto to ban public bodies imposing their own direct or indirect boycotts of foreign countries, claiming that it “undermines community cohesion.”
If such a law is passed, Britain would become the third European country, after Germany and France, to part-ban BDS.
The movement has successfully pressed multimillion-pound firms including Orange and Veolia to quit their operations in Israel.
Mr Jamal said that the success of the campaign over a number of years has caused Israel to make extensive efforts in order to frame BDS as “extremist and anti-semitic,” in order to “persuade its allies to introduce anti-BDS legislation.”
“We have seen this happening in France, Germany, the US and elsewhere,” he told the Star.
“This represents a serious threat to the rights of Palestinian people to call for peaceful action through BDS to end their oppression.”
With a majority of 87 in the House of Commons, the PM should have little trouble passing the proposed legislation.
But the House of Lords, where the Conservatives do not have a majority, could prove more difficult.
PSC’s director stressed the need for the pro-Palestinian movement to mobilise against the anti-BDS legislation.
“All of those who hold progressive values including recognising that consistent anti-racism includes opposition to Israeli apartheid will need to join a broad coalition to oppose this proposed law,” he said.
Former Tory MP and special envoy for post-holocaust issues Eric Pickles said the ‘Boycott, divestment and sanctions’ movement is ‘anti-semitic and should be treated as such’
An Israeli soldier aims his weapon at Palestinian demonstrators during a protest in the West Bank city of Hebron
BORIS JOHNSON is expected to unveil legislation banning local councils from boycotting products from foreign countries including Israel in the Queen’s speech on Thursday.
Announcing the plans in Jerusalem on Sunday, former Tory MP and special envoy for post-holocaust issues Eric Pickles claimed: “Boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) is anti-semitic and should be treated as such."
But campaigners have hit out at the new law, arguing that it kowtows to Israel’s global campaign to shut down BDS, which “seeks to hold Israel accountable for its violations of Palestinian rights and of international law.”
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal explained: “Israel has been engaged in a global campaign to have laws prohibiting BDS introduced so that it can act with impunity.
“Unsurprisingly a Conservative government that seeks to ally itself with Donald Trump and his far-right agenda is following suit.”
The Tories had previously pledged in their manifesto to ban public bodies imposing their own direct or indirect boycotts of foreign countries, claiming that it “undermines community cohesion.”
If such a law is passed, Britain would become the third European country, after Germany and France, to part-ban BDS.
The movement has successfully pressed multimillion-pound firms including Orange and Veolia to quit their operations in Israel.
Mr Jamal said that the success of the campaign over a number of years has caused Israel to make extensive efforts in order to frame BDS as “extremist and anti-semitic,” in order to “persuade its allies to introduce anti-BDS legislation.”
“We have seen this happening in France, Germany, the US and elsewhere,” he told the Star.
“This represents a serious threat to the rights of Palestinian people to call for peaceful action through BDS to end their oppression.”
With a majority of 87 in the House of Commons, the PM should have little trouble passing the proposed legislation.
But the House of Lords, where the Conservatives do not have a majority, could prove more difficult.
PSC’s director stressed the need for the pro-Palestinian movement to mobilise against the anti-BDS legislation.
“All of those who hold progressive values including recognising that consistent anti-racism includes opposition to Israeli apartheid will need to join a broad coalition to oppose this proposed law,” he said.
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