SCOTLAND’S Parliament has voted to impose an immediate and comprehensive boycott of Israel and companies linked to its genocide in Gaza, passing a landmark motion on Thursday as the death toll surpasses 64,000.
The amendment, introduced by the Scottish Greens, passed with 62 votes in favour and 31 against, with many Labour and Liberal Democrat members abstaining.
It calls on both the Scottish and UK governments to enact boycotts, divestment and sanctions targeting Israel and businesses complicit in genocide and mass displacement of Palestinians. The Conservatives opposed the motion outright, while the Liberal Democrats shifted to oppose the wording of the amendment.
Backing came from the Scottish Greens and the ruling SNP, alongside a proposal by External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson formally recognising a Palestinian state.
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: ‘Palestinians are being starved and massacred every day as part of a campaign of collective punishment and ethnic cleansing. It is our duty to act.’
He added: ‘If a company profits from apartheid and genocide, it should not be allowed to profit here in Scotland. This vote sets a precedent for action that I hope will inspire governments across Europe and beyond.’
First Minister John Swinney affirmed the Scottish government’s stance, pledging to block public money from going to firms supplying Israel with weapons.
He announced £400,000 to support the Children’s Operating Room for its Gaza Hope Field Readiness Centre in Scotland and to assist in creating a rapid-deployment hospital in Gaza. Scotland will also host 20 injured Palestinian children and their families in September and donate £600,000 to the UN’s humanitarian coordination office in Palestine.
‘We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe of historic proportions,’ Swinney told the chamber.
‘The world cannot wait for a final court ruling to take action. A genocide is unfolding, and recognising this reality carries with it a responsibility to act. The people of Scotland expect nothing less.’
