Labour Party members are calling for Keir Starmer to acknowledge that Israel is engaged in genocide in Gaza. In a significant blow to the government, an emergency motion led by Unison urging ministers to completely halt arms sales to Israel was approved. The motion urged ministers to recognize the conclusions of a UN report that accused Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration of perpetrating genocide.
During a passionate address on Monday, Unison’s General Secretary Christina McAnea urged the party to acknowledge the report’s findings. She emphasized the tragic events of October 7, 2023, and highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, with 65,000 Palestinians having lost their lives. McAnea stressed the urgent need to address the ongoing suffering and labeled it as genocide without hesitation.
She emphasized the consensus among experts that the situation constitutes genocide and warned against waiting for formal confirmation from a court, as action is needed immediately to prevent further atrocities. McAnea urged proactive intervention to prevent more deaths and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The emergency motion, though not binding, called on the Government to take all necessary steps to prevent genocide in Gaza, including a full suspension of arms trade with Israel and the UK-Israel trade agreement. Additionally, it demanded a halt to trading with illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy echoed the call for government action to prevent genocide.
On September 16, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry declared that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. The motion’s approval, marked by a show of hands, signals a firm stance from Labour and its trade unions in advocating for peace in the Middle East and urgent action to address the crisis in Gaza.