United Kingdom - More than a million Britons were told this week to boycott Israeli goods, artists, academics and athletes, as the boycott Israel campaign received a massive boost from the country’s biggest union.
Delegates representing Unison’s 1.3 million members voted at their annual conference in Brighton on Wednesday to support a “concerted and sustained” embargo on Israel with an “economic, cultural, academic and sporting boycott”. This followed earlier pro-boycott resolutions by UCU, the academics’ union, and the National Union of Journalists.
Unison’s vote came as Prime Minister Tony Blair launched a scathing attack on the campaign. He told Jewish leaders in Downing Street: “You can’t allow that kind of delegitimisation of Israel to happen. We need to find a way to challenge this head on.”
Despite Mr Blair’s support, Unison’s decision dismayed embattled anti-boycott campaigners. Lorna Fitzsimons, chief executive of Bicom, which is spearheading the Stop the Boycott campaign, said: “The whole thrust of rebuilding Israel and a new state of Palestine is about economic reconstruction. The area needs investment, and this is a kick in the teeth to Palestinians.” [Jewish chronicle]
Topic: United Kingdom - Anti Israeli Boycott Gaining Momentum (Read 1853 times)