UK
Keep on the Streets for Palestine –
Peter Leary, PSC
Peter Leary, Palestine Solidarity Campaign spoke at an online briefing to make the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Friday November 29. You can read his full speech published below:
Thank you to Labour and Palestine for inviting me to speak at this important and timely meeting, marking the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
It comes not long after the recent re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States opens a dangerous new period for the planet and all those who believe in the universal values of justice and equality around the world – and poses a threat that is especially acute for the Palestinian people.
And it comes a little more than a week since the International Criminal Court (ICC) finally issued arrest warrants for the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
For decades, 29 November has served as a reminder of the enduring Palestinian struggle against settler colonialism, ethnic cleansing, military occupation, and apartheid. This year, it arrives at the darkest moment in Palestinian history as Israel’s genocide continues unabated.
For more than a year, the world has watched in horror as Israel rains destruction upon the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip – obliterating homes, schools, and hospitals, killing many tens of thousands, and maiming many more. So, at the very least, as we are confronted with this ongoing genocidal onslaught, the belated decision of the ICC to issue these arrest warrants offers us a glimmer of hope for justice. Netanyahu is now a wanted man.
Publicly announcing its unprecedented decision, the ICC stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both men bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, and the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.
The whole world has seen the evidence: hospital patients burnt alive, children decapitated, desperate families repeatedly displaced with nowhere safe to go, and doctors forced to perform operations – including the amputation of limbs – without access to anaesthetic.
More than 4 in every 10 of the Palestinians verified as killed in Gaza in the past year were children, with most of them aged between 5 and 9 years old.
Having heard Gallant degrade Palestinians as ‘human animals’ and Netanyahu invoke the biblical tribe of Amalek to call for their elimination, there can be little doubt that both men are guilty as charged.
This announcement is a vindication of the millions who have marched and taken action to call for international law to be upheld. But it is also a damning indictment on those who have excused and continue to facilitate Israel’s atrocities in Gaza.
These ICC arrest warrants should mark a turning point.
They place Britain in the disgraceful position of continuing to sell weapons and provide diplomatic support to a regime that is not only on trial for genocide but is led by a fugitive from international justice. Unfortunately, so far, the response from the British government has been woefully inadequate.
Initially, the simple question whether they will be bound to uphold international and domestic law, was dismissed as ‘hypotheticals.’
The debate in the House of Commons earlier this week saw Hamish Falconer repeatedly fail to make the clear statement that is needed: to make clear to Netanyahu and Gallant that they will be arrested if they ever set foot in Britain. Pressed by MPs, he refused to make even the most basic commitments that should automatically flow from this decision by the ICC – a complete end to all arms sales to Israel, a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and further sanctions designed to bring an end to the atrocities against Palestinians.
And, of course, we know that will never happen unless we continue to organise and build the solidarity movement including our campaigns for boycott, divestment and sanctions.
That is why, throughout this week PSC and our coalition partners have been taking action to coincide with the International Day of Solidarity. On Wednesday, nearly 300 activists were in parliament to pressure their MPs to take meaningful steps to end Britain’s complicity with Israel’s crimes. Yesterday, our workplace and student day of action, with backing from the TUC and national trade unions, saw workers and students mobilise to organise a wave of meetings and protests across Britain. Today, we are asking everyone to put up a poster in your home or office window to show your solidarity in every street and community. (You can download the poster here.)
And of course, tomorrow, we will fill the streets of London once again, assembling at 12noon at Park Lane to march to Whitehall in the 22nd national march for Palestine in what already ranks as one of the largest and most sustained protest movements in British history.
This year, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is needed as urgently as ever. Let us use it as a moment to reaffirm our commitment to Palestinian rights. Join us tomorrow as we take to the streets and let us all – every one of us – escalate our solidarity actions until Palestine is finally free.
- Peter Leary is Deputy Director of Campaigns at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) – you can follow him on X/Twitter and follow PSC on X/Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
- Join tomorrow’s (Saturday 30 November) demonstration for Palestine, Assembling at 12PM, marching from Park Lane to Whitehall.
Stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people – Jeremy Corbyn & Independent Alliance MPs statement
The Independent Alliance of MPs have released a statement on the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People calling for the UK Government to end complicity in the genocide in Gaza. You can read the statement published below:
On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we call on our government to end its participation in the genocide in Gaza.
In a just world, we would set aside a day to celebrate the contributions, culture and creativity of the Palestinian people. Instead, year after year, we find ourselves reaffirming our support for their basic humanity, because they are still denied the right to self-determination enshrined in international law.
At first, it was bomb after bomb. Then it was town after town. Now it is generation after generation. Still, the UK government denies there is a genocide in Gaza. Still, the government exports weapons to Israel, whose leader is wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity. Still, the government refuses to recognise the state of Palestine.
Today, we reiterate our demands for the government to enforce the ICC arrest warrants, impose sanctions, and end arms sales to Israel.
We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, today and every day, until there is a free and independent Palestine.
Adnan Hussain MP
Ayoub Khan MP
Iqbal Mohamed MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Shockat Adam MP
- Join the National Demonstration on 30th November – details
Impose Sanctions on Israel – 60+ MPs and Lords Demand End to UK Complicity
Amplifying socialist voices, supporting frontline struggles, building international solidarity.
28th November 2024
Richard Burgon MP
By Fraser McGuire
Over 60 MPs and Lords from seven political parties have written to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, calling for sanctions on Israel over its “repeated violations of international law”.
This follows the recent landmark ruling made by the world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ ruled that Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestine is unlawful and demanded that it end immediately. The Court also called on all States to not provide aid to Israel or enter into trade dealings that maintain this illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
In the letter coordinated by Richard Burgon MP and Imran Hussain MP, the Parliament state that the ICJ ruling places clear obligations on the UK “to take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the OPT”.
The demands include a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements; a suspension of arms transfers to Israel, including licenses for the export of F-35 fighter jet components that go indirectly to Israel; and for the 2030 Roadmap to be revoked, which seeks to deepen UK-Israeli economic, trade and security ties.
This call follows the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Richard Burgon MP stated that “The world’s top court has found that Israel is acting illegally. But the Israeli Government continues to treat international law with utter contempt.
“We cannot allow Israel to tear up the rule book of international law and simply go unpunished. Words alone from our Government are simply not enough. Our Government has a legal and moral obligation to act. It needs to impose widespread sanctions to get Israel to end its war crimes and stop violating international law.”
Imran Hussain MP said “The arrest warrants issued for war crimes must be just the start of renewed efforts to force Israel to abide by international law, stop the war crimes and end its illegal occupation of Palestine.
“By imposing widespread sanctions on Israel as the ICJ ruling demands, our Government would be taking a stance in defence of the international rules-based order and making clear that Israel will no longer get away with trampling all over international law.”
You can read the letter in full published below.
Dear Foreign Secretary,
Re: Call for the UK Government to impose sanctions on Israel following the International Court of Justice’s Landmark Advisory Opinion
We write to urge the UK government to impose sanctions and take other concrete steps to give effect to the landmark Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel’s continuing illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
Findings of the International Court of Justice
The ICJ, the world’s top court, found on 19 July 2024 that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful. It also found that Israel is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the OPT as rapidly as possible and to immediately cease all new settlement activities, amongst numerous other obligations.
The Court also found that all States, including the UK, have obligations to not recognise as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the OPT and to not render any aid or assistance in maintaining this.
Further, amongst the numerous other obligations cited by the ICJ, all State Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention have an obligation to ensure compliance by Israel with international humanitarian law as embodied in that Convention.
Obligations on the UK government
Flowing from these, the ICJ found that the UK and all states must take concrete actions including: to take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the OPT; to abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the OPT which may entrench its unlawful presence there; and to abstain from entering into any treaty relations with Israel in all cases in which it purports to act on behalf of the OPT.
It has now been four months since this landmark ICJ ruling. Since then, the situation continues to worsen including with Israel’s intensified attacks on civilians and clear violations of international law occurring in Gaza.
The UK Government has acknowledged the central findings of the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion and stated that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the OPT as rapidly as possible. However, the UK Government is yet to clarify how it intends to respond to this new legal situation and uphold its responsibilities arising from it.
In contrast, the UN General Assembly in September passed a resolution endorsing the ICJ’s opinion and calling on states to comply with their responsibility under international law to enact concrete steps including sanctions to address the ongoing situation.
Sanctions on Israel and other actions
In line with the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion and the obligations on all States, the UK Government should immediately:
- Impose travel bans and asset freezes against all individuals and entities involved in maintaining Israel’s unlawful presence in the OPT.
- Ban trade with illegal settlements – in so doing, the UK should also support and utilise the UN database of businesses involved in the OPT.
- Suspend arms transfers to Israel including licenses for the export of F-35 components that go indirectly to Israel as well as any other equipment that might be used to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law and/or are used to entrench Israel’s unlawful presence in the OPT.
- Revoke the 2030 Roadmap, which seeks to deepen UK-Israeli economic, trade and security ties
The Government should also undertake a comprehensive and thorough review of all of its current and pending trade relations, including the UK-Israel trade agreement, and all its security, military, and diplomatic relations with Israel. This would be to ensure that it does not – directly or indirectly – entrench Israel’s unlawful presence in the OPT or otherwise provide aid or assistance in maintaining the unlawful situation created by the continued presence of Israel in the OPT or any of the other violations committed by Israel in the OPT.
The UK Government has repeatedly stated that it is committed to international law. Acting in support of the ICJ Advisory Opinion would be a critical step in demonstrating that commitment. It would also show that the UK Government is striving to do all it can to support the victims of Israel’s repeated violations of international law, and that it is not only speaking about a peaceful and negotiated two-state solution but taking concrete steps to promote this.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Burgon MP and Imran Hussain MP
Diane Abbott MP
Shockat Adam MP
Paula Barker MP
Órfhlaith Begley MP
Apsana Begum MP
Olivia Blake MP
Baroness Christine Blower
Baroness Pauline Bryan
Ian Byrne MP
Baroness Shami Chakrabarti
Ellie Chowns MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Pat Cullen MP
Ann Davies MP
Lord Bryn Davies
Carla Denyer MP
Neil Duncan-Jordan MP
Colum Eastwood MP
Sorcha Eastwood MP
John Finucane MP
Mary Kelly Foy MP
Barry Gardiner MP
Mary Glindon MP
Claire Hanna MP
Chris Hazzard MP
Lord John Hendy KC
Dáire Hughes MP
Adnan Hussain MP
Kim Johnson MP
Afzal Khan MP
Ayoub Khan MP
Ben Lake MP
Ian Lavery MP
Chris Law MP
Graham Leadbitter MP
Brian Leishman MP
Clive Lewis MP
Baroness Ruth Lister
Seamus Logan MP
Cathal Mallaghan MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Paul Maskey MP
Andy McDonald MP
John McDonnell MP
Llinos Medi MP
Iqbal Mohamed MP
Abtisam Mohamed MP
Grahame Morris MP
Brendan O’Hara MP
Simon Opher MP
Yasmin Qureshi MP
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
Liz Saville Roberts MP
Lord Prem Sikka
Lord Indarjit Singh
Cat Smith MP
Zarah Sultana MP
Jon Trickett MP
Baroness Pola Uddin
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi
Nadia Whittome MP
Steve Witherden MP
Lord Tony Woodley
- Richard Burgon MP is speaking at an upcoming event marking UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, 1pm Friday 29th November – with Hugh Lanning, Labour & Palestine, Louise Regan, Palestine Solidarity Campaign; plus guests from Palestine. Register here.
- This week, Parliamentarians called on the Government to make clear their commitment to international law after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli President Netanyahu. Read our report here.
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