Socialist International (SI), a global association of 140 political parties – including 35 parties currently in government – has endorsed the Palestinian-led call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and urged a military embargo on Israel until it ends its violations of Palestinian rights.

In a press release issued yesterday, the BDS Movement described the development as “the most significant call for sanctions against Israel to date”.

SI brings together some 140 political parties from the world. The decision to back BDS was made by the group’s Council at their meeting in Geneva on 26-27 June.

SI members include parties in government in South Africa, Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Tanzania, Luxemburg, Romania, Iraq and elsewhere.

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Reaffirming the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, SI called on governments and civil organisations to “activate boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against the Israeli occupation”.

It called for the “total embargo on all forms of military trade and cooperation with Israel as long as it continues its policies of occupation and Apartheid against the people of Palestine.”

Mahmoud Nawajaa, General Coordinator of the Palestinian BDS National Committee, the leadership of the global BDS movement, said: “Given its sheer size and global reach, Socialist International’s call for sanctions against Israel is a game-changer in the global BDS movement.”

“It is the most significant call for sanctions against Israel to date since BDS was launched in 2005,” adding that it would help “mainstream the call for a military embargo on Israel after its massacre of over 130 unarmed protesters in Gaza in May.”

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“We deeply value Socialist International’s principled solidarity with the people of Palestine and salute them for taking concrete measures to hold Israel accountable for its decades-old regime of military occupation, colonialism and apartheid,” Nawajaa continued.

“We look forward to the implementation of this momentous declaration in SI members’ home countries.”