On February 17th, the City of Sydney council passed a motion confirming it does not and will not fund or invest in companies complicit in Israeli settlements. The motion follows a comprehensive investigation into all investments and contracts initiated in June 2024.
The council further voted to reaffirm its policies to avoid investments, suppliers, and companies that abuse human rights.
Investigations were launched in June 2024, after the Council passed a Greens motion in favour of a ‘review and report’ on suppliers and investors “to ensure that Council [was] not purchasing from companies involved in weapons or human rights abuses.”
The motion entailed that the council would both investigate and report on investments by companies complicit with human rights abuses, as well as recommend changes to avoid purchasing from associated companies in future. Investments and contracts were reviewed against the UN database list of 97 countries with both direct and indirect profit from Israeli settlements. The list includes companies such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor.
“This is a crucial first step in ensuring our community is not complicit in funding human rights abuses against Palestinians,” said Greens Councillor Matthew Thompson. He continued, “This brings our practices in line with our values, ensuring we won’t use Council funds to pay corporations who profit from the horrors of the illegal settlements.”
Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore said, “Boycotts are a powerful, peaceful tool to bring positive change because they stop funding going to those complicit in violence, oppression and other injustices.” She continued, stating “Right now, there is a genocide underway in Gaza- the far-right Israeli government is committing horrific war crimes against the Palestinian people.”
Sylvie spearheaded the initial motion in June 2024.
The BDS movement is a Palestinian-led campaign aimed at boycotting, divesting and sanctioning Israel, to rally an end to their occupation, apartheid and genocide against Palestinians.
