City of Sydney Becomes First Council in NSW to Pass BDS Motion

The City of Sydney Council has become the first New South Wales Council to pass a Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) motion, confirming on Monday it has no business with companies complicit in Israeli settlements.

The “Report on City of Sydney Suppliers and Investments in Relation to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Campaigns,” was supported by all but one city councillor, the Liberals’ Lyndon Gannon, at the council meeting on Monday night.

The report comes after the passing of a Greens motion in June 2024, which called on the council to prepare a report on their investment policy regarding “companies involved in, or profiting from, any human rights violations including the illegal occupation of the settlements in Palestinian territories and the supply of weapons”.

The report included recommendations on changes the council could make “to ensure that council is not purchasing from companies involved in weapons or human rights abuses”.

Greens councillors Sylvie Ellsmore and Matthew Thompson said the tabling of the report was a “crucial first step in ensuring our community is not complicit in funding human rights abuses against Palestinians”, and they hope other councils will follow.

“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,” the pair said in a social media statement.

“We’re showing that local Councils have a role to play in promoting justice and freedom, especially in the face of an ongoing genocide. These measures are not only possible, they are urgent.”

The councillors thanked Australian Palestine Advocacy Network, the City of Sydney for Palestine, and the Jewish Council of Australia for their support.

Hopes to inspire more councils to make change

BDS Australia applauded the result of the Monday night meeting, thanking the City of Sydney Council on their Instagram.

“This motion paves the way for councils right around Australia to exclude complicit companies from their procurement and investment practices, and take a stand for human rights and against Israeli apartheid and occupation,” they said.

In 2023, the City of Sydney undertook a policy to avoid investments that could involve socially harmful activities including the abuse of Human Rights and Labour Rights, bribery, production or supply of armaments and the manufacturing of tobacco, alcohol, or gambling products.

It was one of the first councils to call for a ceasefire in Australia, with a Greens motion put into place in December 2023 in support of a ceasefire and a vote cast in support of peace in October 2023

The Australian Jewish Association, considered to be a “far-right extremist organisation” by the Jewish Council of Australia, said that the move was pointless antisemitic.

“This will obviously have zero impact on the Middle East but it will harm harm ratepayers and lead to increased antisemitism across Sydney,” they said in a statement on social media.

“In a time of rising attacks, this was an extremely irresponsible move and an attack on social cohesion. When the next attack on Jews in Sydney occurs, we will be calling out the councillors who voted for this antisemitic motion by name. They must be held responsible for their actions.”

Amnesty International concluded last year that Israel had committed, and was continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians.

In January, Al-Jazeera estimated 46,707 people had been killed in Gaza, including nearly 18,000 children. Many analysts and human rights groups believe the true death toll is far higher.