My letter to West Dunbartonshire Bed and Breakfast Proprietors, on their council's boycott of Israeli goods

Here’s a copy of the email I sent to each Bed & Breakfast Proprietor in the council of West Dunbartonshire, regarding their council’s boycott, appealing to them to contact their council members to register their disapproval.

As you may know, in 2009 West Dunbartonshire Council passed a resolutio n which banned the council from purchasing any and all Israeli goods – a one-sided resolution which singles out Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, for condemnation, and which many believe may violate EU non-discrimination laws.

Since the controversy surrounding the motion, Councillor James Bollan, a fierce proponent of the ban, has gone on record defending Hamas (designated a terrorist group by the EU and US) – referring to them as “freedom fighters” – and even refused to condem n explicitly anti-Semitic articles of the Hamas charter.

The international media, including The Daily Ma il and The Jerusalem Pos t, have been covering and commenting on the implications of this discriminatory boycott, and have noted the stirrings of a counter-boycott movement aimed at scotch distillers located in West Dunbartonshire Council.

As a Bed & Breakfast Proprietor, and a professional in the Scottish hospitality industry, you no doubt continually strive to show the warmth, decency, and graciousness typically associated with West Dunbartonshire, and Scotland, to your guests. So, I respectfully ask that you take into account the negative effects such a discriminatory ban may have on the reputation of your community, and further ask that you consider contacting West Dunbartonshire council members to register your objection.

Please understand that the Jewish people have a long and harrowing history with boycotts and, further, have learned that what begins as seemingly solitary discriminatory measures can often snowball into more powerful destructive movements.

Sincerely,

Adam Levick