Trade unions and pro-Palestine groups in the United Kingdom asked the government on Monday, June 19, to not approve a proposed anti-boycott bill which, according to them, singles out Israel for protection. The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill will be presented to the UK parliament next week. If enacted, it will ban procurement and investment decisions by public bodies, such as local councils, pensions funds, and universities, that are “influenced by political or moral disapproval of foreign state conduct.”
Those found in violation will be given written notices followed by fines in cases of repeat offenses. The bill provides for exemptions, but specifically protects Israel, stating that the exemptions “may not specify” decisions or considerations “relating specifically or mainly to Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, or the Occupied Golan Heights.”
According to the opponents, the bill targets the global BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign, which urges governments, public bodies, private companies, and institutions to not engage in commercial, cultural, or any other type of activity with Israel until it ends its occupation of Palestinian territories and upholds the human rights of Palestinians.
Signatories to the statement include Unite the Union and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK, among others. In a joint statement, the two groups said, “we are concerned that this [bill] would prevent public bodies from deciding not to invest in or procure from companies complicit in the violation of the rights of the Palestinian people. We affirm that it is the right of public bodies to do so, and in fact a responsibility to break ties with companies contributing to abuses of rights and violations of international law in occupied Palestine and anywhere else where such acts occur.” Representatives from the organizations reaffirmed the right of workers to protest and participate in non-violent activities to support their chosen causes, also citing the example of apartheid South Africa and the international boycott campaign which helped put an end to that regime.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) also condemned the bill and termed it a possible “breach of international law” as it would effectively make UK public bodies complicit in aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICJP head Tayyib Ali called the bill “genuinely nasty,” adding that it is “designed to foster a culture of fear and silence and create a chilling effect.” He further noted that “the bill puts public bodies between a rock and a hard place. If they abide by this new UK law, they’ll be at risk of breaking international law on aiding and abetting crimes in Israel. It’s an absolutely impossible position that the government is forcing on them.”
Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zamlot also denounced the bill and said it would encourage even more “violations of international law.” He reminded the UK government of its “historic responsibility” towards the Palestinian people, being the former colonizer and also the one to partition Palestine arbitrarily after World War II. In his statement, the ambassador said, “we are deeply concerned that this has broader implications for Britain’s supposed commitment to the global rule-of-law-based order. We view the proposed legislation as yet another sign that the UK is abdicating its historic responsibility for and direct role in creating the plight of the Palestinian people.”
