I’ve heard enough words – I want Government action on Israel-Palestine

Every day when I turn on the TV or open social media, I am haunted by a new horrific tragedy from Gaza. 

We all want the suffering to stop, and the question is, what can the UK government do to go further and faster in ending this war?

Last week, Israel hit Gaza’s only Catholic church, killing three people sheltering there. A parish priest was also injured, among many others.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country ‘deeply regrets’ the ‘stray ammunition’. 

Days prior, 10 Palestinians – including six children – were killed in an Israeli air strike at a water collection point. The Israeli military called it a ‘technical error’.

But when so-called mistakes equals the killing of innocent people, surely we need to stop Israel from making them.

There have been so many reports of desperate Palestinians killed while seeking aid. In a period of almost seven weeks, the UN recorded earlier this month that 875 people were killed in Gaza while trying to access food.

Are all of these ‘mistakes’ or ‘errors’ too? In my opinion, they are deliberate actions to demonise, starve, and kill citizens.

When I watched a mother cradling her newborn, who had to have their leg amputated before they even took their first step, my heart broke. Where is our humanity?

And when I watched an interview with an Israeli soldier talking about suicide and suffering from PTSD because of what he had done, we need to ask ourselves, what is being created by this war?

I have consistently condemned Hamas and called for the release of the hostages, who have suffered so much from this horrifying ordeal. 

I also helped secure the release of a constituent’s mum taken hostage by constantly lobbying the government to get her home. 

The Government has done everything with regards to saying the words. It has called the situation ‘intolerable’, called out Israel’s actions, and called for a ceasefire. But words are not enough.

It’s now time to ask: Are we scared of doing something? I am urging my government to take meaningful action – to go further and faster.

I want to see the immediate recognition of the State of Palestine. To have a two state solution, we need two states.

On top of that, we need support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which provides aid and relief to refugees in the region but has been subject to defunding and political attacks.

We must continue to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages, whom Hamas continues to cruelly detain.

I have also made two new demands.

Amnesty International reports that over 4,000 Palestinians are being held in Israel without charge or trial, which they say violates international law – that must end. 

And finally, I am calling for an end to all arms sales to Israel. 

The Government suspended around 30 arms export licences to Israel, from a total of approximately 350. However, it has been reported that UK firms have exported thousands of military items, including munitions, to Israel despite those suspensions.

There is also the ongoing concern of whether the UK has continued to sell F-35 parts indirectly to Israel as part of the global supply chain, in potential breach of the arms export suspensions.

I was disappointed that the Foreign Secretary didn’t confirm action on this in his statement yesterday, and I urge him to think again. 

Ultimately, we need an immediate ceasefire. I will continue to call for one and vote for one at every opportunity. 

That ceasefire must last and be fully respected by both sides. To ensure that happens, any violation must be condemned and be met with further sanctions – including a full boycott on goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Until then, it’s time to act.

If you knew that your neighbour was starving another group of people, would you still call them your friend? Would you still support them? We need to be honest about the situation.

Because I feel like I am being gaslighted. Think back to March when Israel killed 15 emergency workers in Gaza. 

First, they claimed that troops opened fire because the convoy approached suspiciously. But then a video found on the mobile phone of one of those killed showed that the vehicle had their lights on and emergency signals flashing.

The bodies of the 15 dead workers were then buried in sand to protect them from wild animals and the vehicles were moved and buried to clear the road, an official claimed. If it wasn’t for the phone footage being discovered, the excuses would have kept coming.

The ethnic cleansing of Gaza is happening before our eyes.

I want peace and I know that is a hard thing to imagine right now. But I’m not alone. My constituents write to me every single day asking what we will do to stop that death and destruction.

Frankly, I feel ashamed, embarrassed, and sad that my many actions and words cannot stop what’s happening.

The ICJ ruled last year that there was a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and in April, sought more information from Israel on the accusation. 

When you think about the many genocides that have taken place throughout history, I am sure there were some people in positions of power who could have said and done something — and regretted it for the rest of their lives.

How will the history books reflect this moment in time? 

It’s time for real action. And for the UK to fully play its role in the movement towards peace.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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