“The main goal of this operation from day one has ultimately been the removal of the Palestinian population from Gaza.”
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti
By the Labour Outlook Team
Hundreds joined a recent online session hosted by Labour and Palestine with General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative Mustafa Barghouti to provide an update on the current situation and how solidarity work can be built in Britain.
Barghouti opened by discussing how the recent mobilisations here have been viewed in Palestine: “We have been very impressed by huge demonstrations in London- they are the largest in Europe and amongst the largest in the world, and they mean a lot to the people struggling on the ground”.
Outlining the scale of the consequences of the current military offensive, he argued that “the main goal of this operation from day one has ultimately been the removal of the Palestinian population from Gaza”, but stated: “nothing will stop the Palestinian people from continuing our struggle for freedom: because we have no alternative”.
Making the case for why Palestine is a key issue on an international level, he concluded: “This is a problem not just for Palestine, but the whole world. Because the complicity and silence from countries such as the United States and Britain sends the message that international law no longer applies- and that suggests that people with power can get away with whatever they want”.
Labour and Palestine’s Hugh Lanning praised a bloc organised by party members on the recent national demonstration in London, contrasting this with “what has been worse than passivity” from the leadership. Calling for a ceasefire to be “just the beginning” of a wider process, he made the case for Labour to “pushing and build global pressure in support of international law and build the conditions for a meaningful peace”.
Questions covered topics including stance of the British and American governments on the call for a ceasefire, the role of the student movement, political leadership in Palestine, and the increasing issue of starvation.
As well as this event, previous Palestine online seminars are available on the Arise – A Festival of Left Ideas Youtube channel, including:
Can Palestine Be Free? with Bernard Regan
Why Labour should join calls for a #CeasefireNow from the Autumn
Palestine’s struggle – What does Israel’s new far-right government mean? with Mustafa Barghouti from 2023
- You can watch the event back here and listen to the Podcast on Spotify below.
- You can follow Arise Festival on Facebook, Instagram and twitter; and listen to the Arise Festival podcast on Spotify.
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