Edinburgh backs Green call for powers to boycott Israel
Edinburgh councillors have backed Green calls for the city to become the first in Scotland to boycott Israel.
Green councillor Ben Parker put forward the motion today to move Scotland’s capital closer to implementing Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) against Israel in opposition to the genocide being inflicted against Palestinians.
The motion expressed solidarity with Palestinians and called on the Scottish Government to confirm what steps it will take to ensure that local authorities are able to legally adopt BDS policies.
Earlier this month, the Scottish Parliament voted to support calls made by Green MSPs to end support for companies arming Israel’s genocide in Gaza and to support actions against companies complicit in the illegal settlements.
Edinburgh Green Cllr Ben Parker said:
“Today the Council took a step towards ensuring that no public money is being used to support the Israeli Government's genocidal regime in Palestine.
“Today's motion was simply a request for information about how the bold decision of the Scottish Government to adopt Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel will impact on Local Authority finances, and about how the Government needs to change the law to empower local authorities to be able to pursue such policies locally.
“But to have the capital city take this step will strengthen the solidarity shown to Palestinian people at all levels of government, and will see us able to adopt BDS in Edinburgh soon.
“As we continue to witness the complete failure of the UK Government to take practical action to end the bombardment and starvation of Palestine, I'm pleased that today Edinburgh Council took this positive step towards economic sanctions and following in the footsteps of the Scottish Government.”
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said:
“This is a really important move by Edinburgh’s Green councillors and one that we hope will be replicated in local authorities across Scotland.
“Israeli forces have inflicted a brutal humanitarian catastrophe on the people of Gaza, collectively punishing, starving and ethnically cleansing Palestinians. There is a responsibility on all levels of government to take action to stop it.
“The Scottish Government voted to support the principles of Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions. Now it has to turn words into actions and support our councils to implement it."
Text of motion supported by Edinburgh City Council
8.3 By Councillor Parker - Scottish Government’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Against the State of Israel
Supporting Information
1) Notes the Scottish Government’s recent support for BDS including agreement to “immediately impose a package of boycotts, divestment and sanctions targeted at the state of Israel and at companies complicit in its military operations and its occupation of Palestine";
2) Recognises that the Council receives public money from the Scottish Government in the form of the block grant and that the recent decision in 1) might therefore impact on how this money can and cannot spent;
3) Notes that the City of Edinburgh Council has consistently supported action to end the genocide in Palestine, as far as our powers allow;
4) Understands that previous attempts by the Council to adopt a local BDS policy against the Israeli Government have been deemed not competent due to section 17 of the Local Government Act 1988 which prevents local authorities and some other public bodies from taking non-commercial matters, including the location of any country or territory of the business activities or interests of contractors, into account in procurement or contract termination decisions.
Proposed Action/Decision
5) Therefore, requests that the Council leader writes to the First Minister to;
a) Seek guidance on if the Scottish Government position on BDS means that conditionalities will now be placed on local authority spending from the block grant to observe the BDS position;
b) Request the First Minister outlines what additional legislative changes the Scottish Government will support and pursue to allow local authorities to legally adopt BDS policies should they choose to.”