THE Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has urged Labour to join in TUC’s support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement by overwhelming condemnation of anti-boycott Bill.

Congress rejected government plans to ban local authorities from boycotting Israeli businesses complicit in human rights abuses in Palestine on Tuesday evening.

Delegates agreed that “any attempt to delegitimise the Palestinian call for BDS and to suggest that Palestinians should be denied the right to appeal to people of conscience for support, must be rejected.”

PSC director Ben Jamal said today: “We welcome the passing of this important motion which confirms the enduring support of the British trade union movement for the Palestinian struggle for liberation, and its opposition to the government’s attempts to repress the BDS movement.

“The motion importantly rejects any attempt to delegitimise the Palestinian call for BDS against Israel and companies supporting its oppression and support for that call here in the UK.

“We urge the Labour Party leadership to pay heed to this overwhelming vote by a body representing millions of British workers, including thousands of Labour Party members.”

The Tories’ Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill would allow ministers to veto the public authorities from divesting from companies proven to be responsible for human rights violations. Labour has said the Bill undermines Britain’s longstanding foreign policy towards the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Unions voted to reaffirm its commitment to “boycott the goods of companies who profit from illegal settlements, the occupation and the construction of the wall” and support the Right to Boycott coalition.

The TUC noted: “The legislation would shield the Israeli government from accountability, alongside companies complicit in its occupation, by legislating to silence those trying to achieve change.”