Labour conference votes to sanction Israel and recognise Gaza genocide
میدل-ایست-آی - 1404-07-07 20:27:32
Labour conference votes to sanction Israel and recognise Gaza genocide
Labour party delegates have voted that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and should be sanctioned, in a shock development at the annual party conference.
The unprecedented move means that the Labour conference has officially accepted the findings of a recent UN Commission of Inquiry report, which found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and has backed comprehensive sanctions on Israel and a full arms embargo.
Delegates from constituencies and affiliated organisations are voting on motions covering a range of topics at the governing party's annual conference, which began in Liverpool on Sunday.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal said: "This is a huge defeat for the government, with the Labour Party finally accepting that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
"This historic vote must now become government policy: imposing comprehensive sanctions on Israel and a full arms embargo."
Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Union (TSSA), said: "Today the Labour movement stood on the right side of history and in solidarity with the Palestinian people, sending a clear message to the Labour leadership: we will not remain silent on the crime of genocide."
Delegates also voted on Monday evening against another motion understood to broadly support Labour policy on Israel.
On Sunday, Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer backed that motion, which falsely claimed a 16 September UN Commission of Inquiry report found "a risk of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza".
In fact, the UN report concluded that Israel has committed genocide and is still committing genocide in Gaza.
By contrast, Middle East Eye understands the emergency motion - which Falconer spoke against on Sunday - received strong trade union support.
A copy of the motion seen by MEE says: "Conference accepts the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry and calls on the Labour government to... employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza."
The motion further demands that the government "apply sanctions to put pressure on the Israeli government to respect international law" and "ensure individuals and corporations in the UK are not involved in aiding and assisting the genocide".
Sara Husseini, Director of the British Palestinian Committee said: "The Labour leadership must now join their own party members, along with the UN, genocide scholars and countless human rights organisations in confirming Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people, and end the UK's complicity in it."
Pressure on the Starmer government
The motion's passing piles further pressure on the beleaguered Prime Minister Keir Starmer to cut political and military ties with Israel over its genocide in Gaza.
It signals significant discontent among the Labour rank and file with government policy. Britain recognised a Palestinian state last week but has rejected calls to denounce Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide.
Last September, the government suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel after a review found a clear risk that British-made weapons could be used in violation of international humanitarian law.
Licences for parts for F-35 fighter jets, which are directly used in Gaza, were among those exempted from the embargo.
Recent polling found that 72 percent of Labour's 2024 voters back a full arms embargo on Israel.
Recent months have seen a series of diplomatic spats between the UK and Israel, two historical allies.
The UK government banned Israeli officials from Britain's largest arms trade show earlier this month.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the UK's move to recognise a Palestinian state last week as "rewarding Hamas".
However, Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Britain last week and met Starmer at Downing Street.
Herzog said afterwards that he both "argued" and had points of agreement with Starmer, whom he called Israel's "ally".
