51吃瓜

Like Thatcher with apartheid South Africa, David Cameron鈥檚 government has firmly placed itself on the wrong side of history.

In the United Kingdom, Palestinian rights activists and organizations supporting Palestinian liberation are under attack.

Organizations like聽 (FOA)聽have had their bank accounts closed without an explanation, and 鈥攁 controversial government strategy aimed at countering extremism鈥攊s being used to target Palestinian supporters. Those recently targeted by Prevent include a聽schoolboy聽who was questioned by anti-terrorism police because he wore a 鈥溾�� badge to school.

Now, in the most serious and direct move, the British government has declared that boycotting Israeli goods and services will be become a criminal offence for public bodies and student unions. The official announcement of the ban will be made by Cabinet Office Minister Matt Hancock when he visits Israel this week.

According to a report by , under this new law: 鈥淎ll publicly funded institutions will lose the freedom to refuse to buy goods and services from companies involved in the arms trade, fossil fuels, tobacco products or Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.鈥� Those who continue to pursue boycott activities will face 鈥渟evere penalties.鈥�

The government鈥檚 reason for the crackdown on the boycott movement is that it 鈥渦ndermined good community relations, poisoned and polarised debate and fuelled anti-Semitism.鈥�

Critics, however, see it as an attack on democratic freedoms. A spokesman for British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn told The Independent: 鈥淭he Government鈥檚 decision to ban councils and other public bodies from divesting from trade or investments they regard as unethical is an attack on local democracy.

鈥淧eople have the right to elect local representatives able to make decisions free of central government political control. That includes withdrawal of investments or procurement on ethical and human rights grounds.

鈥淭his Government鈥檚 ban would have outlawed council action against apartheid South Africa. Ministers talk about devolution, but in practice they鈥檙e imposing Conservative Party policies on elected local councils across the board.鈥�

Hancock said local authorities who made the decision to boycott Israel were a threat to Britain鈥檚 national security.

漏 Koos Mohammed

The move has been welcomed by pro-Israelis, including the Conservative Friends of Israel chairman, Eric Pickles, who sees the boycott movement as an 鈥�.鈥�

The BDS Movement

In recent years, and particularly since the 2014 Gaza War, the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has gained a lot of support. Those who join the growing movement see it as a measure to combat Israel鈥檚 aggressive settlement projects and attacks in Gaza, and the ongoing occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

In June 2015, the National Union of Students (NUS) voted to boycott Israeli goods in a show of solidarity with the BDS movement, a move that infuriated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He accused the NUS of being 鈥渉ostile to the truth.鈥�

Several UK councils also supported the boycott campaign, including one of Britain鈥檚 biggest local authorities, Leicester City Council, which last year announced that it would not buy any products produced in settlements until Israel withdrew from the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Those councils wishing to boycott Israel have faced pressure from, mainly, Jewish groups. In December 2015, two Welsh councils were forced to reverse their decision after legal action was taken against them by Jewish Human Rights Watch.

In October 2015, more 300 university academics announced boycott of Israeli educational institutions 鈥渦ntil Israel complies with international law.鈥� They included academics from the UK鈥檚 leading universities.

It now appears that the British public鈥檚 peaceful approach to countering Israel鈥檚 occupation of Palestinian land and human rights violations is being criminalized. Like Margaret Thatcher鈥檚 government of the 1980s, which supported apartheid South Africa, David Cameron鈥檚 government has firmly placed itself on the wrong side of history.

And like the boycott movement that eventually ended the reign of South Africa鈥檚 white rulers, the one facing Israel is unlikely to end any time soon. Its shelf life is dependent on Israel鈥檚 actions: the occupation of Palestine.

If Israel chooses to end the illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories today, the BDS movement against it would cease. Until then, human rights supporters everywhere will see it as the least they can do for the people of Palestine.

The views expressed in this article are the author鈥檚 own and do not necessarily reflect 51吃瓜鈥檚 editorial policy.

Photo Credit: Koos Mohammed

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