“Israel’s assault has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, wounded more than 55,000 people, displaced 1.9 million people, and pushed the majority of Gaza’s population to starvation.”
Zarah Sultana MP
By Zarah Sultana MP
Dear Prime Minister,
Back My Bill to Stop Arming Israeli War Crimes
Last week at the International Court of Justice, the world heard in painstaking detail the horrifying facts of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. It was told how Israel’s assault has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, wounded more than 55,000 people, displaced 1.9 million people, and pushed the majority of Gaza’s population to starvation.
Alongside this, the court heard the genocidal words of Israeli officials, including promises to “wipe out”, “erase”, and “crush” Gaza, and to make it a place “where no human being can exist.”
As you know, the British government is deeply complicit in this genocidal assault. Not only has it refused to support an immediate ceasefire at the United Nations Security Council, but it has also licensed arms sales to Israel worth more than £474 million since 2015, including parts for F-35 fighter jets, planes that are currently unleashing hell on Gaza.
That is why last month I introduced a Bill to Parliament to stop arming Israel’s war crimes, formally titled the Arms Trade (Inquiry and Suspension) Bill.
The Bill would suspend arms sales to any country where there is a risk that they will be used in violation of international law – and there is no doubt this includes Israel. Just a few weeks into the war, the UN Secretary-General said Israel’s assault was “clearly” violating international law, a view backed by dozens of human rights groups and international aid organisations.
Last week, even the Foreign Secretary was forced to admit he is “worried” Israel is violating international law. The Bill would also suspend arms sales to the likes of Saudi Arabia, which has committed horrendous war crimes in its war on Yemen.
In addition to this, the Bill would launch an inquiry into British arms sales, assessing the clearly inadequate licensing regime and ensuring that we never again sell weapons for war crimes.
The Bill will come before the House of Commons this Friday. I urge you to intrust your MPs not to block the Bill, allowing it to continue its journey to becoming law.
- The British government is deeply complicit in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, including through arms sales to Israel. That’why Zarah has introduced a Bill to suspend these sales, which returns to Parliament on Friday. Above is her letter to Rishi Sunak, urging him to stop arming war crimes.
- Zarah Sultana is the MP for Coventry South, you can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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