Monday 4 August 2014

Greens to take to the streets over Gaza on Saturday - 'End military co-operation with Israel'

A child outside the Israeli Embassy on Friday
The Green Party will have a strong presence at the national demonstration for Gaza taking place in London on Saturday, August 9th LINK

Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett said:
It is important that maximum pressure possible is put on Israel to end the bloodshed that has claimed more than 1,800 Palestinian lives, at least 80% of them civilians.
Gaza has been subjected to 28 days of vicious, deadly bombardment, its people living in fear and almost unimaginable stress and pressure. The medical system is close to breaking down, essential infrastructure has been smashed, and, as the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has said LINK , its institutions have been subjected to ‘criminal acts’.

Everyone on the streets in London and around the world on Saturday will be contributing to the growing international pressure for not just a effective ceasefire, but for the commencement of negotiations towards a permanent peace. We cannot allow this cycle of violence to continue.
 Derek Wall, International Coordinator of the Green Party of England and Wales, said:
The Green Party opposes the continuing destruction of Gaza by Israel; the huge loss of civilian life increasingly resembles collective punishment. A long-term settlement based on justice and promoting peace is vital.
Prime Minister David Cameron's one sided support for Israel enables the wave of killings to continue. We must all make our voices heard this Saturday to show that British people oppose this war. 
The Green Party is calling for the UK government to cease all military co-operation with Israel LINK.

Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, who has deplored LINK both Israeli incursions into Gaza and Hamas’ rocket attacks on Israel, has written to Cameron and Foreign Minister Philip 
Hammond to voice concerns over the UK Government's arms sales to Israel.
Reports suggesting that weapons containing components made in the UK are being used against Gaza - including weapons control and targeting systems, ammunition, drones and armoured vehicles - raise serious questions about the UK Government's complicity with the Israeli authorities.
The Government's failure to condemn Israel's actions is irresponsible enough; but recent evidence from the Campaign Against the Arms Trade suggesting that it has been continuing to arm Israel is nothing short of scandalous.
Over the past three weeks, London has held the biggest demonstrations for Gaza in the world, twice mobilising over 50,000 protesters. This Saturday’s demo promises to be the largest to date.

Note: Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity and Brent Stop the War will be attending the demonstration on Saturday along with many local activists

1 comment:

Trevor said...

I Just read on a Well Known website that in 2013 Britain was 7th in the list of the Largest exporters of arms to other nations.
and the arms exported amounted to 1394.
Britain is 15th on the List of the world's largest arms importers and in 2013 the amount was 438.
Again I ask why are we exporting and importing arms that cause many people to die
when we are meant to be a Christian nation?
Don't get me wrong
I'm not naive.
I know why the British government Exports and imports arms
it's all to do with money.
because like the cigarette business that causes no end of death to the public
and is a very profitable business
likewise the arms business that also causes no end of deaths and destruction is also a very profitable business and so it is pretty obvious why government after government continues exporting and importing arms.
and for the prime minister to go to france yesterday and use words like intolerable in response to what is happening in gaza
while the government he leads continues with the arms exporting and importing
it makes him look like a hypocrite in my eyes.
of course it is wrong for the Israeli government to do what it is doing regarding the conflict in gaza
but does that make it right for Britain to actually make profit from the very weapons that are causing the many deaths and destruction?