UK to outlaw boycotts against Israel amid wide-ranging bans on Russia
The British government has announced plans to ban acts of boycott, effectively suppressing dissent on Israel, in the midst of London’s wide-ranging application of boycotts and sanctions against Moscow over Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The announcement was made during the Queen’s Tuesday speech, which Prince Charles delivered at the State Opening of Parliament on her behalf.
He said the government will introduce “legislation [that] will prevent public bodies engaging in boycotts that undermine community cohesion.”
The bill is widely believed to be a heavy blow to supporters of Palestinian rights in Britain and an attempt to silence the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which aims to pressure the Israeli regime to put an end to its occupation of Palestine as well as its atrocities against Palestinians.
It comes while the UK government and other Western powers have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow and its allies over Russia’s military campaign against Kiev.
In addition, Russia is now being subject to a number of boycotts as large businesses and organizations in the UK and several other countries are cutting ties with the country.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian groups in Britain denounced the proposed bill and said they would campaign against it.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and Friends of Al Aqsa (FOA) described the bill as an attack on free speech.
“In the case of Palestine, boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) is a peaceful movement calling on Israel to comply with international law and end its illegal occupation of Palestine,” the FOA said in a statement.
“FOA remains committed to protecting the right of public bodies to make ethical choices through BDS,” it added.
Since 2005, the BDS movement has sought to sanction all Israeli-made products produced on illegally occupied Palestinian land.
The movement’s success in causing economic damage to Israel has prompted pro-Israel groups to brand the BDS an “existential threat.”
120 Palestinians perish as Israeli war machine keeps ravaging Gaza
Hezbollah rains attack drones down on elite Israeli brigade
Hamas says female Israeli captive killed in Gaza, holds Netanyahu responsible
VIDEO | Paris march in support of Palestine women
VIDEO | ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister, ousted regime war minister
120 Palestinians perish as Israeli war machine keeps ravaging Gaza
VIDEO | Struggles of Palestinian women amidst war, displacement
VIDEO | Hezbollah rains attack drones down on elite Israeli brigade
VIDEO | US biased mediation fails
Leader: All captains of criminal, Zionist, terrorist gang must be prosecuted
Iran further raises its oil prices for Chinese buyers: Report
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
