23-07-2025
Scottish community-owned island announces boycott of Israel
The community-owned island on Scotland's west coast is home to 120 people, all of whom are members of the Isle of Eigg Residents Association (IERA) – which has now made public its support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
A Palestinian-led movement, BDS looks to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law through boycotting its goods and services.
In a statement, the residents association said this decision – passed unanimously at a meeting last week – was taken in order to 'stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and to raise awareness of the complicity of these companies in genocide'.
For example, the boycott means the island's only shop will stop stocking goods from Israel firms as well as its biggest supporters – including Coca Cola due to its alleged links to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
'We are a diverse island community, and many of us rely on these companies for medicine, technology, and the transport of goods that are otherwise unavailable,' the statement went on.
'This action is about solidarity, education, and contribution to a worldwide movement that has succeeded in pressuring businesses to cut economic ties with the apartheid state of Israel and end complicity in war crimes and operations in occupied territories.
The IERA added: 'The action is not about creating an environment of hostility or policing individual choices. We embrace the inevitability of mistakes and imperfection, and prioritise the importance of community, unity and informed choices, encouraging each other to take action with the little bargaining power we have—our money. This is part of a continuous commitment to fundraising and solidarity with oppressed peoples.'
The residents association also said it was inspired by the community of Govanhill in Glasgow, who recently announced it would be working toward being an 'apartheid-free zone'.
The statement concluded: 'We invite others to reflect, learn, and explore how their communities might take meaningful steps toward justice and solidarity.'
