Two councils reverse Israel boycotts after court proceedings issued
Two Welsh councils have performed a U-turn on their decision to boycott Israeli goods after court proceedings were issued.
Gwynedd County Council and Swansea City Council said the motions had been non-binding and had now otherwise been superseded, after legal action was brought by activists from Jewish Human Rights Watch.
A JHRW spokesman said: “We welcome this decision and are delighted to declare that no local councils in Wales now support anti-Jewish boycotts.”
There remain now five councils in the UK still supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, including West Dunbartonshire, Highland, Newry & Mourne, Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
“We will redouble legal efforts against them,” said JHRW. “We call upon them to follow Wales’ lead and bring to an end their Jew-hating campaigns.”
In June, the UNISON trade union launched a campaign to press local government pension funds to divest from companies “associated with the occupation of Palestine,” including security contractor G4S and defence manufacturers.
However, Government ministers recently announced new rules to stop politically-motivated boycott and divestment campaigns by town halls against against Israel, and will issue new guidance to implement the same approach in procurement law.
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