Sajid Javid: Israel Goods Council boycott wastes taxpayer money

Sajid Javid says the growing number of local councils boycotting Israeli goods is «divisive and wrong»; Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP

Sajid Javid denounced the councils for wasting taxpayer money to boycott Israeli goods as lawmakers prepare to support a new law banning the practice.

The former chancellor said this was necessary so that state bodies, including local governments, could not «freelance» their own foreign policy.

In an article for The Telegraph, he said the government had correctly passed the law, to end «a highly uncomfortable trend with echoes of the past.»

Some organizations, including trade unions, have criticized the proposed ban on the grounds that the boycott is a way to support the Palestinians.

Michael Gove, the Cabinet Minister in charge of Local Government, warned that allowing such a policy would lead to «terrible anti-Semitic rhetoric and insults.»

«Disagreements and wrongness»

Mr. Javid, formerly of the same position , said he also had to contend with publicly funded organizations that joined the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

“More and more local councils have decided the best way to spend taxpayer money is to work freelance.” with their own domestic foreign policy and ban products on the sole basis that they are from Israel,” he wrote.

“Differences, wrongness and waste of public money. Supporters of the BDS seek to completely isolate Israel both economically and culturally, with some even openly calling for its dismantling.

“This is a landmark piece of legislation designed to end the growing BDS problem. and bring much-needed discipline to the UK foreign policy narrative.”

In 2009, the Congress of Trade Unions passed a proposal to endorse the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.

< p>A year later, Swansea Council announced a boycott of Israeli goods, along with two other administrations, Leicester and Gwynedd, following their 2014 lawsuit. the lawsuit was filed by the charity Jewish Human Rights Watch.

Labor will not support the boycott

Boris Johnson pledged in the 2019 Conservative manifesto to outlaw such boycotts, and the relevant law was outlined in last year's Queen's Speech.

Sir Keir Starmer said that under his The leadership of the party «does not and will not support» the principle of a boycott of Israeli goods.

The Bill gives ministers the power to make exceptions to the ban so that government agencies can help impose sanctions against countries such as Russia.

< p>The second reading will take place in the House of Commons on Monday.