The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) launched a “Councillor Pledge for Palestine” on 10 December. It asks all councillors across the UK to use their position to “uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people”.

PSC has launched the pledge five months ahead of the local elections. Palestine is likely to be a major issue in many closely fought contests, including the all-out elections in London.

PSC research has found that local council administered pension funds invest more than £12.2 billion in companies complicit in Israel’s genocide, ethnic cleansing, military occupation and apartheid against Palestinians.

This includes more than £450m invested in BAE Systems, an arms company that manufactures components for Israel’s F-35 fighter jets. Israel has used these extensively to bomb Gaza. And they’ve taken part in attacks likely to have broken international humanitarian law.

The Councillor Pledge for Palestine

As a councillor, I will take all appropriate steps to:

Uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

Support efforts to prevent, and ensure accountability for, Israel’s crimes of genocide, military occupation, ethnic cleansing and apartheid.

Ensure my council is not complicit in and does not help to normalise Israel’s violations of international law, including through the council divesting pensions and any other funds it administers from complicit companies and through its procurement policies.

PSC has contacted all councillors in Britain to ask them to make the pledge. It will also encourage supporters to contact their local councillors to make the commitment.

In the coming months, it will publish a list of councillors who have made the pledge. And it’ll continue to encourage others to follow suit.

This initiative aims to build a network of councillors supportive of the rights of the Palestinian people. It will also encourage them to use their roles to advocate for Palestine.

Public backing

Labour support in the polls has collapsed. The party is competing with other centrist and progressive parties such as the Greens, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and now Your Party. So the issue of Palestine is set to be a significant factor in councillor elections.

Polling conducted earlier this year on behalf of PSC found that more than three times as many voters support councils divesting pension funds [Excel spreadsheet] from companies complicit in Israel’s crimes as oppose it.

That ratio is six-to-one for Labour voters, seven-to-one for Liberal Democrat voters, and 11-to-one for Green voters.

The Councillor Pledge for Palestine builds on an ongoing PSC campaign – Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Divest. This has led to 27 councils across Britain passing motions or issuing statements in support of divesting pension funds from companies complicit in Israel’s crimes.

It took inspiration from the Local Authority Action Against Apartheid campaign. This launched in 1983 to build support within local government for South African anti-apartheid initiatives.

At its height, two-thirds of Britain’s population lived in councils that had adopted anti-apartheid policies. Nelson Mandela acknowledged this when he visited Britain after his release. He paid a specific tribute to the local authority anti-apartheid campaign.

Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said:

It is not just Westminster politicians who have enabled Britain’s complicity in Israel’s horrific crimes. That guilt extends to council chambers as well, with more than £12 billions of local government pension scheme funds invested in companies profiting from Israel’s military occupation and system of apartheid against the Palestinian people.

Our Councillor Pledge for Palestine gives elected representatives an opportunity to show their constituents they are on the right side of history and that they vow to end this complicity.

After more than two years of Israel’s genocide – which continues to this day, despite the so-called ‘ceasefire’ – people up and down the country are demanding politicians stand up and be counted. Councillors across Britain should answer this call and pledge for Palestine today.

Featured image via the Canary

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