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OPEN LETTER TO MATTHEW HANCOCK MP FROM SOUTHAMPTON PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN
Dear Mr Hancock,
I am writing to your in response to reports that you are seeking to prevent local councils from boycotting companies complicit in Israeli human rights abuses which you have apparently described as “play ground politics.” I would like to know, in the first instance, whether you are familiar with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign, started by Palestinians themselves and supported by Palestinian political parties, unions, associations, and other organisations? If not it really behoves you to educate yourself about it a little before passing judgement on it. The BDS movement was founded in 2005 and draws its inspiration from the boycott and divestment initiatives applied against South Africa during the apartheid era. It enjoys the support of the African National Congress and is actively supported by people of conscience throughout the world as a non-violent means of compelling Israeli to end its on-going violations of international law and human right abuses. It is necessary because of the inaction of governments to take appropriate action to try to achieve these aims. The demands of the BDS movement accord fully with international law. However, it should be noted, as a point of clarification that boycott or divestment from companies complicit in Israeli human rights abuses does not necessarily imply support for the full BDS call. Often organisations and institutions to take this step with respect to a particular complicit company in order to be compliant with their own ethics guidelines.
The government acknowledges that Israel is in gross violation of international law but refuses to do anything about it. This not only demonstrates disregard for the human rights of the Palestinian people but contributes to the undermining of the status of the very concepts of “international law” and “human rights”. As Professor John Dugard, an expert on international law has written: “The West cannot expect the rest of the world to take issues it regards as important seriously if it persists in its present attitude to the [Israeli occupation]. For the rest of the world the issue of Palestine has become the litmus test for human rights. If the West fails to show concern for human rights in the OPT, the rest of the world will conclude that human rights are a tool employed by the West against regimes it dislikes and not an objective and universal instrument for the measurement of the treatment of people throughout the world.” Similar points have also been made by Sir Alan Duncan and I would invite you to watch his talk on this subject delivered to the Royal United Services Institute in October of last year which is available on YouTube.
It is also crucial to understand that boycott is not a principle but merely a tactic — a point that Martin Luther King made with respect to the boycotts that took place during the civil rights struggles in American that he was part of. Strictly speaking the boycott campaign is not directed at Israel as such, but against its policies and actions which violate international law and human rights. It’s aim is to bring about changes to the policies of the state of Israel which will make the call for boycott redundant. If the government is uncomfortable about the campaign it should support its objectives so that we can reach that stage as quickly as possible. The only alternative is to try to stifle the last remaining option for the Palestinians to achieve their just aspiration to live in freedom and dignity, which is morally reprehensible.
Finally, it bears pointing out that the full extent of the cynicism of the Israeli government in its on-going campaign of political genocide against the Palestinian people is not clearly understood. The Prime Minister and MPs on all sides, as well as the media, have repeatedly given credibility to Israeli propaganda lies which are demonstrably untrue. In an effort to redress that a little I enclose a time-line of key events preceding, during and immediately after Operation Brother’s Keeper and Operation Protective Edge, and a list of recommended web-sites, YouTube documentaries, and books which I hope you will find the time to take a look at.
Yours sincerely,
Adam Waterhouse
Branch Secretary — Southampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign
