(Reuters) Local authorities and public-sector organizations in Britain are banned from boycotting Israeli suppliers under new government rules, and violators could face severe penalties, the British government said on Wednesday. The British Cabinet Office said such boycotts "undermine good community relations, poisoning and polarizing debate, weakening integration and fueling anti-Semitism." The British government said the World Trade Organization's Government Procurement Agreement required signatories to treat suppliers equally, and therefore any discrimination against Israeli suppliers would be in breach of the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "I want to commend the British government for refusing to discriminate against Israel and Israelis and I commend you for standing up (for) the one and only true democracy in the Middle East."
2016-02-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive