WASHINGTON (JTA) — Scotland’s government said it does not advocate boycotting Israeli goods.
In response to a query from U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), the British Embassy in Washington issued a one-sentence statement: "The Scottish Government does not advocate boycotting Israeli goods."
Kirk, who released the statement last Friday, had asked the embassy for a clarification in the wake of a 2009 decision by the council in West Dunbartonshire, a region just west of Glasgow, to boycott Israel
"I welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to disavow the West Dunbartonshire Council’s boycott of Israel and urge the First Minister to take further steps to reaffirm the Scottish-Israeli relationship," Kirk said in a statement.
Alex Salmond, the first minister, heads a Scottish government that administers domestic issues, including education and transport. Foreign policy and defense remain the purview of the British government.
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