LONDON

- The British government is racing against time to block the door to local councils that seek not to invest in companies operating in Israeli settlements, by introducing London a bill that would prevent municipalities from boycotting investment in settlements or in companies linked to the Israeli army.

The British government's move is not for nothing, but rather comes after its repeated defeats before the courts, when it tried to legitimize preventing public institutions from boycotting the settlements.

Some British institutions take the decision to boycott investment in settlements or in companies involved in helping the occupation to oppress the Palestinians, based on the principle of not contributing to the violation of human rights, a principle endorsed by a number of British courts.

The announcement of the new bill came during the opening of the new Parliament session, which was attended by the British Crown Prince Charles, and delivered the opening speech on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, and it is customary that the opening speech sets out the work program of Parliament and the laws that will be discussed, including the bill that caused an uproar in Legal and legal circles.

The bill aims to stop investment in Israel, especially companies involved in human rights violations, and comes at the same time that the British government is leading massive efforts to boycott and invest in Russia and its products.

defeated behavior

The head of the Solidarity Campaign with Palestine in Britain, "Ben Jamal", did not express any surprise at the British government's proposal for this law, stressing in his speech to Al Jazeera Net that it was expected.

And the British human rights activist considered that what the British government is doing is only a reaction “to the legal victories achieved by the boycott movement against any measure aimed at restricting the right to boycott,” before describing what is happening as “an attempt to circumvent the judicial rulings issued by the highest courts of the country.” and an attempt to lay legal foundations for an illegal principle.

With confidence, Bin Jamal talks about the fact that the target of this law is boycott movements in Britain, “because the way this law was drafted clearly shows that the main goal is to block the door to any movement of boycott movements, and an attempt to attach the accusation of anti-Semitism to anyone who calls for a boycott of investment in the settlements ".

And about the legal arguments that he will present if the law is passed, which is almost certain given that the ruling Conservative Party has a majority in Parliament, the head of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said that they “will resort to the judiciary, because any public facility that invests taxpayers’ money must take into account the issue of these investments.” Respect for human rights, and the moral aspect.

British law requires any British public institution to verify the human rights record of any company that wants to invest in it, "and since building settlements and contributing to building the separation wall and providing equipment to the Israeli forces involve many human rights violations, this investment is considered a violation of the law," according to Ben Jamal's statement, Which is expected to end the legal battle - even if it is prolonged - with the victory of human rights organizations.

restriction of liberties

Kayed Omar Ayada, head of a subcommittee in the opposition Labor Party, revealed that there are more than 50 human rights and legal institutions and bodies that sent a strongly worded letter to the British government, declaring its rejection of this law.

Ayada, a Palestinian activist and member of the Arab bloc in the Labor Party, added that the human rights bodies will focus on the human rights approach from two sides. The first is that the law affects the individual right of any person to refuse to invest his money in companies that violate human rights, and the second is the need to take into account public investments. For the legal and ethical side.

In their rejection of this law, bodies defending Palestine rely on human rights reports, including United Nations reports that talk about violations of the occupation against the Palestinians.

The Palestinian activist confirmed that they launched a campaign of donations in order to prepare for a legal battle that may be prolonged, and the aim of which is to reach the Supreme Court, whose decisions are final and binding.

Good news and worth celebrating:


British courts rule in favor of the BDS movement against the British government that fought and restricted them..a


great victory for democracy in the world and for the Palestinian cause in the West


. South Africa pic.twitter.com/DNe6OfFEdP

— Amin Safi Amin Safi (@Amin1Safi) May 1, 2020

historical precedent

To understand the British government’s eagerness to close the field for a boycott of investments in companies implicated in violating Palestinian rights, one must return to the long battle that the Palestine Solidarity Campaign fought against the British government over the illegality of government directives that required local pension funds not to withdraw their investments from companies involved in business. repression against the Palestinians, and also by not withdrawing its funds from the Israeli military industries sector.

The legal dispute lasted for 4 years, before the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which is considered the highest judicial body in the country, resolved it, and ruled that the government directives were illegal, and favored the solidarity campaign with Palestine in a historic victory, which will have many legal repercussions in the next stage.