Jeremy Corbyn 'would buy Israeli goods' but will not sack Kate Osamor over boycott call
3 min read
Jeremy Corbyn does not support a "blanket" boycott of Israeli goods and would buy products made in the country himself, Labour has insisted.
However, the Labour leader will not sack Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor after she defied party policy to back a boycott.
Ms Osamor sparked anger after she tweeted her support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, which says it "works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians".
That was despite Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry and deputy Labour leader Tom Watson both criticising BDS in the past.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: "It is not our policy to support a blanket policy of BDS. However, the party for example has welcomed the EU ruling on labelling of settlement goods. There are different actions that can be taken to put pressure on breaches of international law."
He added: "Jeremy is not in favour of a comprehensive or blanket boycott. He doesn't support BDS. He does support targeted action aimed at illegal settlements in occupied territories."
Asked if Mr Corbyn was happy to buy Israeli goods himself, his spokesman said: "Yes."
On Ms Osamor's backing for BDS, he said: "People take different positions on certain issues. The party's policy is clear, as is Jeremy's position on it. Occasionally on issues there are some variance of position, but the position of the party is clear.
"Party policy does not support BDS. Kate has tweeted with a link to a definition of BDS - that doesn't make it party policy. "
Asked if Ms Osamor's frontbench position was at risk, the spokesman said: "No."
It has also emerged that Mr Corbyn is a patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which backs the BDS movement as a way of "showing companies that profiting from occupation and discrimination is not acceptable".
But Mr Corbyn's spokesman said: "I’m sure members of the Shadow Cabinet are members of the National Trust and the National Trust might have policies which aren’t in line with Labour party policy."
Labour Friends of Israel chair Joan Ryan has written to Ms Osamor asking her to clarify her position.
The Enfield North MP said: "The BDS movement is morally wrong. It seeks to demonise and delegitimise the world’s only Jewish state and thus call into question its right to exist.
"BDS also does nothing to advance the cause of peace, reconciliation and coexistence. The BDS campaign undermines the work of those Israelis – including our sister party, the Israeli Labor party – who are seeking to advance a two-state solution."
She added: "As a member of the Shadow Cabinet, I would ask you to clarify that you support the party’s long-standing position, as outlined by the Shadow Foreign Secretary."
Ms Osamor's office has been contacted for comment.
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