#BDS: U.K., Spain to boycott OECD tourism conference because it's in Jerusalem

Palestinians pressure Europe to shun October conference on sustainable tourism, which normally takes place in Paris.

Britain and Spain will not send delegates to the OECD's biannual tourism conference on October 20-22, because it will be held in Jerusalem, Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov (Yisrael Beiteinu ) said yesterday.

This is only the second time in its history that the conference, which this year will deal with sustainable tourism, is being held outside Paris.

"OECD officials demanded that we not bring the delegates to East Jerusalem, or that we move the conference to Tel Aviv," Misezhnikov said. "If we agreed to that, they promised to send many delegates. We held a meeting with the Foreign Ministry and decided to reject" the Tel Aviv idea.

But even after Israel agreed not to take the delegates to East Jerusalem - and even to eschew any mention of East Jerusalem during the conference - the Palestinians urged OECD members to stay away from it, Misezhnikov charged.