UK lawmakers to introduce bill prohibiting councils' boycotts on Israeli goods

Next week, a government bill is anticipated to be introduced in UK reportedly to target councils imposing boycotts on Israeli goods.

The proposed legislation aims to prevent public entities from independently formulating their stance on international relations, including the implementation of sanctions and divestment campaigns.

According to reports, Michael Gove, the Cabinet minister responsible for local government, will be presenting the bill.

Gove told media that the boycott of Israeli goods contributes to the proliferation of “appalling antisemitic rhetoric and abuse.”

He stated, “It is fundamentally incorrect that public bodies have been utilizing taxpayers’ time and resources to pursue their own foreign policy objectives.”

The UK government emphasizes the need for a coherent and unified foreign policy approach, established by the UK government itself.

Such campaigns not only undermine the country’s foreign policy objectives but also contribute to the propagation of abhorrent antisemitic rhetoric and abuse.

To address these concerns definitively, decisive action has been taken to halt these disruptive policies.

The introduction of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions bill was initially outlined in the Queen’s speech in 2022, following a commitment made in the Conservative Party’s general election manifesto of 2019.

The accompanying documentation released alongside the speech last year emphasized the UK government’s commitment to a “zero toleration” policy for discrimination that fuels divisions between different communities.

It specifically highlighted motions passed by Lancaster City Council in 2021 and Leicester City Council in 2014, which endorsed campaigns supporting boycotts of Israeli goods.

Under the proposed legislation, ministers would be empowered to investigate suspected breaches of the ban. Public bodies found to be in violation of the new rules could face substantial fines, as reported by The Telegraph.

Prior to 2019, Leicester, Swansea, and Gwynedd councils had passed motions advocating for a boycott of products originating from “illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank,” until Israel complies with international law and withdraws from the Palestinian-occupied territories.

While Keir Starmer’s predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, supported targeted measures against illegal settlements in the West Bank, he did not endorse a comprehensive boycott of Israel. The current leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has stated that the party does not endorse the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement.

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