The House of Commons of the UK Parliament on Wednesday evening passed the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill in its third reading.
The bill, referred to as the anti-BDS bill, seeks to prevent public bodies, including councils, from boycotting, disinvesting, or sanctioning a particular international territory, unless supported by the government's foreign policy.
The spill contains a specific clause that states that Israel, including Judea, Samaria, and the Golan Heights, may not be excluded from the law.
The bill passed by 282 to 235, a majority of 47, and it will now make its way through the House of Lords.
The bill was opposed by the Labour Party, which unsuccessfully attempted to put forward an amendment calling for the bill to be stopped.
Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely welcomed the move: "The BDS Bill is a very very important statement by the British Parliament about the fact that foreign policy will be made only by the British government, the Foreign Office, and the British Prime Minister. It won't be made by individual bodies. Not by universities or any other entity that wants to boycott Israel."
She added: "After so many years that the BDS movement was based here in Britain, the British Parliament made it clear that this is not the British government's policy, and it was passed with a very large majority. You can tell that this is something that gets the support of the British people. "
The Ambassador concluded: "I'm proud to say that this is one of the great achievements of our diplomacy, the fact that we fight the BDS movement, and we believe our friends understand the importance that the BDS will never be part of the policy in this country."