A government bill aimed at banning councils from imposing boycotts on Israeli goods is expected to be presented next week. The proposed legislation will prevent public bodies from adopting their own approach to international relations, including through sanctions and divestment campaigns. The Telegraph reported that Michael Gove, the Cabinet minister responsible for local government, will introduce the legislation. Gove told the paper that the boycott of goods from Israel leads to “appalling antisemitic rhetoric and abuse”. He said: “It is simply wrong that public bodies have been wasting taxpayers’ time and money pursuing their own foreign policy agenda. “The UK must have a consistent approach to foreign policy, set by UK government. “These campaigns not only undermine the UK’s foreign policy but lead to appalling antisemitic rhetoric and abuse. That is why we have taken this decisive action to stop these disruptive policies once and for all.” The boycott, divestment and sanctions bill was first set out in the Queen’s speech in 2022 after a commitment in the 2019 Conservative general election manifesto.
Accompanying documentation released with the speech last year said the government has “zero toleration” for discrimination which pits different communities against each other. It cited motions passed by Lancaster city council in support of such campaigns in 2021 and by Leicester city council to boycott goods from Israeli settlements in 2014. The legislation would enable ministers to conduct investigations into suspected breaches of the ban. Public bodies that break the new rules could face “significant” fines, the Telegraph reported. Before 2019, Leicester, Swansea and Gwynedd councils passed motions to boycott produce from “illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, until such time as Israel complies with international law and withdraws from Palestinian-occupied territories”. Keir Starmer’s predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, supported targeted action against illegal settlements on the West Bank, though he did not back a blanket boycott on Israel. The current Labour leader has said the party does not support the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.