Oxford City Council Backs BDS Movement Against Israel, Citing ICJ Rulings
Oxford City Council has thrown its weight behind the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, citing rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as justification.
The motion, which was brought forward by independent councillors, seeks to ensure that Oxford City Council avoids trade, investment relations, and cooperation with entities implicated in human rights violations and breaches of international law.
In January 2024, the ICJ delivered an interim ruling stating that it was plausible that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
The court ordered Israel to refrain from obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave and to take measures to prevent and punish acts of genocide.
Speaking on Monday, Oxford Councillor Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini confirmed that the motion had been “unanimously passed” by councillors, citing the ICJ’s findings on Palestine.
“I hope this motion will be thoroughly implemented and that its passage may pave the way for other councils to take decisive action,” said Councillor Barbara Coyne, who proposed the motion.
Oxford City Council currently banks with Barclays, a financial institution targeted by BDS campaigners over its investments and loans to arms companies that supply weapons and military technology to Israel.
“This is a first step in divesting from settler colonial genocide, occupation and apartheid in pensions, investments, and procurement,” Djafari-Marbini said. “We will keep building the movement for the divestment of institutional investments and pensions from companies complicit in war crimes. We will dismantle Israeli impunity.”
The BDS movement, founded in 2005, advocates non-violent pressure on Israel to comply with its obligations under international law. With Oxford City Council’s support, campaigners are hopeful that more local authorities will follow suit.
Meanwhile, tensions in Gaza have escalated as Israel continues its assault on the region. According to Gaza’s health ministry, 792 people have been killed since the bombardments resumed last week, including 62 within the last 24 hours.
The overall death toll since the conflict erupted on 7 October 2023 stands at 50,144, with another 10,000 people reported missing and presumed dead, according to Gaza civil defence officials.
Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), have repeatedly condemned Israel’s attacks on hospitals and medical staff as violations of international humanitarian law. Over 1,000 medical personnel have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began.
HRW’s associate children’s rights director, Bill Van Esveld, described Israel’s occupation of Gaza’s hospitals as having “transformed sites for healing and recovery into centres of death and mistreatment”.
Israel has defended its actions, alleging that Palestinian armed groups use medical facilities as “military command centres”, though it has failed to provide verifiable evidence to support the claims.
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