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To Hon DR Nick Smith, Mayor,

It has come to my attention that there is an attempt to influence the Nelson City Council to vote in favour of boycotting and excluding Israeli companies.

At the Council meeting on June 6, your remarks about the conflict in the Middle East were:

“The interests of our Council are to ensure the safety and well-being of our own Nelson community” and that you are “hesitant to get into the difficult foreign affairs issues that rest with central government.”

I commend you for demonstrating prudent leadership on this contentious matter and ask that you maintain this position.

At a time when much could divide our communities, a boycott — seemingly a feel good symbolic gesture — would be ineffective and could have very real consequences for members of our Nelson community.

Taking an official stance sets a precedent that normalises exclusion and invites increased marginalisation of Nelsonians who are of Israeli and Jewish descent.

A greater impact on Nelson business and ratepayers is that such a boycott could have unintended and costly consequences that ratepayers should not be expected to cover. These include:

• Potential legal liabilities for the Council.

• Increased bureaucracy and red tape around procurement processes to ensure compliance with the boycott.
• Compatibility issues with current technologies, systems, and products already in use that rely on Israeli innovations. Upgrades from alternative suppliers may not be compatible, leading to increased costs and operational disruptions.
  

It would be unwise to impose such a burden on the Council and ratepayers for an action that would have no tangible impact on foreign diplomatic decisions.

I urge you to carefully consider these points and prioritise the well-being and unity of our Nelson community over symbolic actions with divisive outcomes.

Sincerely,

Signatories