“Israel’s acts of reckless slaughter and destruction are only possible because of the impunity that Western leaders such as Starmer grant it for its crimes. We will not cease holding this government to account.”
Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
By the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators will gather in London on Saturday to demand an end to Israel’s barbaric siege of the Gaza Strip. Since March 2, 2025, the Israeli government has blocked almost all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, driving more than 2 million people into a deepening famine. Since May 28th a tiny amount of aid has been allowed through a private American foundation under Israeli control rather than the UN, but there have been almost daily massacres by Israeli troops and American security staff of desperate people trying to access the aid. At least 400 people have been reported killed.
On June 13th Israel launched an unprovoked, large-scale military attack on Iran, prompting Iranian retaliation. This dangerous conflict is threatening to escalate with American President Trump considering an order for the US military to attack Iran. The UK Attorney General is reported to have advised Prime Minister Starmer that UK involvement in a US attack on Iran could be illegal. As the UK government has failed to heed its obligations under the Genocide Convention to halt all military support for Israel, including arms exports, it remains to be seen whether the government will abide by international law in this instance.
While attempting to divert international attention towards its war on Iran, Israel’s genocide and war crimes continue in plain sight in the Gaza Strip. The demonstrators in London on Saturday will ensure that Israel’s crimes against humanity do not retreat from public and political attention. The demand for a full arms embargo on Israel and an end to all military cooperation is only the first step in ending the UK’s complicity with Israel’s multiple and grave violations of international law.
Ben Jamal, PSC Director, said:
“For some weeks we have been asking the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to tell us what his ‘red line’ is, beyond which he would not give material support to Israel, a state under investigation at the ICJ for the high crime of genocide, and whose leaders face arrest for war crimes by the ICC. We see now that despite luring starving Palestinians into death traps to be massacred, Israel has still not lost Britain’s military and diplomatic support.
By any rational legal and moral standard, Israel should be a pariah state, not an ally. The UK should be at the forefront of upholding the Genocide Convention to prevent and punish the crime of genocide, not providing Israel with arms and military assistance. And now to compound this grave complicity the UK is seen to be actively considering aiding Israel’s illegal attack on Iran, risking a wider regional war. Israel’s acts of reckless slaughter and destruction are only possible because of the impunity that Western leaders such as Starmer grant it for its crimes. We will not cease holding this government to account, supported by a clear majority of British public opinion that supports a full arms embargo by 4:1.”
- The national demonstration leaves Russell Square, London at 12.30pm. The rally takes place at Whitehall from 2.30pm.
- Coalition partners are Stop the War, CND, Muslim Association of Britain, Friends of Al Aqsa, Palestine Forum in Britain.
- This article was originally published by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign on 20 June 2025.
