(Reigate) (Con):...I
understand the purpose of the boycott Bill, which is described as
legislation to
“prevent public bodies engaging in boycotts that undermine
community cohesion.”
However, I think we need to be a little careful. I am afraid that
in the last Session I supported an amendment on the subject
tabled by my right hon. Friend the Member for Newark (); that was an error of
judgment on my part, because I was not paying sufficient
attention to the business, and I do not intend to repeat that
mistake if the boycott measure comes back to the House. It is
designed to take away people’s ability to make a statement of
their beliefs about the policy of a nation that is in gross
breach of international law. Obviously the nation is question
is Israel
and obviously the community cohesion being thought about relates
to antisemitism within communities. I fully appreciate the
Government’s concerns about the matter, but if a nation is in
gross breach of the fourth Geneva convention, has invaded and
then settled an occupied territory, and is killing journalists in
that territory who are observing what is going on, we might just
want to reflect on what capacity or ability there is in our
society to say, “We don’t think that’s right,” notwithstanding
the obvious associated issues of antisemitism...
