After an Instagram campaign calling for him to act on the abduction of his Brent West constituent Aaron White, by the Israeli forces, Barry Gardiner has written to Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, calling on her to secure his release.
Aaron White was sailing with the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver food and medical aid.
Gardiner called the Israeli interception a 'kidnapping' and an 'act of piracy' on the high seas.
Accusing the Government of being 'mute' in the face of the Israeli imposed famine, he concluded:
When future generations look back on the role British politicians played in the destruction of Gaza and its people, let them not say 'Just like politicians in all the genocides before.they stood by and said nothing.'
All the nuance and fine scholarly arguments that government lawyers provide to excuse our current complicity will count for nothing. People will look back and condemn us as supine.
The Royal (Oak Harlesden) 95 High Street Lonodn NW10 4TS
Three rooms of music. One big night out. One worthy cause: The Children of Gaza
Join
us as we host a local fundraiser for the global and moral disaster that
is the situation in Gaza. In this event, we will be raising funds for
the charity War Child, with every penny raised targetted to their
efforts on the ground to support Palestinian children in Gaza (and the
West Bank). Upstairs- “The Big Little Jam Show”
Full live music show featuring many styles and artists. From Blues and Rock to Reggae, Soul, RnB, Hip Hop, Punk and Spoken Word. Expect entertaining, moving performances and some exciting jams from a line up which includes:
Louisa
Cole (your MC) , Ashish Dyola, Four Days Gone, Meg Lee Chin, Peyton
& Craig , Pine Gardens, Bella Krantz, Jonny D, BeatzMyk &
Friends, Delaboss, Shane Kelly with more artists and groups to be
announced.
Get ready to add your own voice to the mix and stick around for the late night jam where things get really creative!
Downstairs: “K2K” – Curated by Dj's Max Power and Caren Can Can
Funky vibes and serious dance floor pressure from our collaborators K2K. DJs on rotation will be serving up the best in: Amapiano, Afrobeat, RnB, Disco, House, Drum & Bass, Roots Reggae, Dancehall (90’s to present) and all manner of funky grooves to get you "going".
The Acoustic (Beer) Garden
Join
a range of artists performing and collaborating in our outdoor
sessions, with a more acoustic vibe. Expect everything from Blues and
Soul , to Hip Hop and drumming circles. Bring your voice, your soul and
your instrument and come get involved!
Saturday 20th September
The Royal (Oak Harlesden) 95 High Street Lonodn NW10 4TS
Nearest Overground and Tube: Willesden Junction
Bus Routes include: No's 18, 220, 206, 260, 266 &187
Fundraising for the children
Minimum recommend donation £5.00 (plus booking fee) Grab entry donation tickets from Eventbrite Cash or Card donations accepted on the door. (If capacity allows)
Unusually the public gallery was packed last night at the meeting of the Brent Council Pensions Sub-Committee that oversees the council's Local Government Pension Scheme. Brent Council workers and non-teaching school staff form the bulk of members of the scheme. Chair of the Pension Sub-committee Cllr Robert Johnson declared an interest at the meeting as he is a member of the Scheme as a former Brent Council employee.
The full presentation and response can be seen in the short video above. The Chair of Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign told the Sub-Committee that more than 2,000 residents. local workers and students had now signed the petition calling for divestment from funds complicit in human rights abuses in Palestine and elsewhere. The Council should take urgent action as it did over South African apartheid in the past.
The call for ethical investment was shared by many including environmental campaigners.
The Council's response was carefully worded and took less than two minutes. Listen to it above to see whether it fully answers the points made earlier in the presentation.
The presentation asked for a list of the LGPS investments. This was supplied to national PSC in 2020 but when asked last year Brent Coucnil said they were unable to supply a list.
These were
the top five of their complicit investments in 2020 and a check on
whether they still have such investments would be helpful:
HSBC £4,663,056
HSBC invests over £830million in, and provides financial services worth up
to £19billion for, companies arming Israel. These investments include up to
£100million worth of shares in the company Caterpillar, who supply the Israeli
army with bulldozers which are weaponised and used to demolish Palestinian
communities, build Israel’s illegal settlements and apartheid infrastructure
including the apartheid wall and military checkpoints. For more info:
https://www.palestinecampaign.org/campaigns/stop-arming-israel/
Barclays £1,252,342
Barclays is a British multinational bank and financial services company.
Barclays hold approximately £1,167.6 million of investments in companies that
are known to supply the Israeli military. This includes Babcock, BAE and
Boeing, Cobham and Rolls Royce. More information available in War on Want’s
2017 ‘Deadly Investments’ report.
BAE Systems£970,233
According to CAAT, “BAE Systems is the world’s fourth largest arms producer.
Its portfolio includes fighter aircraft, warships, tanks, armoured vehicles,
artillery, missiles and small arms ammunition. It has military customers in
over 100 countries. BAE has a workshare agreement with Lockheed Martin
producing the US F-35 stealth combat aircraft. Israel, for example, took
delivery of its first F-35 in 2016. According to Investigate, a project by the
American Friends Service Committee, BAE has worked in cooperation with Lockheed
Martin and Rafael to produce and market the naval Protector drone used to
maintain the siege of Gaza along the Mediterranean coast.
Smiths Group £316,811
According to CAAT “Smiths Group is a global technology company with five
divisions: John Crane, Smiths Medical, Smiths Detection, Smiths Interconnect
and Flex-Tek. Smiths Connectors is part of Smiths Interconnect and comprises Hypertac,
IDI and Sabritec brands. Products include connectors used in fighting vehicles,
unmanned vehicles and avionics systems.” They have applied for a number of
military export licences to Israel.
Rolls Royce £294,535
Rolls-Royce is a British manufacturer that produces military aircraft
engines, naval engines and cores for nuclear submarines. Despite arms
comprising only 26% of its total sales, it is still the world’s 17th largest
Arms trade. In 2014, the year of Israel’s arial bombardment and ground invasion
of Gaza, which killed over 2,200 civilians, nearly a quarter of them children,
Rolls-Royce was granted export licenses for engines for military aircrafts to
Israel.
Yesterday, Israel and Hamas announced a temporary ceasefire and
a pathway for the exchange of hostages in return for a surge in
humanitarian aid, relief supplies, and fuel, along with the withdrawal
of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza and the return of
internally displaced Palestinians to their homes.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas offers a reprieve from
the relentless and indiscriminate Israeli military assaults that have
devastated Palestinian civilians for the last 15 months, and an end to
the terrifying ordeal for the hostages and their families. The Israeli
military has killed an estimated 47,000
Palestinians to date, with potentially tens of thousands more deaths
that have not yet been recorded. Thousands more are missing and injured.
The initial six-week pause outlined in the agreement must evolve into a
permanent ceasefire–one that provides the necessary space for sustained
recovery, long-term solutions to the root causes of this crisis, and
adherence to international law by both Israel and Hamas.
The scale of the assault on and destruction of Gaza’s
civilian population and infrastructure is unprecedented. The systematic
targeting of essential infrastructure and restrictions on critical
humanitarian supplies have unleashed famine,
disease, and untold suffering. All warring parties must commit to the
immediate and unconditional protection of civilians, an end to attacks
on civilian infrastructure, and unimpeded humanitarian access.
The deal, while a start, does not go far enough in
outlining the explicit protections Israel and Hamas are obligated to
provide Palestinian civilians. We are particularly concerned that the
agreement ties the delivery of humanitarian aid and civilian
protections—which are obligations under international law—to both sides’
compliance with prisoner exchanges. Every ceasefire attempt between
Israel and Hamas has ended in violations, and this should not be
permitted to again imperil humanitarian action.
Humanitarian aid is a right under international law, not a
bargaining tool. Humanitarian access must be ensured under any scenario,
and the Israeli government must allow unimpeded humanitarian aid and
access into all parts of Gaza, through all functional border crossings.
Israel’s well-documented practice of restricting critical aid
must be reversed, and the international community must hold Israel
accountable and ensure the unconditional, uninterrupted flow of aid to
Gaza.
Israeli forces have forcibly displaced nearly the entire
population of Gaza. Their withdrawal from populated areas, while
necessary, is not sufficient to address the plight of hundreds of
thousands who cannot return to homes in northern Gaza and other areas
systematically depopulated by Israeli military operations. Refugees
International calls on Israel to guarantee the freedom of movement for
all Palestinians, including access to areas it has unilaterally
designated as “military zones.” They must also release Palestinian
doctors and aid providers taken and forcibly disappeared after being
captured during Israel’s sieges of Gaza’s major hospitals and clinics.
This is a hopeful moment in a conflict that has seen few of
them. But it is a midpoint, not an endpoint. All international partners
must deploy all tools of diplomatic leverage to hold the warring
parties accountable for fulfilling these terms and producing a
definitive end to this horrific war.
The Amnesty Report, 'You feel like you are subhuman': Israel's Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza, has not received the attention it deserves in the mainstrea, media so I am publish their introduction and a link to the full report here:
‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza
"Our
damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community:
this is genocide. It must stop now." - Agnès Callamard
Amnesty International has found sufficient basis to
conclude that Israeli authorities committed, and continue to commit prohibited
acts under the Genocide Convention.
Amnesty’s report analyses the Israeli authorities’
policies and military actions in the occupied Gaza Strip (Gaza) in the context
of the military offensive they launched in the wake of the attacks on Israel
carried out by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on 7 October 2023. It
assesses them within the framework of genocide under international law, finding
that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that Israel’s conduct amounts to
genocide.
The Genocide Convention was the first international
treaty to explicitly define and criminalise genocide. It was unanimously
adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. The definition of genocide is
provided for in Article II of the Genocide Convention, which reads: “…genocide
means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or
in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily harm or mental harm to
members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions
of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in
part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births
within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to
another group.”
Through our research findings and legal analysis,
we have found sufficient basis to conclude that Israel committed, during the
nine months under review, prohibited acts under Article II (a), (b) and (c) of
the Genocide Convention. We interviewed 212 people, including Palestinian
victims and witnesses, local authorities in Gaza, and healthcare workers,
conducted fieldwork and analysed an extensive range of visual and digital
evidence, including satellite imagery. It also analysed statements by senior
Israeli government and military.
KEY CALLS
Israel must urgently end the commission of
genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza; agree to and uphold a
sustained ceasefire; reverse all policies and actions that have resulted in the
rapid deterioration of conditions of life in Gaza; and ensure that the
humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza are urgently and duly met.
The UK must take urgent and meaningful steps to
pressure Israel into ending its genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza. As a first step, they must ensure that Israel
agrees to a sustained ceasefire, and fully implements all provisional measures
ordered by the ICJ since 26 January 2024.
The UK must immediately suspend arms transfers to
Israel and the provision of training and other military and security assistance
and services.
The UK must act to ensure justice and
accountability for any alleged crimes under international law, including war
crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, by exercising universal or other forms of extraterritorial criminal
jurisdiction, pressuring Israel to allow entry into Gaza of members and staff
of any international investigative or UN-mandated mechanism, and supporting the
investigation of the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC into crimes allegedly
committed in Israel and the OPT, including through executing any ICC arrest
warrants.
The UK must oppose any attempts by Israel to
establish a permanent Israeli military or civilian presence in Gaza, alter its
borders and demographic makeup, or shrink its territory. Displaced Palestinians must be allowed to return
to their homes and communities.
The UK must urge the Office of the Prosecutor of
the ICC to urgently add the crime of genocide by Israeli officials since 7 October 2023 to its ongoing investigation
into the situation in the State of Palestine.
The UK must press the UN Security Council to
impose a comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict, and targeted sanctions, such as asset freezes,
against Israeli officials most implicated in crimes under international law,
including those committed in the context of Israel’s ongoing offensive on Gaza.
Unfortunately none of the Brent or Harrow MPs attended the recent Westminster Hall debate on citizens' petitions that called for the UK to recognise the state of Palestine and for the end of UK arms sales. This also received hardly any publicity.
I watched the debate (there is no vote) and was impressed by John McDonnell's moving ontribution:
John MacDonnell (Independent):
Every week of the last year, virtually, we have had a
debate in this or the main Chamber: questions are asked and then we go
home and watch on television the bodies of children being dug out of
rubble—body parts, in some instances—with those white wrappings around
their bodies. In every debate we seem to have got virtually nowhere
because the arms are still being sold. We are still supplying essential
parts for the F-35—the very vehicle that is dropping the bombs, firing
the weapons and killing the children.
Carla Denyer (Green:
Was the right hon. Member as shocked as I was to
learn that, contrary to the notion that the UK’s trade in F-35 parts is
untraceable, as we were told previously, not only is it traceable but
the US Government are tracking it? The reason we do not have that
information is that we have not even asked them.
John McDonnell
I will be careful with my language here, but one of
the frustrations, in this debate as well, is getting the truth about
what is happening and what is contributing to the murders that are
taking place. Unless we can stop that and prevent the UK from
participating, we will all be implicated. History will judge us all for
not doing enough to stop it.
I
am pleased that the petition has taken place and pleased about the
numbers; I congratulate the people who organised it. The petition
represents the sense of frustration felt out there and the real depth of
anger.
I
have been on virtually every national demonstration. They have been
peaceful, but there is a level of frustration that I do not think we can
contain any more. We are alienating whole sections of our own
community. It is not about the Labour party or other political parties,
but democracy itself. People say, “You’re an MP. You go to Parliament.
Why aren’t you stopping this? It’s no good just shouting on
demonstrations. Why isn’t democracy being exercised to stop this?”
I
want to make just one point about the lack of action by the Government.
Yes, petitions are taking place, but other people are taking direct
action and have been imprisoned. Those cases will be sub judice, so I
will not mention them individually. But Palestine Action took direct
action to close down an arms factory that was supplying goods and
materials for the F-35 and the drones. Those people were arrested under
counter-terrorism powers and detained. They are young people, a lot of
them young women—some of them just starting out at university. They
exercised their influence and power because we failed to exercise ours.
Some have been in court; when they are in front of a jury, they usually
win the case. A number of them are now on remand and will have been in
prison since last March until next November, when their trial is listed.
Chair: Order. I remind the right hon. Member that the case is sub judice and we should not talk about it.
John McDonnell
I am careful about not mentioning any names. I am
raising the issue of the process itself, which is the use of
counter-terrorism powers against direct action groups. The last
Government even came forward with proposals and discussions about
proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. I hope this
Government are not going anywhere near that.
But
why are the people in prison at the moment on remand? Why can they not
be tagged before their trial comes up next November? A number of them,
most probably, will be proven innocent, but they will have served nearly
two years in prison—for what? For trying to do what we are failing to
do: prevent this Government from supplying arms to a regime that kills
children.
I say to the
Government: it is now time to act. All arms licences need to be closed
down. The Minister may say that it is a matter of defending Israel; if
so, let us have a conversation with Israel itself about how to supervise
that defence internationally, rather than using it as an excuse to kill
children. I have had enough of coming back here every week—as you can
tell, Mrs Harris. We need action from the Government now.
Mike Tapp (Labour, Dover and Deal) made a contribution that opposed both petition requests:
The petitions reflect the deep concern and passion of many in our society about the ongoing conflict and suffering in the middle
east, and I respect the sentiment behind them. This Government are
already working towards the same objectives that many of the signatories
seek: an end to the violence in Gaza, the immediate release of all
remaining hostages, an improved supply of humanitarian aid and,
crucially, irreversible progress towards a lasting two-state solution.
Peace in the middle east will come from negotiations, dialogue and the
willingness of both sides to find common ground.
I
turn first to the question of recognising the state of Palestine. Both
the Israeli and Palestinian peoples have a legitimate right to
self-determination. The foundation of a two-state solution is an
independent, viable and democratic Palestine living alongside a safe and
secure Israel. Since the Oslo accords, the principle has been clear: a
two-state solution can be reached only through direct negotiations
between Israel and the Palestinians. An action that undermines that
principle, such as unilateral recognition of Palestine by the UK, only
complicates that matter and makes peace more difficult. It creates the
false impression that a Palestinian state can be imposed from the
outside, without the necessary negotiations. Unilateral recognition, as
seen with countries such as Spain, Norway and Ireland, has led to no
real progress on the ground. It is a symbolic gesture, but it does not
advance the cause of peace.
We
must also approach the matter of arms exports with a clear-eyed view of
the facts. Revoking UK arms export licences would once again be a
largely symbolic gesture, with little practical impact on the situation
in Gaza. It would also undermine our credibility as a security partner
in the region and send the wrong messages to adversaries, including
Iran.
Andy McDonald (Labour, Middlesborough and Thornby East)
Presumably, my hon. Friend will recognise that 15% of
the F-35 construction parts come from the United Kingdom, and they are
the choice of delivery of the 2,000 lb bombs that obliterate civilian
populations in Gaza. Does he share my concern that continuing to
participate in that programme leaves the United Kingdom at risk of being
prosecuted under various conventions for complicity in those heinous
acts?
Mike Tapp
We must bear in mind that 95% of weapons come from
the US and Germany, and on the legal side of things, the Prime Minister
and the Government have been clear that they have consulted legal
advice, which of course will continue—I expect that there will be more
from the Minister on that.
That
is not to say that we ignore the suffering or the rights of
Palestinians—far from it—but revoking arms sales to Israel, particularly
when the country is engaged in a seven-front conflict against Iran and
its proxies, would undermine our national security interests in the
middle east. The UK has a long-standing defence and security
relationship with Israel, which played a key role in defending Israel
against an unprecedented Iranian ballistic attack earlier this year.
We
have real-world experience in peacebuilding through initiatives such as
the International Fund for Ireland, which invested in cross-community
projects in Northern Ireland long before the Good Friday agreement was
signed. Over time, these projects help to change attitudes and foster
the conditions for political leaders to negotiate and compromise. The UK
can and must apply thos
lessons
to the middle east. By supporting peacebuilding civil society
organisations in both Israel and Palestine, we can build the foundations
for lasting peace. That approach has already received backing from the
G7, and was reinforced by the Prime Minister's recent announcement on
supporting civil society peacebuilding.
I
urge us all to focus on actions that have a tangible long-term impact.
Unilateral recognition of Palestine or the withdrawal of arms exports to
Israel may offer a moment of symbolic protest, but will not move us
closer to a genuine and lasting peace. The real path to peace lies in
dialogue, supporting peacebuilding initiatives and encouraging both
Israelis and Palestinians to come to the table. The UK can play a
meaningful role by investing in projects that build trust and create the
conditions necessary for a sustainable two-state solution.
Could you please
publish the letter below. I really need Wembley Matters readers who support to it to
add their name to the letter and it's so
simple, just email me (zerinetata@hotmail.com) and I will send them the prepared letter and all
they have to do is sign it.
Dear Leader and
Councillors,
BRENT AND HARROW PSC PETITION TO DIVEST FOR
PALESTINE.
It is with such a
heavy heart that I am writing to you about the dire situation in Gaza. Just as
you think things could not possibly get any worse, they do.
The images are so
horrific, especially those of the videos made by the Israeli soldiers themselves.
These they have brazenly put on social media, showing their acts of violence
against Palestinian men, women and children. They are joking and laughing and
do not even bother to hide their faces or their names. Such is the
freedom they are given by the State of Israel, which also allows them to
continue the carnage with impunity.
Tragically, it is a
Labour government which is arming Israel and is therefore complicit in their
war crimes, including genocide, i.e. certain acts committed with the intent to
destroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
Netanyahu has made no
secret of his determination to completely destroy Palestine and its people, as
he has stated that it is the only way Israel can defend itself. He totally rejects
the 2-state solution.
Our government is
powerless to act against Israeli policy. They are heavily indebted to Israel,
having put themselves in a position of accepting almost unlimited funding for
many decades. Therefore, we the residents must do something and the only avenue
open to us is to petition the powers that be at Brent Council to vote to divest
for Palestine.
We understand that the
UK Lawyers for Israel have already written to Brent Council. We trust this will
not deter you from choosing to do the right thing.
The lives of the
Palestinians are very much in your hands because you will join other local
authorities and set an example, which we hope all others will follow.
This surely will help bring an end to the invasion.
On behalf of especially the children
of Gaza, we implore you to support Council action on this petition.
(I would not normally
appeal to you to listen to the post below regarding Israel, as there are
literally millions going around on social media. But this one is by
a Burmese scholar, a world renowned expert on genocide. It has no emotive
images. He is relating his observations in simple terms and is impartial with
no axe to grind. Please, I would urge you to listen to it.)
This is Barry Gardiner's reponse to an email to Keir Starner and copied to him, part of which said:
In the north of Gaza, Israel is
transforming whole neighbourhoods into mass graves. Densely populated areas are
under relentless attack. Bodies are left lying on the roads or under the
rubble. Israel is firing on Palestinians attemptingto rescue the injured or retrieve the dead. Since the start
of the month, no food or medicines have been allowed in and all attempts to
provide humanitarian assistanceare denied.Schools and hospitals serving as evacuation centres are
deliberately destroyedto drive out the population. Everyone expects to be killed
at any moment. The head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has writtenthat ‘the smell of death is everywhere.’
These barbaric horrors cannot be allowed to continue.You must not remain silent in
the face of such atrocities.I urge you to
take immediate action and use every possible lever to pressure Israel to halt
its liquidation of the north of Gaza.
Barry Gardiner responded:
Thank you for your recent email concerning the continuing tragedy unfolding in Gaza.
Since the horrific attack by Hamas on October 7th and the unjustifiable seizure of hostages, the situation in Gaza has become intolerable. Children are starving, the healthcare system is being dismantled and approximately 40,000 people have been killed. 70% of the civilian infrastructure – homes, schools, hospitals, and places of worship have all been destroyed. On Thursday, October 10th I made a speech in Westminster Hall where I laid out the UK’s current failings in line with international law. I argued that in order to abide by our commitment to the international rule of law the UK must recognise the state of Palestine and ensure that we as a nation do not support or condone the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories. You can watch and read this speech here: https://www.barrygardiner.com/barry-in-the-commons Earlier this year I welcomed the foreign secretary David Lammy’s call for a ceasefire and reinstatement of funding for UNWRA, and pressured him to end arms sales to Israel. Watch this here: https://www.barrygardiner.com/barry-in-the-commons/what-are-the-government-doing-to-pressure-the-israeli-government-on-human-rights
As I have said in my previous letters, the situation is so fast-moving that it is difficult to summarise events and their consequences in an email without the risk of being out of date by the time it is read. That is why I have always tried to set out the principles upon which I base my judgements and decisions, rather than simply responding to each twist and turn of events. You will know that:
I was the first Member of Parliament to go on the media to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
I have also been constant in demanding the removal of all restrictions on humanitarian aid, and the need to uphold international law.
I have insisted upon the unconditional release of all hostages and illegally detained people.
I spoke out in advance against the offensive by the IDF in Rafah, and predicted it would be a humanitarian catastrophe.
I demanded the reinstatement and restoration of funding to UNWRA.
I called for a visa scheme that can provide a safe route to reunite Palestinians in Gaza with their family members here in the UK.
I have written to the former Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary demanding that the UK stop arms sales to Israel which are in danger of making our country complicit in breaches of international law and what the ICJ has described as “plausible risk” of war crimes. Here in Britain, the former President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Baroness Hale of Richmond, along with 1,100 lawyers, legal academics and former members of the judiciary, signed a joint legal opinion indicating that suspending funding to UNRWA puts the UK in breach of its international obligations to prevent genocide. The government must immediately do all it can to help aid get into Gaza and this includes reinstating funding for the UNWRA now. The importance of the International Court of Justice cannot be overestimated. The ICJ has ruled that South Africa has brought a plausible case that the people of Palestine need to be protected against genocide and that as such, their rights are at risk of irreparable damage. I support the court’s rulings and call for Israel to implement the provisional measures that the ICJ has demanded. I signed the Early Day Motion 177 and have advocated for it on the mainstream media. You can access my most recent statements in relation to the ICJ here: https://vimeo.com/943986809?share=copy
As the situation has worsened in Gaza, we have seen increasing breaches of international law in the West Bank. The increase in settler violence against Palestinians, demolition of their homes and property, and the deliberate and systematic spread of Israeli settlements appears to be part of a deliberate campaign to annexe more and more Palestinian land in the West Bank, making the settlements a fait acompli. That is why I have always called for a restriction on settlement goods being imported into the UK. The need for emergency visa schemes to get people out of an active warzone is one I have always supported – whether it be for civilians in Ukraine, Afghanistan or Gaza. The UK must do all it can to allow families to reunite in safety. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK government introduced the Ukraine Family Scheme. The government must now do the same for the Palestinians.
Finally I have signed a letter to the former Foreign Secretary urging him to respect the International Criminal Court and not allow its work to be undermined If you would like to discover more about my responses as the situation has unfolded since October 7 2023, you can visit my website where you will also find links to my appearances on the Today Programme, ITV News, BBC Politics Live, Politics Joe and more.
In all these interviews I make it clear that a ceasefire is the only way to move the situation forward and that the UK must not be complicit in breaches of international law.
