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Labour shadow minister suggests party could back BDS movement

Kate Osamor has previously expressed her own support for an Israel boycott, despite it not being official Labour Party policy

April 13, 2018 08:07
Kate Osamor, Labour's shadow International Development Secretary
1 min read

Kate Osamor, the Shadow International Development Secretary, has suggested the Labour Party could support the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

Ms Osamor, the MP for Edmonton in North London, has previously expressed her own support for an Israel boycott despite it not being official Labour Party policy.

Ms Osamor told The House magazine that it would currently be wrong to advocate for BDS “without educating a whole generation that have missed out on that and don’t understand what’s going on”.

But she said that Labour’s current position against “blanket boycotts” would not necessarily preclude BDS, since it targets companies and institutions “complicit” in the violation of Palestinians’ human rights.