Scotland: Glasgow Districts Boycott Israeli Books

May 25, 2011

Following the botched raid on the Turkish Flotilla to Gaza last May, the council expanded the boycott to include a ban on the purchase of English translations of Israeli books and the distribution of these books in public libraries throughout the council’s jurisdiction.

West Dunbartonshire was joined by the large Scottish city Dundee, which decided to issue a recommendation to boycott all goods produced in Israel.

Legal advisers instructed Dundee’s mayor to refrain from legally enforcing the boycott in order to avoid future lawsuits. Instead, the municipality plans to distribute posters throughout the city, calling on some 150,000 residents to refrain from buying Israeli goods, and will also apply a special mark on Israeli products, in order to make them easily identifiable.
 
The European Union prohibits its member-nations from boycotting products from countries that are not under an official embargo imposed by the EU.

Unlike Iran, which is not subjected to a boycott in Britain despite being issued sanctions by the EU, Israel “enjoys” special scrutiny. “The municipality will not boycott Israeli books printed in Britain, only books that were printed in Israel,” said West Dunbartonshire Regional Council Spokesperson Malcolm Bennie.

Bennie admitted that Israel is the only country being boycotted by the council, adding that the municipality had no intention of issuing a ban on products originating from Iran, Syria or Libya.

“A place that boycotts books is not far from a place that burns them,” Israel’s Ambassador to the UK Ron Prosor said in response. “The council stained the reputation of its members and shamed the good citizens of Scotland,” he added.

The announcement of the Scottish boycott on Israeli books stirred a storm among Israeli authors whose books were translated into English and sold throughout the British Kingdom.

“I think it is a despicable decision,” said award-winning author Amos Oz, whose books are widely distributed to international audiences.

Posted on May 25, 2011

Source: (Excerpts of an article by Yaniv Halily, Ynetnews, May 24, 2011)

Photo Credit: en.wikipedia.org/Shannon-München