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British Member of Parliament George Galloway claimed to have “declared Bradford an Israel-free zone”, and said that he wants Bradford to reject all Israeli products, academics, services and tourists.
At a Respect Party meeting in Leeds, Galloway urged people in the city “to do the same”. The lawmaker’s comments were captured in video and posted on YouTube. In the footage, Galloway told activists, “We have declared Bradford an Israel-free zone”.
“We don’t want any Israeli goods. We don’t want any Israeli services. We don’t want any Israeli academics, coming to the university or the college.We don’t even want any Israeli tourists to come to Bradford, if any of them had thought of doing so.We reject this illegal, barbarous, savage state that calls itself Israel. And you have to do the same”, he said, in addition to his declaration on Bradford.
This is not the first time Galloway has stood up against Israel. Last October, Galloway had walked out of a debate at Oxford University, saying “I don’t debate with Israelis”.
His comments on Israel have come under the scanner, with the police now conducting an investigation into the matter after two complaints were made against the speech.
He has come under fire from fellow lawmakers for his comments.
Conservative MP Robert Halfon dismissed them, calling them an “ill-considered rant that will cause great offence to many”. David Ward, a Lib Dem MP from neighboring Bradford East, said that the “Israel-free zone” comment was a “nice sound bite” but any boycott needs to be nation-wide.
Ron McKay, a spokesman for Galloway, said that his comments were an extension of a direct action movement and boycott against companies and supermarkets supporting Israel.
“George stands by the comments – he thinks they are quite reasonable.The reason he made them is because there’s mass carnage and mass slaughter going on against the people of Gaza.Direct action helped in the struggle against apartheid”, he said.
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