A woman holds a sign which reads “Boycott Israel” in front of symbolic coffins while attending a demonstration supporting Palestine, in Berlin August 1, 2014. REUTERS/Steffi Loos
The southeastern Austrian state parliament of Styria on Wednesday passed a resolution against the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
According to a press statement from the Jewish community in Graz, the capital of Styria, “With this decision, the parliament is committed to resolutely combating every form of antisemitism as it emerges and to condemn and decisively reject the BDS campaign and the call to boycott Israeli goods or companies as well as Israeli scientists, artists and athletes.”
Styria has a population of just over 1,243,000.
The president of the Graz Jewish community, Elie Rosen, said all of the parties in the parliament exhibited solidarity by standing shoulder-to-shoulder in favor of the anti-BDS resolution.
Rosen added that the parliament demonstrated that the action against BDS is more important than pious lip service.
The Jerusalem Post reported in November 2019 that the city of Graz outlawed public space and institutional support for BDS, as well as for political Islam.
According to the legislation reviewed by the Post, the city council of Graz announced that “Municipal services are not allowed to support group events that pursue or promote the goals of the BDS movement and political Islam.”