UK Jewish activist Em Hilton: Using antisemitism to silence Palestinian advocacy "false equivalence"

The UK government's anti-boycott bill passed its third reading following a debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday night.

The bill, titled The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters), was backed with 282 votes for over 235 votes against.

The proposal, now in the House of Lords, seeks to block public bodies - such as local councils - from conducting their own financial campaigns and specifically focuses on banning boycotts against Israel.

The bill has garnered widespread criticism from rights groups who have campaigned against it since its introduction into the UK Parliament, with protests against the bill also being held outside parliament during last night's vote.

Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and the subsequent, brutal and relentless war Israel has waged on the Gaza Strip since, the issue of antisemitism has become a primary topic of discussion in the UK Parliament.

Antisemitism has not only been used to suppress pro-Palestine protests but has also served as the primary motivation behind reintroducing the anti-BDS bill for debate in Parliament.

In an interview with The New Arab that was conducted shortly before war broke out, activist and writer Emily Hilton - who is part of the anti-Zionist British Jewish group Na'amod - voiced concerns regarding the use of antisemitism to suppress advocacy for Palestine.

This clip is a teaser for an upcoming documentary from The New Arab about the controversial "anti-BDS bill". Coming soon.