Edinburgh — First Minister John Swinney is facing intensifying pressure to implement a robust package of boycotts and sanctions against the Israeli regime as the Scottish Parliament returns from its summer recess.
Leading the charge, the Scottish Greens are demanding that the Scottish Government embed concrete, punitive measures in its upcoming Programme for Government. Chief among these demands is the immediate termination of public contracts with companies identified by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as complicit in illegal Israeli settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.
Action Over Empty Words
The push comes nearly a year after Scottish lawmakers backed a historic motion calling for an immediate package of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) targeting Israel and corporations complicit in its military onslaught and decades-long occupation of Palestine.
However, Scottish Greens MSP Patrick Harvie has accused the government of dragging its feet and failing to translate parliamentary support into tangible results.
“We are one year on from Parliament’s historic vote, and the Scottish Government has failed to turn words into action,” Harvie stated. “In most respects, they have done the bare minimum and offered little evidence of meaningful change.”
Harvie stressed the moral imperative of the demands, stating: “If a company is profiting from apartheid and genocide, the Scottish Government must use every power it has to ensure it is not also profiting from public money here in Scotland.”
Breaking the Chains of Restrictive Laws
Beyond cutting public contracts, the Greens are calling for local councils to be granted greater powers to support the Palestinian-led BDS movement. This includes repealing a restrictive Thatcher-era law that currently prevents local procurement decisions from being influenced by geographical and ethical considerations.
Additionally, the party is urging Scottish ministers to issue formal guidance calling on all domestic businesses to immediately cease trading with Israel—a move that mirrors the swift economic isolation the Scottish Government demanded of Russian entities following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“Palestinians deserve no less,” Harvie affirmed.
Financial Complicity Under Scrutiny
The Greens’ demands have also cast a spotlight on the Scottish Government’s own financial dealings. Earlier this year, the government selected Barclays to help manage a massive £1.5 billion bond issuance. Barclays has faced fierce backlash and widespread boycotts from the BDS movement for its financial ties to and support of Israel’s military campaigns.
For the Greens, continuing financial relationships with such institutions blatantly undermines the Scottish Parliament’s stated commitment to Palestinian rights.
A “Comprehensive” Defence?
In its defence, the Scottish Government insists it has been a “consistent advocate for peace, justice, and human rights in Gaza,” pointing out that Edinburgh was one of the first governments to call for an immediate ceasefire.
A government spokesperson highlighted measures introduced in September 2025, which included pausing new public funding to defence contractors operating in regions where there is plausible evidence of genocide.
Yet, for the Scottish Greens and the broader solidarity movement, half-measures are no longer acceptable. The dispute now rests on whether the Scottish Government will finally establish a strict timetable to review existing contracts, strip complicit corporations of public funds, and empower local councils to adopt truly ethical procurement policies.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen