Israel’s Labor Party quits Socialist International over latter’s support for BDS

Israel’s Labor Party yesterday informed Socialist International that it was leaving the global alliance with immediate effect, following the organisation’s recent endorsement of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, reported the Jerusalem Post.

The Labor Party said its decision to suspend its membership would become permanent if the support for BDS was not rescinded.

In a letter, Labor’s MK Hilik Bar claimed that the Declaration on the Palestinian Question adopted by Socialist International is “biased, blind to facts or reality, and partially antisemitic”.

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“The Declaration further weakens the alleged legitimacy of the organisation you lead,” the letter continued. “The language and arguments of the Declaration makes it clear that until its cancellation – there is no real dialogue to have with you, or with your organisation on this issue.”

Labor also attacked Socialist International for expressing “solidarity with the progressive forces in Israel”, stating that “until the full and formal cancellation of this poor one-sided and miserable declaration, your ‘solidarity’ is not desirable by us”.

#BDS

The Socialist International resolution that passed “calls all governments and civil society organisations to activate boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the Israeli occupation, all the occupation institutions, and the illegal Israeli settlements including the total embargo on all forms of military trade and cooperation with Israel as long as it continues its policies of occupation and Apartheid against the Palestinian people.”

Socialist International is a worldwide organisation of social democratic, socialist and labour parties, currently bringing together some 140 political parties and organisations from across the globe.