Greens to implement boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel
The Scottish Greens have pledged to use the full powers of the Scottish Parliament to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel and companies complicit in the genocide against Palestinians.
Green MSPs made Scotland the first country in the world to agree to boycott Israel and the companies complicit in its occupation of Palestine, passing a motion in Parliament last year. Despite supporting this motion, SNP Ministers in the Scottish Government have still not taken action to implement it.
To fully implement the boycott, the Scottish Greens will end all contracts with companies identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as being complicit in Israeli building programmes in the West Bank, land which is internationally recognised as part of Palestine. Large parts of the West Bank are occupied by illegal Israeli settlers, often after being violently seized from Palestinian residents.
This would be backed up by supporting councils to join the BDS campaign by repealing the Thatcher-era law banning procurement decisions on the basis of geographical origin and other non-commercial considerations, such as complicity in human rights violations.
The party would also issue guidance to businesses in Scotland urging them to immediately cease trading with Israel, exactly as the Scottish Government did in relation to Russia in March 2022. Despite repeated calls from the Scottish Greens, SNP Ministers have offered no explanation of why they issued this call for Russia but not for Israel.
Party co-leader Ross Greer said:
“The Scottish Parliament made history when MSPs passed Green proposals to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel. But the SNP has failed to turn words into action and implement the measures that Parliament agreed to.
“The genocide inflicted on the people of Gaza has included some of the worst war crimes of this century. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and many more displaced by an Israeli regime that has shown a total contempt for Palestinian lives.
“The Scottish Government rightly took a very strong stance against support for any company still trading with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, but when it comes to Israel they have dodged the key questions and failed to deliver.
“People across Scotland are horrified by Israel’s brutal bombing campaign and illegal settlements. I am sure taxpayers don’t want to see their money being handed to the companies complicit in that.
“Every vote for the Scottish Greens is a vote to fully implement the boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel that Scotland’s Parliament already voted for."We must ensure that Scotland does not give a penny to the companies who have enabled and profited from Israeli killings and apartheid.”
