‘Its fine to criticise Israel, I criticise Israel all the time, but the boycott movement only want to delegitimize Israel’. That’s what I heard recently in Israel from every left wing Israeli I met.

The Israeli left is in an awkward position. On the one hand, they are vehemently opposed to and openly critical of many Israeli government policies. In a speech to AIPAC, Israeli Labour Party leader Isaac Herzog described sections of Israel’s right wing as ‘fascists’. On the other hand, they are Zionists and patriots and passionate in defence of their country. They feel that the BDS campaign only singles Israel out, intentionally demonising the country, rather than promoting dialogue and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

It is disheartening for the Israeli left to be boycotted because of the actions of their government. When I met Avital Shapira, of the Histadrut (the Israeli equivalent of the British TUC) she pointed out that while they do not agree on every issue, the Histadrut and PGFTU (Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions) cooperate to provide practical solutions for Palestinians employed in Israel, and alleviate the economic conditions of Palestinians.

Histadrut-PGFTU cooperation has been praised by the United Nations International Labour Organisation (ILO) as “a unique example of co-operation providing a basis for reinvigorated partnership” between Israelis and Palestinians. Despite this, BDS activists in UK trade unions want to break all links with the Histadrut. In 2011 UNISON decided to reject its own executive committee’s recommendations and boycott Israel.

Read the article in full at Times of Israel.