Iceland’s capital declares boycott of Israeli goods

TIMES OF ISRAEL – Iceland’s capital’s city council voted Tuesday in favor of boycotting Israeli-made products.

The Reykjavik municipality passed the motion, which approved a boycott of Israeli goods “as long as the occupation of Palestinian territories continues,” Iceland Magazine reported.

Council members said the boycott was a symbolic act demonstrating the Icelandic capital’s support for Palestinian statehood and condemnation of Israel’s “policy of apartheid.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move, and, in an apparent reference to Iceland’s status as a hotbed of volcanic activity, said “a volcano of hatred spews forth from the Reykjavik city council building.

“For no reason or justification, except hatred for its own sake, calls of boycotting the state of Israel are heard,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We hope someone in Iceland will come to their senses and end the one-sided blindness fielded against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.”

One local attorney may step up to the task, the Icelandic news site, visir.is reported. Einar Gautur Steingrímsson claimed that the motion violates the Icelandic constitution.

“This is as illegal as refusing to do business with red haired people and it makes no difference whether they justify their decision with references to some alleged actions by the Israelis,” he told the website.