London [UK], June 28: In a bid to preserve the UK's right to support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, pro-Palestinian campaigners are actively urging British Members of Parliament to reject a forthcoming bill that seeks to criminalize sanctioning Israel. The issue was passionately discussed during a livestreamed conversation titled "Defending the Right to Boycott: Confronting the UK's Anti-BDS Bill" on the Palestine Deep Dive online media platform.
The Conservative-led British government's proposed legislation aims to prohibit UK public bodies from endorsing or boycotting Israel, despite allegations made by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International of Israel's involvement in acts of apartheid against the Palestinian people. Notable figures, including Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Aimee Shalan, co-director of pro-Palestinian rights organization Makan and chair of the British Palestinian Committee, shared their insights during the program, which was moderated by former Al Jazeera correspondent Mark Seddon.
Shalan emphasized the ongoing oppression faced by Palestinians, stating, "We are now 75 years into an ongoing Nakba, witnessing daily killings, injuries, incarceration, forced expulsions, home demolitions, and severe discrimination against Palestinians with Israeli citizenship." She stressed the importance of unity and speaking out against these injustices during this politically challenging period.
The bill, known as the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, was initially promised in the Conservative Party's 2019 manifesto and championed by Michael Gove, the UK's secretary of state for levelling up, housing, and communities. Gove, singling out BDS, accused the movement of solely intending to attack and delegitimize Israel and its existence as a Jewish state. According to Jamal, Gove's commitment to the legislation stems from a desire to shield Israel from accountability.
The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, aims to pass the bill into law prior to the upcoming general election. If enacted, the legislation would prevent local councils, universities, and similar bodies from pursuing their own foreign policy agendas, as stated by Gove.
BDS, established in 2005 by 170 Palestinian civil society groups, has gained global recognition as a lobbying movement, achieving numerous pro-Palestinian victories worldwide. Recent examples include the cancellation of British singer-songwriter Sam Smith's performance at the Summer in the City festival in Tel Aviv, following pressure from BDS supporters.
While pro-Israel groups have long criticized BDS as anti-Semitic, the movement describes itself as an inclusive, anti-racist human rights campaign that opposes all forms of discrimination, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Jewish voices are prominent among its supporters.
The bill's second reading in the British House of Commons is scheduled for early July.
Source: Qatar Tribune