Gaza: Labour MPs give us sound and fury signifying nothing
Published
by
Leah Levane
JVL Introduction
British citizens across the country have been writing to their MPs about the horrendous bombardments and starvation in Gaza, especially since Israel broke the ceasefire on March 18th (and before). This is a response to the letter received from one MP (anonymised because we are sure they will all be very similar). For those unfamiliar with the reality of the situation and the role of this (and the previous) government, the MP’s protestations and condemnation may convince but I certainly found it wanting and have outlined the problems with each paragraph. I hope that these comments are useful to you, for example if you are lobbying your MP just before Nakba Day.
This is page 1 of the letter (page 2 is below)
In paragraph 2, what reason is there to be “proud of the swift actions” the UK made? Firstly it took from October 7th until July 2024 before the government even called for a ceasefire. There is a reference to negotiations being gridlocked BUT no reference to, nor condemnation of, the fact that it was Israel that broke the ceasefire agreement. Nor to the fact that Hamas kept to it even when Israel failed to meet to begin the negotiations for Phase 2. This should have happened from early February. And no recognition that Hamas did not retaliate even in the face of numerous ceasefire violations by Israel during the two months the ceasefire (mostly) “held”. These violations included killing 170 Palestinians, blocking aid and more, Instead, the MP refers to Hamas resisting calls for the release of further hostages, ignoring the fact that this was to be part of the subsequent phases of the ceasefire agreement.
The MP then, rightly, outlines the heinous actions of Israel since it “fully” broke the ceasefire and notes that Lammy has condemned this. Words, however, are cheap and easy to utter; human rights organisations and activists have been desperately asking for action to back this up. You are elected politicians, in government, and David Lammy is the Foreign Secretary – you are not powerless.
In Paragraph 3, the MP refers to the murder of the 15 paramedics, which has woken many people up to the fact that Israel’s behaviour is as far from “self defence” as could be imagined; but these are not the only health workers and humanitarian aid workers to have been killed. To say nothing of journalists and many others who have been murdered or taken hostage by the Israeli regime, often tortured – including tortured to death – by Israel.
In Paragraph 4, the MP says that such actions ARE “appalling and unacceptable” and then says that it is for the Courts to decide whether international humanitarian law has been breached (they say something different elsewhere in the letter). Whether or not that is the case, it is incumbent on all governments to do all they can to prevent it happening, or continuing to happen. This is certainly true of the Genocide Convention to which Britain is a signatory and yet the MP seems content to wait until the international court has completed its lengthy process.
In the 5th paragraph, the MP expresses their solidarity with the two MPs who were certainly treated appallingly by the Israeli State but, frankly it being an affront to parliament is not the main issue in terms of what is happening right now! Furthermore, other than once again expressing outrage, no action has been taken, not even an apology demanded or a new date set for those MPs to visit.
In the next (6th) paragraph, the MP states that the Labour government is “strongly opposed” to Israel’s resumption of hostilities and refers to the importance of working with others; but nothing about any concrete action being taken by the British government. It is not totally clear to whom they are referring when they write about “hostages” but I suspect that they do not mean ALL hostages but only the Israeli ones. For some reason Palestinians, including those incarcerated under administrative detention, are considered “prisoners”. The MP says that they will continue to use “every diplomatic lever” but fails to provide any examples.
I can think of some: for example, expelling the Israeli Ambassador would be a “diplomatic lever” but meanwhile half of Camden has been declared off limits as part of the draconian restrictions on a Jewish led weekly protest near to her residence.
Page Two of the letter
The MP goes on to strongly oppose ” efforts to move Palestinians to neighbouring countries but I have no idea how that opposition manifests itself, either for this MP or for the government. Here there is no waiting for the courts to decide o whether international law is being broken as the MP finally recognises that not being displaced is a right enshrined in international law. Yet again, however, what does this “strong opposition” mean in practice?
In paragraph 7, the MP finally gets to the question of arms exports. After many months of Israel pulverising Gaza, the government, after considerable deliberations that are described in the letter, finally suspended 30 licences. I accept that the stories about the arms sales continuing despite licence suspension may not have been known when they wrote the letter but the fundamental question remains: why only 30 of the licences and why did it take so long?
In the following paragraph, there is an attempt to explain why “this is not a blanket ban on arms exports to Israel” and that it is OK to continue to send arms for defence. But defence of what? A state that is violating international law including displacement of people in Gaza and in the West Bank and which has been building settlements illegally for nearly sixty years. The MP also acknowledges that the suspensions do not include key components for the F-35 even though this is being used to bomb Gaza. The recent revelations on continuing sales further confirms that the impact of the suspensions is negligible to zilch!
In the 9th paragraph we get to the situation in the West Bank where the MP acknowledges that there is settler violence that is sponsored by the state. “In response ..the Labour Government will continue to sanction illegal settler outposts…” They seem to have forgotten that all settlements are illegal under international law, not just outposts and not just when settlers are violent. Furthermore, there is no need to wait for a decision by an international court since the International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territory is ‘unlawful’. Given settlers are deeply embedded in the Israeli government, it needs much more than platitudes and expressing a view that “Israel should end its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories a rapidly as possible”. They have already been given a deadline by the ICJ. What is the UK government doing to help make this a reality?
In the final paragraph, the MP says that diplomacy is the only way to peace. But diplomacy must include making it clear that international law IS being broken and that this will not be tolerated. Normal diplomatic relations cannot continue while, after 19 months, people continue to be murdered and their entire infrastructure destroyed; while thousands are incarcerated and many tortured, some of them to death, while the number or orphans, child (and adult) amputees is the highest in the world and while people are being starved and while Israeli spokespeople claim that saying that is lying or that anyway it is “all the fault of Hamas”; diplomacy must surely include expelling Israeli diplomats, banning Israel from sports, arts and other cultural events , ending trade with and investment in Israel as well as a complete arms embargo. Even Margaret Thatcher imposed an arms embargo on Israel in 1982 that lasted for 12 years. During the Yom Kippur war, Ted Heath refused to sell arms to either side, Tony Blair embargoed arms to Israel during the Second Intifada – why is it too much for this government? (for more on that see Middle East Eye’s article, the six British prime ministers who have restricted arms sales to Israel.) Why is such action considered too extreme a diplomatic lever for this ‘Labour’ government?
We may well ask why has Israel resumed its pulverisation of Gaza with such intensity. Was it the sight of Palestinians returning to their homes – or the rubble of their homes – and recreating their lives? Did that make it clear that the people of Gaza were determined to stay, to not be ethnically cleansed as their relatives had been less than 80 years ago? The intent of Israeli leaders was clear from the start and has not let up, being reinforced by the likes of Smotrich and Ben Gvir who are settlers themselves and, we must never forget, not only at the heart of the government, but have been granted their demands to responsibility for the West Bank.
The impact of the ongoing destruction of Gaza as well as actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are also having a devastating impact on the efficacy of international law, risking rendering it meaningless. These are laws that were put in place or strengthened after World War Two to ensure that ‘never again’ would anyone have to experience the horrors endured by the Nazi occupations and genocide.
What we need to see is the government using all diplomatic levers, implementing full Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions on Israel. We need to see Labour MPs encouraging and participating in the national and local solidarity marches and other actions in support of justice for Palestinians; to demand that the policing levels return to the light levels for the early marches as well as calling for the end of all proceedings on protestors on terrorism charges. International law must have meaning to protect the Palestinians now and all of us in the future.
Otherwise there is some fury and a little bit of sound but it signifies nothing unless this is backed up by action.
A range of MPs, Tory, Lib Dem, Labour, Green, SNP, Independent spoke in the recent debate on Gaza. What distinguished all of them was passion and anger, and that they ALL called for action, not merely warm words. Those Labour MPs who are simply voting fodder are a disgrace.
The labour government led by Starmer is a disgrace not just to the UK but to humanity. I have written to David Lammy calling for landing craft to be sent from Cyprus to Gaza to break the blockade but have even had a reply. All he trots out is “this unaccepable” which we know is meaningless without action
Letters sent to me by my own MP Tulip Siddiq (Labour) sound wonderful, .except that in reality her actions (and non-action) have no resembles to her letters written only to please me. This hypocracy is an insult to injury which is committed against Palestinians.
Thanks for this excellent, closely argued analysis of the MP’s letter. What about sending it directly to every Labour, or indeed, every MP?
I read the full Hansard transcript of the recent debate on Palestine and I agree with Naomi that the anger and frustration with the Government was palpable: perhaps this is the moment to push some of them further towards open rebellion?
Just as a reminder of what true leadership of a correctly named Labour Party could/should have been:
“In the past year,100,000 tonnes of bombs have been dropped on Gaza, which is the equivalent of 5 times the power of the nuclear weapons used over Hiroshima and Nagasaki some 80 years ago. That action in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 60,000 people, and on top of that we are going to have a complete invasion of Gaza by Israel. At what point will the government cease all arms supplies and military cooperation with Israel, cease the use of RAF Akrotiri and, above all, stop the export of any parts for F-35 jets, which have been complicit in the killing of 60,000 people in Gaza? Surely it is time for the British government to say NO: NO MORE! No weapons, no co-operation, no support and to save lives in Gaza and the Left Bank. Now is the time to say and do just that.”
Jeremy Corbyn; during the recent Parliamentary Debate on the Middle East.
( Except, we would not have been complicit had he been allowed to be PM)