London: Concerns have been raised by conservative politicians in the UK regarding MP Michael Gove's bill to prevent public entities from boycotting Israeli products and services.
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which opposes Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, is opposed by the Economic Activity of Public Bodies Bill, which is scheduled for a second reading in the British Parliament in the upcoming weeks.
According to a Saturday article in The Guardian, a group of Conservative lawmakers have expressed their concerns about the proposed law to the secretary for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities.
In the English cities of Leicester and Lancaster, where Labour is the dominant party, opposition-led councils have given their approval for organisations to impose boycotts on Israeli goods.
In addition to undermining UK foreign policy, these (BDS) campaigns also give rise to horrifying antisemitic language and abuse. Get on with your work and concentrate on providing for the public, is my message to these organisations," Gove said.
However, those in his own party have expressed disagreement with the bill's potential to prevent public agencies from targeting products and businesses from other nations, such as China, as well as its single-out of Israel.
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Alicia Kearns, chair of the foreign affairs select committee and member of the Conservative party, told the newspaper, "I support the principle that taxpayers' money should not be politicised and should not be used to undermine the government's foreign policy."
My main worry is that Israel shouldn't be mentioned by name on the bill. Legislation aimed at a single nation should be avoided because it would compromise our foreign policy. I also wonder if this will damage the sense of community," she continued.
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The International Centre for Justice for Palestinians and Amnesty International, both of which denounced the proposed law as "outrageous," have also urged the British government to renounce it.
A government spokesperson said that public organisations shouldn't pursue their own foreign policy objectives and that the bill would ensure that the UK spoke "with one voice internationally" and that the "taxpayer only has to pay for foreign policy once."
