Over a thousand UK councillors sign pledge to uphold Palestinian rights by Imran Mulla

More than a thousand local councillors have signed a pledge to “uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people” and ensure their councils are not complicit in “Israel‘s violations of international law”.

… The pledge was launched by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which organises national pro-Palestine marches in London, and was supported by the Palestinian Youth Movement Britain, the Palestinian Forum in Britain, The Muslim Vote and the British Palestinian Committee.

… Multiple local authorities in the past year have voted to boycott companies that are complicit in Israeli war crimes, arm Israel or benefit from its occupation of Palestinian territory.

In March, Oxford City Council passed a motion supporting the BDS movement against Israel, citing International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings.

Labour-run Cumberland council also said it would withdraw investments from companies supplying weapons to Israel.

In December, Labour-run Newcastle council passed a motion committing to review its financial ties with companies “complicit with the genocide and/or illegal occupation” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. 

And the pension funds of numerous councils – including Islington, Lewisham, Wandsworth and Caerphilly – have excluded companies on the United Nations list of businesses involved in the occupied Palestinian territories.