Around the world, Israel stands condemned – Peter Leary
By Peter Leary
For almost a year, we have born witness to one of the darkest moments in the Palestinian people’s enduring struggle for liberation. In less than two weeks’ time, we will mark one year of Israels genocidal assault upon the people of the Gaza Strip – a genocide that has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, with thousands more missing presumed dead.
Now, not only is that genocide continuing, but alongside attacks on Palestinians right across their homeland we face the escalating violence against Lebanon, that began with what can only be described as acts of terrorism, followed by bombardment. More than 600 killed in just the past few days, as Isreal attempts to provoke a wider regional war.
In recent hours, the occupant of Downing Street – Keir Starmer – and other western leaders have issued calls for restraint and even for a ceasefire. But calling for a ceasefire, and calling for restraint, while continuing to supply weapons and refusing to apply any meaningful pressure on Israel to stop the slaughter, stinks of hypocrisy.
Last week, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for a historic resolution supported by 70 per cent of states, which called on Isreal to end its unlawful occupation and withdraw all its forces and called on every country to cease any action that aids and assists the occupation, including trade with illegal settlements and shipping arms to Israel. Shamefully, the British government abstained.
But in the eyes of millions around the world, Israel stands condemned.
Right now, Israel is on trial for genocide. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders – including Benjamin Netanyahu – for war crimes and crimes against humanity. And the International Court of Justice – the world court – has already judged that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid.
On Tuesday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa underlined this truth, telling the United Nations that ‘South Africans know what apartheid looks like and will not remain silent…while apartheid is perpetrated against others.’
Tonight, you have shown that you will not remain silent either.
On Saturday, 28 September, we will be organising a Stop Arming Israel national day of action. Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s 100 branches will be taking action right across the country.
On 5 October, we will return to the streets of London – to mark one whole year of genocide – with what will be the 20th National March for Palestine.
In the past twelve months, we have built one of the largest and most sustained protest movements in the history of this country, and on 5 October, we need you to march with us – not just in your thousands, not even in your tens of thousands, but in your hundreds of thousands, or half a million strong.
So, tell your friends, tell your family, tell your colleagues, tell your neighbours.
Join us on 5 October to send a clear message to the government, and to people of conscience around the world: End the genocide; Stop Arming Israel; Hands off Lebanon.
Because we will not be silenced. And, come rain, hail, or shine, we will be here, marching together, until Palestine is free!
- This was delivered as a speech at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign emergency protest at Downing Street, London on 26th September.
- Peter Leary is Deputy Director of Campaigns at Palestine Solidarity Campaign – you can follow him on x/twitter and follow PSC on x/twitter, facebook and instagram.
- If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.
100,000s to march for Palestine
By the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
This Saturday, the Palestine solidarity movement marks one year of opposition to Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza with the 20th national March for Palestine since October 2023, coming in the context of Israel’s current attack on Lebanon and the threat of a wider regional war.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators will march through London to mark one year since Israel began its continuing genocidal assault on Gaza. More than 41 000 Palestinians have been killed, including approximately 17 000 children. Tens of thousands more are missing amidst the widespread destruction of social infrastructure that has displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled this to be a plausible case of genocide – “acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part” a human group.
The UK, as a signatory to the Genocide Convention is obliged under international law to “prevent and punish” this crime, but successive governments have instead to chosen to shield and support Israel. Last month the Foreign Secretary David Lammy accepted that there is a clear risk that UK arms exports might be used to commit serious violations of international law, but his inadequate response was to suspend only 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel. In particular, he excluded indirect exports of components to Israel for the F-35 combat aircraft, known to have been used to massacre civilians in Gaza.
On September 18th, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to affirm the historic ruling by the ICJ in July and trigger the legal obligation of all states to end complicity in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and apartheid regime, including through an arms embargo. Shamefully, the UK abstained in the vote, following a pattern of complicity with Israel’s violations of international law.
Israel’s rejection of a ceasefire in Gaza and repeated attacks on neighbouring countries now threaten to spark a regional war. Instead of condemning Israel’s aggression, the UK has given it political, diplomatic and military support. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was quick to announce he “completely condemns” Iran’s missile strikes but he has never found these words to address Israel’s genocide in Gaza or attacks on Lebanon.
Ben Jamal, PSC Director, said, “On Saturday hundreds of thousands will march to mark one year of Israel’s genocide upon the Palestinian people, a genocide that has killed at least 41 000 Palestinians, destroyed Gaza’s social infrastructure and displaced over 2 million people. For months we have been warning that granting Israel impunity for its crimes would not only leave thousands of Palestinian civilians at risk of slaughter, but risk a wider conflagration. In the last week we have seen this reality unfold, with Isreal launching strikes on Lebanon and other neighbouring states that have killed over 1,000 people, including hundreds of civilians, many of them children. Now we stand on the brink of a major war. People will be marching on Saturday demanding an end to UK complicity with these crimes because they want the rights of Palestinians to be respected, International Law to be implemented without discrimination, and because they want peace. “
- The March leaves Russell Square at 12.00 on Saturday October 5, with a rally at Whitehall at 14.30. Speakers include MPs, union leaders and civil society figures.
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