The City of Canterbury-Bankstown Council has passed a motion to review council investments and suppliers in accordance with the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement on Tuesday evening.
The motion was moved by Labor Councillor Christopher Cahill to “review of Council’s investments and links to companies, if any, that are complicit in human rights violations on the Palestinian people, including the illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian Territories and the supply of weapons”.
Cahill’s motion emphasised a review into “suppliers” as well as “investment and contractual obligations”, and that it is “in line with what other likeminded councils are doing and in line with the ideology of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).”
Organisers from City of Canterbury-Bankstown for Palestine, a group of local residents, also held a rally outside the council building.
Three members of the public spoke to the necessity of carrying this motion forward, including Hurlstone Park resident Zuzia Buszewicz who argued that “the Canterbury-Bankstown council wouldn’t enter into a contract with a supplier known to be reselling stolen goods”, therefore “it should review and reconsider the contracts it may have already entered into with entities operating on stolen Palestinian land.”
Despite attempts to make amendments to the motion, the motion ultimately passed, 9-4.
Votes against the motion consisted of Liberal Councillors Charlie Ishac and Charbel Abouraad, Independent councillor Barbara Coorey and Councillor Jessie Nguyen.
The timing of the motion is significant after the International Court of Justice ruled on 19 July that Israel’s “continued presence in the Occupied Palestine Territory is unlawful” and should come to an end.
This advisory opinion came after a 2022 request by the UN General Assembly and also made it clear that all states must “consider the precise modalities and further action required” to bring an end to the occupation, and not “render aid or assistance in maintaining” it.
The City of Sydney Council passed a similar BDS motion to review its investments and suppliers prior to the ICJ ruling last month in their June Council meeting.
After the meeting, rally organisers welcomed the motion saying that “this is only the first step, and we are far from actual BDS implementation” but they will continue to apply pressure to ensure that “the results of the audit are made available to the public.”
In a statement to Honi Soit, City of Canterbury-Bankstown for Palestine said that “By taking this stance, the nine Labor Councillors did the right thing, reflecting the views of the overwhelming majority of their constituents.”
They made note of how the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA “covers much of the seats of Watson and Blaxland, held by ministers Tony Burke and Jason Clare.”
As for “the widely reported electoral threat to the ALP posed by The Muslim Vote in these seats”, “one assumes that the Labor Councillors had the blessing of their federal colleagues to take this action, and won’t face the kind of terrible treatment recently dished out to Fatima Payman.”
In response to a question on the future of campaigning, Canterbury-Bankstown for Palestine emphasised their desire to “build on the momentum generated by the passing of this motion”, and “ensure that BDS is implemented as soon as possible”.
“We will also support activists in other LGAs who wish to pressure and lobby their local Councillors into taking similar action. For example, while the Labor Councillors on the Inner West have not yet come out in favour of taking action around BDS, now they have no excuse.”
A BDS motion to review investments and suppliers will be presented at the next Inner West Council meeting on August 13, and a rally by Inner West for Palestine will be held outside the Ashfield Service Centre from 5:30pm.
