THE Scottish Government is considering imposing a state boycott on Israel, The National can reveal.
Scottish Greens leadership contender Ross Greer has written to the First Minister demanding that he adopt the principles of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which aims to put pressure on the Israeli economy in the mould of the anti-apartheid boycott of South Africa.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said ministers would “consider” the proposal, which would see official guidance issued to businesses urging them to end trade with Israel, as was done with Russia in 2022.
Greer’s letter to John Swinney welcomed the First Minister’s acknowledgement that “there is a genocide in Palestine”, but the MSP said he disagreed with the assertion that he was “trying to do everything I possibly can do to make sure that we apply the pressure” on Israel.
Before setting out a raft of measures to implement the BDS campaigns’ demands, Greer (below) said: “As we both know and have previously discussed, there is much more which the Scottish Government can be doing to put pressure on Israel to end its genocide in Palestine.”
He called for the Scottish Government to scrap part of the Local Government Act 1988 to allow councils to bar companies from winning contracts if they participated in the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. Greer suggested this could be achieved through an amendment to the Community Wealth Building Bill.
As well as issuing guidance to businesses recommending that they halt trade with Israel, Greer suggested that the Scottish Government should stop funding arms companies which have supplied Israel during the genocide and “all other companies directly complicit in the occupation”.
Pension funds should also be encouraged to divest from companies “complicit in Israel’s apartheid regime”, Greer added.
Finally, he suggested imposing financial penalties on “complicit companies” through the Scottish Government’s powers to impose surcharges on non-domestic rates.
Speaking to The National, Greer said: “Unfortunately the First Minister’s claim that he is doing everything possible for Palestine just isn’t true. Most foreign policy powers lie with Westminster, but there are still meaningful actions the Scottish Government could take, yet hasn’t.
“John Swinney now rightly recognises what is happening as a genocide. Those words must be matched with action, but we’ve seen very little of that from his government. Taxpayers’ money is still being handed to companies who the United Nations has identified as being directly complicit in Israel’s campaign of ethnic cleansing.
“The worst crime against humanity of our time is being inflicted on the Palestinian people right in front of our eyes.
“Scotland has a moral responsibility to act. The same approach helped end apartheid in South Africa. Now we must show that solidarity with the people of Palestine.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government has repeatedly called for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and an urgent increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government to recognise a sovereign Palestinian state, as part of a two-state solution to secure lasting peace in the region.
“Ministers will consider and reply to Mr Greer’s letter.”
