Mexican politician condemns BDS

A Mexican politician has denounced the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) campaign during a visit to settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to the Jerusalem Post.

On Sunday, Hugo Cervantes, who is head of Mexico’s Social Encounter Party and serves in the Mexican Congress, said: “Those who consider that the factories here are not producing products made on Israeli territory are mistaken. There is no territory that is more Israeli than here.”

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In describing his party, Cervantes said: “We are evangelical Christians and pro-Israel.”

Mexico is Israel’s second largest trading partner and, in 2016, business between the two countries was worth $905 million. Cervantes emphasised that the countries’ free trade agreement should apply to all goods from the occupied West Bank.

In October last year, a Mexican diplomat walked out on a UNESCO vote that questioned the historical link between Al-Aqsa Mosque and Judaism. Mexico later expressed its regret at voting in favour of the resolution, and attempted to change its decision to abstention from the vote altogether.