Jewish group challenges council’s Israeli settlements produce boycott
A Jewish campaign group is looking to take a local council to the High Court over their boycott of items produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Jewish Human Rights Watch (JHRW) said it had filed papers seeking a judicial review of Leicester City Council’s motion which was agreed last November.
The group has accused the council of being anti-Semitic, but the Labour group on the council said they introduced the motion to show solidarity with Palestinians.
Director of JHRW Jonathan Neumann said: “Leicester City Council has taken steps down an anti-Semitic path under the guise of helping community relations in Leicester. Frankly this amounts to a get-of-out-town order to Leicester Jews.
“Leicester City Council has started a campaign against the Jewish community that has to be stopped. Our solicitors have tried to persuade the council at least to engage with us and they have refused. They have left us with no choice but to seek legal redress.”
He added a decision on whether to grant the judicial review is expected in September.
A council spokesman said: “The motion has never been a boycott of Israel by Leicester. The motion relates specifically to the council’s procurement policy and produce originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.”
He added the authority had been made aware of the attempted judicial review.
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