A Greens-led Sydney council has overturned its controversial boycott of Israel and prevented the likelihood of being sacked by newly elected Premier Barry O'Farrell.
The 12-member Marrickville Council, in Sydney's inner west, on Tuesday evening voted to withdraw its support of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.
The proposed boycott has attracted criticism from across the political spectrum amid estimates it would cost local ratepayers $3.5 million if it went ahead.
On Tuesday night, the council's packed public gallery erupted every few minutes with cheers of support and boos of opposition when individual residents and councillors expressed their views for and against the boycott.
Greens Mayor Fiona Byrne's warnings to the gallery failed to quell the outbursts.
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The council's first attempt to rescind its December resolution to boycott all suppliers of Israeli products resulted in a tied vote, then failed when Ms Byrne cast her second vote to break the deadlock.
A second motion, with slightly different wording but the same intent, was passed.
It included wording that the council remain concerned about Palestinian human rights.
The council is a sister city to Bethlehem in the Palestinian Territory of the West Bank.
That relationship prompted the original December motion that won resounding support, with councillors voting 10-two in favour.
Federal and state politicians, including the Greens, denounced the move. Mr O'Farrell had threatened to sack the council if it did not change its position, saying it should concentrate on delivering services in the areas in its care.
Ms Byrne on Tuesday night said the council created "a little egg" and a "sledgehammer" had been used to crush it.
"Whatever comes out of tonight's resolution will not make this issue go away," she said.
The area's federal MP, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese, on Monday told reporters in Canberra the Greens' councillors had divided what was a "harmonious" community.
"It's time, when the council meets tomorrow night, to put aside this division and to say that the council should prioritise getting back to basics - not be an alternative government for Australia," he said.
"The Greens party needs to understand that what they have done is be obsessed with playing political games at the expense of the local community."
Australian Greens leader Senator Bob Brown on Monday restated that such a ban would not be federal policy for the party he leads.
