‘Over recent months, politicians have given us meaningless words, expressions of false concern, always far too late, all while shoring up the flow of arms to Israel’
Neha Shah
Labour Outlook’s Sam Browse reports from today’s demonstration outside Downing Street.
As the Israeli military rain bombs on the Rafah crossing in Gaza, thousands gathered outside Downing Street to demand the government and political leaders push for an immediate ceasefire and a suspension of all arms sales to Israel.
The demonstration, supported by a variety of organisations including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Stop the War Coalition, and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, came as Israel began its assault on one of the most densely crowded regions in Gaza. After months of sustained assault and ground incursion, Israel’s military has displaced over a million Palestinians, with many fleeing to Rafah after Israeli authorities declared it safe.
The Rafah offensive has been met with outrage by human rights organisations and multilateral diplomatic organisations such as the UN, with many claiming that it confirms the charge of genocide Israel is currently defending in the International Court of Justice.
However, while the UK and US governments have verbally opposed the offensive, they have not committed to any concrete action to stop it. Speaking for the Government in the House of Commons earlier today, Andrew Mitchell, a Foreign Office Minister, refused to outline exactly what leverage the Foreign Office is using to match words with deeds.
If the Government were serious it would immediately halt the licensing of arms sales to Israel – a step it has so far refused to take – and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Speaking at the demonstration, Palestine Solidarity Campaign Vice Chair, Neha Shah, said “over recent months, politicians have given us meaningless words, expressions of false concern, always far too late, all while shoring up the flow of arms to Israel. As we’ve said before, David Cameron, David Lammy, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak – you are all responsible.”
“We are all here today because we know that our Government’s direct, historic, and ongoing complicity in Israeli colonialism and genocide bestows on us, the British people, a special responsibility. And so, as the tanks roll into Rafah, we must remember that we hold the power to end this genocide.”
Coming from the House of Commons Chamber, John McDonnell told the crowd assembled outside Downing Street “we are witnessing what is a massacre, mass murder of civilians – men, women, and children – and yet the Government is doing nothing.”
“We say to the Government, the least you can do now is make it clear to Netanyahu that there will be no more arms from Britain to feed this war machine. But the Government refuses to act.”
“What we should be saying to Netanyahu is that you are a war criminal and we will pursue you for as long as you live until we get you in the international courts.”
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I was at the protest and yes, many speeches focused on the government’s inability to do anything meaningful to stop the genocide in Gaza. Likewise, speakers ( not so much the Labour MPs)criticised the labour party for their support of the genocide in Palestine, because the Labour party line has not been significantly different in their approach to Israel’s war on the Palestinians.
The people in the crown definitely did not hold back when it came to pointing out complicity.
The shouts “Starmer, Starmer you can’t hide, we will charge you with genocide” and “If you hate Keir Starmer, clap your hands” were as frequent and as loud as those geared towards Sunak. The man who disgraced himself by propagating the cutting of water, food and electricity for an occupied people (and then proceeded to lie about not having said it) is a fraud and so are all labour MPs who have not left a party who has supported the biggest crime of the 21 century.