Eurasia Press & News
The Scottish parliament has made another move in support of Palestinians, voting to boycott Israel and companies linked to the Gaza genocide.
The Scottish parliament has voted for an immediate and full boycott of Israel and companies linked to the war on Gaza, in a symbolic but landmark move in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The Scottish Greens led the campaign to sanction Israel and connected entities over the genocide in Gaza, which has killed at least 64,231 Palestinians and displaced almost the entire population of the enclave.
The amendment, which passed by 62 votes to 31, called on “the Scottish and UK Governments to immediately impose a package of boycotts, divestment and sanctions targeted at the state of Israel and at companies complicit in its military operations and its occupation of Palestine “.
The Scottish Greens and Scottish National Party backed a motion put forward by External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson earlier this week regarding the recognition of the Palestinian state, while Scottish Conservatives voted against the proposal, and most Scottish Labour and Lib Dem MSPs abstained.
The amendment saw the Lib Dems switch their votes to oppose the wording, while all Scottish Labour MPs abstained.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who tabled the motion, said he move would change the narrative around Israel and see other governments in Europe take a tougher stance against the genocide.
“I hope that today’s vote is the start of a new consensus across our Parliament for real, practical and effective action against Israel’s genocide. Palestinians are being starved and massacred every day as part of a campaign of collective punishment and ethnic cleansing. There is an obligation on all of us to take action to end it,” he told The National.
“The principle is one we should all agree on. If a company is profiting from apartheid and genocide against Palestinians, it should not be allowed to profit here in Scotland. It has taken a lot of work by campaigners to get to this point, and I hope that it sets a precedent that will be followed by governments across Europe and beyond.”
First Minister John Swinney had earlier moved to block public funding for firms that supply weapons to Israel, as well as pledging £400,000 toward the Children’s Operating Room, which will help fund the ‘Gaza Hope Field Readiness Centre’ in Scotland and the construction of a rapid-deployment field hospital inside Gaza.
Scotland will also provide medical support for 20 children injured in Gaza, who are expected to arrive with their families in September, and donate £600,000 to the UN’s humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) in Palestine.
Swinney said there was clear evidence of a genocide in Gaza, and the Scottish government should not wait for a legal ruling declaring this, noting that Europe did not recognise the 1995 Srebrenica genocide until 2007.
“We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe of historic proportions,” he said. “The world cannot wait for a final court ruling before acting. The warning signs are clear. A genocide is unfolding, and recognising this reality brings with it a responsibility to act. The people of Scotland expect nothing less.”
