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Reykjavik’s city council has approved a proposal for a boycott of Israeli-made goods due to the country’s “apartheid policy.” Israel’s Foreign Ministry in response: “A volcano of hatred is erupting from Reykjavik.”
Reykjavik’s council approved a motion Tuesday to halt the city’s purchase of Israeli products “as long as the occupation of Palestinian territories continues.” The motion was put forward by Björk Vilhelmsdóttir, councilwoman for the Social Democratic Alliance. She is retiring from politics, and putting this motion forward was her last major act in the city council, Deutsche Welle reports.
A member of the governing coalition at the city hall, Sóley Tómasdóttir, told Icelandic public broadcaster RUV that the boycott is a symbolic decision, intended to pressure Israel to stop the occupation. She also said the city might follow it up with boycotts of other countries that violate human rights.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, Emanuel Nachson said in response that “A volcano of hatred is erupting in Reykjavik’s city council building. There is no reason or justification for this move, besides hate itself, which is being heard in the form of calls for a boycott against Israel, the Jewish state. We hope that someone in Iceland will wake up and stop this blindness and one-sidedness which is aimed against the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel.”
Some Israelis were taking to social media to comment on the decision, however most of them didn’t take it seriously and were mainly mocking the “meaningless” move, saying they will ban cod fish in return.
SOURCE: www.dw.com
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