Reykjavik adopts motion to boycott Israeli-made goods

Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move, and, in an apparent reference to Iceland’s famed geological activity, said “a volcano of hatred spews forth from the Reykjavik city council building”.

According to the strictly symbolic bill, which was passed in a majority vote by the municipality, the city will not purchase any Israeli-made products manufactured in Israel, whether in a settlement or within the Green Line, “as long as the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories continues”.

Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, a member of the left-leaning Social Democratic Alliance who sponsored the motion told The Electronic Intifada: “The boycott, divestment and sanctions movement all over the world is becoming stronger because we know how boycotting goods has influenced other states like South Africa”.

Iceland’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday distanced itself from the decision, saying the move was “not in line” with the country’s foreign policy. While ADL does not support counter-boycotts, we imagine Iceland’s leading exporters of goods and services are more concerned than Israel about the consequences.

Earlier this week, the European Jewish Congress said it was considering legal redress over the city council measure.

The foreign ministry also said the resolution also does not reflect on Iceland’s relations with the State of Israel, a spokesman said in an email to the Israeli news site.

The council has in the past adopted a resolution acknowledging the rights of the Palestinians to independence and a sovereign country of their own and criticized what it calls the Israeli government’s “racist apartheid policy”, according to “YNet”. It added that they hoped someone in Iceland would come to their senses so this “one-sided blindness” against the “only democracy in the Middle East” comes to an end.

The city council’s decision has stirred in Iceland with some lawyers arguing that the boycott “violates” Iceland’s Constitution.