UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) is countering two more local Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) groups who are believed to be making presentations in different London boroughs this week.

According to social media posts, Islington PSC intends to present a petition at an Islington Council meeting and Camden PSC is making a deputation to the Pension Committee of Camden Council, both scheduled for 19 September.

Brent Council is also due to hear a petition from Brent and Harrow PSC also on 19 September, as UKLFI reported earlier.

UKLFI suspects that the Islington and Camden PSC groups will make similar false anti-Israel statements as have been made by the Brent and Harrow PSC in their petition to Brent Council. UKLFI has therefore written to both Islington and Camden Councils to dispute the untrue allegations, and to point out that the actions that the PSC groups are advocating would be illegal.

UKLFI’s letters remind the Councils that their “public sector equality duty” under the Equality Act 2010 includes the obligation to have regard when exercising their powers to the need to foster good relations between different ethnic and religious groups. Amplifying false allegations against the Jewish does the opposite.

Furthermore the boycotts and divestment demanded by the PSC groups would be in breach of public procurement legislation and fiduciary duties.

Jonathan Turner commented: ”The law requires procurement by local authorities to be based on value for money and investment to be based on financial factors, not divisive foreign policy issues”.

UPDATE: Camden Council has informed us that there will be no deputations at its Pension Committee meeting tomorrow.