“A few conciliatory words are not going to be enough – there is going to have to be change ‘root and branch’ or Labour is going to come to regret the loss of its moral compass in supporting Israel’s genocidal slaughter of the indigenous Palestinian people.”
By Hugh Lanning, Labour & Palestine
Israel must have thought that it had the British Labour Party sorted. On the back of the acrimonious divisions surrounding the issue of anti-semitism during Jeremy Corbyn’s time as leader, the right-wing and supporters of Israel combined to write Keir Starmer’s script and silence any dissident voices for Palestine that had escaped the purge within the party.
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has changed all that. Through its actions in Gaza and the West Bank, Israel has put itself beyond the pale for many former supporters. Apparently even stretching the patience of Joe Biden – although not enough to result in any meaningful action or pressure. It has torn to shreds its much cultivated image as the ‘only democracy’ in the Middle East. Its continual refusal to take heed of the UN, ICJ, ICC and many other calls for a ceasefire. Demanding and, by and large, getting Western support for its blatant contempt for international law whilst it continued to annihilate the civilian population of Gaza and armed tens of thousands of settlers to kill, murder and main at will in the West Bank.
Having succeeded in effectively removing Palestine from Labour’s political post-election agenda, Gaza has put it back centre stage for an incoming Labour Government. Despite latter-day statements in favour of a ceasefire, these came far too late to assuage the anger of the millions who were watching the carnage on their televisions. Not only did Labour not speak up for Palestine, but it actively endorsed Israel’s murderous actions resulting in tens of thousands of innocent people dying in the name of “self-defence”. The attempts by the Leader’s office to silence voices at Party conference mentioning anything that had happened in the 70 years preceding October failed in the light of the reality that unfolded on a daily basis on people’s TV screens. Nine months into the war any pretence at self-defence has long since passed.
The local elections showed that Palestine is a significant political issue for many voters – not just the Muslim population, not just the hundreds of thousands demonstrating, but for the millions of young, old, progressive, trade union and many other voters who would normally be expected to vote Labour. The impact of this could be seen immediately with Labour spokespeople saying they recognised the need to rebuild confidence with those that the Party’s stance on Palestine and the ceasefire in particular, had alienated.
Previously Palestine has been described as a litmus test for Labour’s ethical Foreign policy. It will be a huge test for an incoming David Lammy if he succeeds in becoming what he describes as the first “foreign secretary descended from the slave trade”. One would have thought that his background would have enabled him to recognise Israel’s ethnic cleansing for what it is – the colonial settlement and elimination of one people by another, seeking to destroy any aspiration to their self-determination as a Palestinian state.
A familiar analysis, but what should supporters of Palestine do in the context of the current general election? Of course every candidate of every party should be challenged about “what did they do in the war?”. Do they or when did they accept the moral imperative that an immediate and permanent ceasefire was essential? Do they accept that Western countries need to stop supplying arms to the military machine that is modern day Israel – arms supplied and paid for by the US and its allies? These questions need to be asked and the answers circulated to inform voters.
However, such is the level of disenchantment of many erstwhile members or supporters of the Labour Party that this election is going to see a multiplicity of independent or oppositionist candidates quoting Labour’s appalling record on Palestine in order to win votes. One suspects that many Labour Party members and voters will have sympathy, but will be constrained to vote Labour by two factors. First, an overwhelming desire to get rid of the Tories. Secondly knowing that openly advocating support for another party or candidate would result in the early termination of their party membership. One suspects that the majority or sufficient will vote Labour to see the Party home to a comfortable victory.
But, it is critical to remember that for Palestine there are two objectives from this election – a change of Government, yes, but more importantly a change of UK Government policy. From being one of the apologists, Palestine needs the UK to become a public advocate of Palestinian freedom from Israeli oppression and occupation. Starmer’s belated fig leaf of saying he wants recognition at some indeterminate point in the future is totally inadequate, indeed insulting to the tens of thousands who have died.
If Palestine’s self-determination is the objective the actions have to be proportionate to that aim. Immediate recognition of Palestine, without hesitation, would be a political act marking a changed approach. But it would be useless unless coupled with action to bring Israel within the framework of international law. Words will not be enough. Israel is now a rogue nation out of control, as is demonstrated by its contemptuous response to the ICJ and ICC rulings – based on a continuing belief in its impunity.
It is military might that gives Israel its arrogance, but it is also its Achilles heel. The UK is not its largest arms dealer, the US has that honour, but an arms embargo leading to the total cessation of the UK’s two-way arms trade and military and intelligence cooperation with Israel, would be a seismic shift in Israel’s global standing, coming as it would from the country largely responsible for the creation of the modern Israeli state.
There are many other demands that can and should be made – restoration of funding to UNWRA, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the reconstruction and independent development of Gaza. But the critical issue is what should peace look like. Labour still beats the drum of a two-state solution without one statement about what this would mean in practice given Israel’s total military dominance of all the land from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea.
If self-determination is the objective, then decolonisation is the means. Do any proposals put forward result in the dismantling of Israel’s colonial and racially based apartheid regime? Does it bring nearer equality for all people living within ‘48’ Israel and under occupation?
This will only be achieved by actions such as the destruction of the Wall, the removal of settlements and settlers, the end of the military occupation together with a return to the internationally recognised borders of 1967, the return of refugees and, critically, giving Palestinian’s back their land.
These are huge, but essential steps that have to be taken if Palestine is to attain its rights under international law and long promised freedom. They would also represent a dramatic shift in both Labour and the UK’s policy and practice. As supporters of Palestine in and around the Labour Party our aim must be – from day one of a Labour Government, to seek not only a change of Government, but a change of UK policy on Palestine.
A new Labour Government is an opportunity we cannot waste. Labour must reset its ethical, moral and political stance on Palestine. It is not an issue that will go away. If Labour fails this challenge it will haunt it throughout its life in Government. A whole generation of people, not just those on marches, in encampments, organising local protests, are not going to go away or forget. A few conciliatory words are not going to be enough – there is going to have to be change ‘root and branch’ or Labour is going to come to regret the loss of its moral compass in supporting Israel’s genocidal slaughter of the indigenous Palestinian people.
We need to put maximum pressure on the next Labour Government from day one to adopt a better stance on Palestine than the current Government and a different and far more progressive one than Labour has shown in opposition.
- Hugh Lanning is an officer of Labour & Palestine, former Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and former Deputy General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PSC).
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Labour needs to create “Friends to Palestine Group” to counteract with “Friends to Israel Group” which is a powerful lobby group with too much influence on our MPs with money and therefore unjust and undemocratic. Money used to buy weapons and corrupt our democratic institutions. That needs to Stop.