Lord Hamilton of Epsom
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Public Bodies: Israel Boycotts
Lord Hamilton of Epsom Excerpts(8 years, 2 months ago)
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Lord Bridges of Headley
The noble Lord raises lots of issues, but this is about boycotts being conducted by local authorities, which I would argue are counterproductive. They widen gaps in understanding, poison and polarise debate, and block opportunities for co-operation and collaboration.
Lord Hamilton of Epsom (Con)
My Lords, I was in Israel last week as a guest of the Israeli Government when my right honourable friend Matt Hancock announced this guidance that he was giving to local authorities. As both Israel and the United Kingdom are members of the WTO, surely it is illegal to impose these boycotts. They would actually be against the law.
Lord Bridges of Headley
My noble friend is absolutely right. Such boycotts would be open to judicial review.