Dudley’s ‘illegal’ Israel boycott motion dropped after opposition from Board and JLC
The proposal from Labour councillor Qadar Zada urged an end to “existing and future procurement of goods and services where there is a direct benefit to the State of Israel, including through the supply chain, subject to legal compliance with all relevant procurement, contractual, legislative and regulatory requirements until such time as the State of Israel complies with international law”.
But Simon Johnson, Chief Executive of the JLC, last night confirmed it would mo longer be debated as planned on Monday He said: “We welcome the decision of Dudley Council to withdraw their proposed boycott motion. We thank the Councillors for taking account of the concerns expressed in the letter from The JLC and BOD.
The proposed motion would have been illegal, contrary to the policies of the leaders of all major political parties and contrary to the stated aims of the Palestinian Authority. We hope that such a motion will not be reintroduced in future.” In a statement to the Jewish News, the Tory group outlined that they had been vocal in opposition, with leader Cllr Patrick Hurley telling the Jewish news they would have voted against.
He added: “I believe it will now be kicked into the long grass. Needless to say if they are stupid enough to bring it back at anytime then the Conservative Group will vote against. It is less than two weeks after the Leicester City Council backed a boycott motion. Both councils are Labour controlled – and news of the latest proposal comes just hours after Ed Miliband reiterated his opposition to boycotts in an address to Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East’s annual dinner. Jewish News has learnt that the seven UKIP councillors in Dudley – the council’s third largest grouping – will oppose the motion. Councillor Paul Brothwood, whop leads the grouping, described the motion as “an affront to good community relations” that goes far beyond even what the Palestinian Authority has called for.
He said: “The local Labour party seem to be caring more about the West Bank then the West Midlands. They are being narrow and divisive. In reality this motion is unworkable, as the council would need to throw out most computers, most modern phones, a quarter of NHS generic drugs and all their latest scanners.”
Brothwood also claimed that the move was “almost certainly illegal”, suggesting it “transgresses the Council’s legal responsibility to seek best value in its procurement policies and introduces discriminatory conditions which may result in the borough receiving poorer value for money than it might otherwise receive.
Also, it is highly likely that it breaches equal opportunities legislation because it discriminates against suppliers on the grounds of nationality”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
