Green Party candidates speak out on War, Peace and the Middle East

Palestine: Greens support BDS and call for halt to military co-operation with Israel

This is the emergency motion passed with an overwhelming majority at the Green  Party Conference yesterday.

Conference condemns Israel's ground invasion, ariel and marine bombing of Gaza, and calls on Green Party members and Green Party elected representatives to take what steps they can to put existing Green Party policy into action and to ensure that the underlying causes are addressed, acknowledging there can be no lasting peace without justice.

Such steps include:

-  Reiterating our calls on the UN, the EU and the US government to ensure that Israel complies with international law

-  Supporting these calls by active participation in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. This campaign aims to put pressure on the government of Israel to end the Occupation and to give equal rights to Palestinians. The campaign asks individuals, organisations, councils and governments to refuse to deal with companies and institutions identified as facilitating Israel's military capacity, human rights abuses or illegal settlement activity

- In particular to demand the UK government halts all joint Israeli/UK military co-operation and approval for all arms sales to Israel.

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

Syria Public Meeting tomorrow in Queen's Park

In view of the recent House of Commons vote and the developing situation regarding chemical weapons and military intervention, this Labour Party meeting should be of interest to readers of all political parties and none:

This public event will look to provide a 101 guide to the situation in Syria – how did the conflict evolve? what is happening on the ground? what should Britain’s response to the crisis be?

Any donations raised on the night will go to ‘Save the Children’s’ Syria response.


Chair –

Tulip Siddiq - Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn. She is a Camden Councillor and the Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities.

Panel –

Cllr. James Denselow -Queen’s Park Councillor, Research Associate at the Foreign Policy Centre, has worked and lived extensively in the Middle East including in Syria.

John Lloyd – Contributing Editor, Financial Times

Dr Sundar Thava - Practising NHS medical doctor and medico-legal expert for the Charity: “Freedom from Torture”.

Ivana Bartoletti - London Labour candidate for the 2014 European elections, member of the exec of the Fabian Society and Deputy Director of the Fabian Women’s Network

Venue –
St. Anne’s Brondesbury 125 Salusbury Road NW6 6RG