Royal Institute of British Architects Proposes Boycott of ’Israeli’

Local Editor

Britain's leading architectural association has called for its "Israeli" counterpart to be excluded from the International Union of Architects in protest at Israel's occupation of Palestine, in a further indication of the growing momentum of the boycott movement.

The Royal Institute of British Architects [Riba] has demanded the suspension of the so-called "Israeli" Association of United Architects [IAUA] from the international body, saying it is complicit in the construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Occupied al-Quds, and other violations of international law.

The former Riba president Angela Brady told a meeting of its council on Wednesday that failure to back the motion "would send a clear message to the world that we as an institution turn a blind eye or by inaction support what's going on - land grabs, forced removals, killing the state and human rights, and reinforcement of apartheid".

The motion - backed by 23 votes to 16, with 10 abstentions - was welcomed by the Palestinian BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions] movement. It added that there is mounting international support for a boycott of "Israel" and points to an increasing number of companies disinvesting over fears of damaging their reputations.

"Architects and planners are central to "Israel's" colonization of Palestinian land and the forced displacement of Palestinian people," said Rafeef Zaidah, of the Palestinian BDS national committee. "Given the complicity of the [IAUA] in "Israel's" construction of illegal "Israeli" settlements, it is only right that it is excluded from international forums."

European governments are under pressure from trade unions, NGOs, churches and other organizations to take a tougher stand on "Israeli" settlement produce.

Scarlett Johanssen's celebrity endorsement of SodaStream, which has a factory in a West Bank settlement, caused an international furor earlier this year. US secretary of state John Kerry warned last month that the boycott movement could gain traction if his efforts to broker a "peace" agreement between "Israel" and the Palestinian Authority failed.

Source: The Guardian, Edited by website team