My support for Palestine goes back many years

The Palestinian people have been displaced from their homes with no right to return, left for decades in refugee camps and have the West Bank and Gaza occupied illegally by Israel.

In 2016 I visited the West Bank. I saw the illegal settlements. I saw Palestinians treated as second-class citizens; forced to go through different check points to Israelis; denied water for many days of the week when the settlers had water every day; and not allowed to
build on whole areas of their own land. I spoke to the Mayor of Hebron about children being shot by the IDF for protesting.

In Parliament, I have condemned Israel for practising a form of apartheid in the West Bank, which I saw while I was there.

A Labour Government will recognise an independent Palestinian State though I understand that many of the settlements will have to be removed to make that State viable.

Public bodies like councils should not enter into trade with the illegal settlements. The Conservatives tried to bring in a law to make such boycotts illegal. Labour voted against this Bill in the Commons and before the election as the Bill had not progressed through all its stages Keir Starmer personally blocked the Bill so that it will not now become law.

That shows Labour clearly on the side of the Palestinian people and against the illegal settlements.

Gaza

We need a cease-fire now.

I have voted for a cease-fire on every occasion possible in Parliament.

The only cease-fire vote that has been passed by Parliament was a Labour motion on 21/02/24.

The Israeli attack on Gaza has never been a proportionate response to the initial Hamas attack of October 7th. I condemn that attack but it does not justify what the Israelis have subsequently done.

I have also called, on several occasions in Parliament for the UK to stop selling arms to Israel.

Labour has supported the creation and operation of both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. It is right that the International Criminal Court are now looking at potential war crimes committed by both Hamas and the Israeli leaders. We should support the Court in their work.

The International Court of Justice has also directly ordered Israel to stop the Rafah bombardment.

Again we should support the stance taken by the International Criminal Court.

Promoted by Wayne Rhodes on behalf of Clive Betts,
both at Trades and Labour Club, Talbot Street, Sheffield, S2 2TG
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