Council slammed over delay in implementing Israeli boycott

By Alan Healy

A Derry-based Palestinian group has hit out at the local council for failing to implement a boycott of Israeli goods despite having agreed to the move in September of last year.

In September 2016, Derry City and Strabane District Council agreed to support a boycott of Israeli goods following a motion tabled by Sinn Fein.

The motion was passed in support of the Palestine Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which aims to ‘end international support for Israel's’ oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law’.

In doing so, it became the first local authority in the north to pass a motion boycotting Israeli goods.

A number of independent councillors then handed back their council issued Hewlett Packard printers.

In May of this year, the Derry branch and national Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) attended a meeting of the council’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee, to receive an update on the boycott.

The council’s Chief Executive, John Kelpie, told the meeting that council was seeking legal advice from what he described as ‘senior counsel advice’ regarding the ‘implications’ of the Israeli boycott agreed by the council.

However, it’s now emerged that almost a year after passing the motion, the council has yet to roll out the boycott.

That has now led to criticism from the Derry IPSC who said that there now seems to be a ‘lack of will’ from the council to implement the boycott.

A spokesperson for the group told the Derry News that while it had met regularly with council officers, it had found the experience to be ‘frustrating’.

“The Derry branch and national Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign welcomed the passing of this motion,” the spokesperson said.

“However, one year on, the council is yet to implement this, and we made it clear that our support of the motion was based on making sure it was not simply 'symbolic' or 'ornamental'.

Over the last year, IPSC members have met regularly with council officers and councillors to discuss how to assist the implementation of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)”.

“This has become a frustrating experience and there appears to be a lack of will to move forward.  An email was sent to all councillors and council officers first week in September reminding them of the council’s obligation to implement the motion.

“The silence has been deafening.”

The spokesperson added that the group will now be attending full meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council later this month to renew their call for the boycott of Israeli goods to be implemented.

In addition, the group will also be presenting a petition calling for the boycott to be rolled out.

“We are ready and willing, as we have been over the last year, to help the DCSDC in this process in any way we can,” the spokesperson added.

The present situation in Gaza speaks to how conditions for Palestinians continue to deteriorate. This is why the council motion and what happens here is so important.”

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council said: “Following the motion that was passed by Council on September 28, 2016 in support of the Palestine Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign, the Council is continuing to investigate the most practical means of implementing the BDS Campaign and an updated report is expected to come before Council in the near future.”