Pledges: Palestine (Part 2)
#9 (b) in my Pledges series
Yes, I already covered Palestine here, but I wanted to include some updates. For me, this is one of the defining issues of the election, and in most cases around the UK, only one or two of the candidates for a region are opposing the ongoing genocide that has been taking place in Palestine for nine months. For example, for Dwyfor Meirionydd:
Five candidates didn’t even respond. And the UK and US still provide weapons to Israel to kill Palestinian civilians with.
People are desperate to be able to vote for a party that stands up against apartheid, genocide and injustice, as George Galloway showed. Israel is committing atrocities and getting away with it, supported by Labour and Conservatives.
So here are some more emails and links I’ve received.
Where Olive Trees Weep
A free-to-watch film. The newly released documentary Where Olive Trees Weep is a beautiful, poignant, heartbreaking film about the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. It also features Dr. Gabor Maté as he offers trauma-healing work to a group of Palestinian women tortured in Israeli prisons.
“If elected, will you call for an arms embargo on Israel?”
Dear Karl Drinkwater,
I am writing as a voter in your constituency who is very concerned about Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza and wants to see decisive action to end the conflict and prevent the further loss of life.
I am urging you to back an immediate ceasefire and a suspension of arms sales to Israel if you are elected to parliament. I am pleased to see that the Green party officially backs both these positions and I hope you will also use your voice in this general election campaign to push for an end to the violence in Gaza – and that you will do everything you can to apply pressure on the government if you are elected on 4 July. Each day that the UK government fails to act is a disaster for the people of Gaza.
For months, Israel has been engaged in the most intense onslaught on Gaza. Over 37,000 people have been killed, the health system has been destroyed, and whole towns have been levelled. Despite the horrors committed on 7 October, there can be no justification for this collective punishment of a civilian population.
The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel’s actions could amount to genocide, and ordered a full investigation. Not only does this mean Israel must take steps to prevent genocide, but it means countries like Britain must also take steps to prevent it and end their complicity with Israel’s actions.
The most obvious step Britain must take is to stop its arms sales and military cooperation with Israel, which are facilitating some of its crimes.
As a parliamentary candidate, I’m sure you will be interested to know that the UK has licensed arms sales worth at least £482 million to Israel since 2015. These include licences covering components for aircraft, helicopters, drones, bombs, missiles, military technology, armoured vehicles, tanks, ammunition, and small arms. One of the UK's biggest contracts with Israel is for components for F-35 fighter jets, which are being used in Gaza. 15% of F-35 components are produced in the UK.
Several countries have already taken steps to stop arms sales to Israel, while a Dutch appeals court has explicitly ordered the Dutch government to block exports of F-35 parts to Israels, arguing that: “It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.”
Despite the obvious risk that the UK’s continued export of arms to Israel is making it complicit in war crimes, the government has continued to license more shipments of weapons. The government recently published figures revealing that it issued 108 arms export licences to Israel between 7 October 2023 and 31 May 2024.
It is unconscionable that Britain is playing a role in the crimes being perpetrated in Gaza. The majority of British people want the UK government to end arms sales to Israel now. If you are elected to parliament in July, I hope you will use your position to press for an arms embargo and an end to the UK’s complicity in Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.
I endorse it wholeheartedly. I would press for an arms embargo and an end to the UK’s complicity in Israel’s war crimes in Gaza. I would want to go much further in upholding international law and justice. There should be a trade embargo. There should be revocation of UK citizenship for any dual-nationality British/Israeli citizens who have taken part in or supported war crimes. And there should be punishment for UK politicians that have supported and defended this genocide (which probably includes most of the Conservatives and Labour at present!).
Our Green Party manifesto, Fairer World section says:
We condemned the appalling murder of hundreds of Israeli civilians by Hamas, and since then have watched in horror as Israeli forces have committed war crimes that have caused the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians.
Green MPs will push for:
An immediate bilateral ceasefire.
An end to arms sales to Israel.
Redoubled efforts to secure the release of hostages taken on 7th October 2023.
An urgent international effort to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian land.
A durable political solution that ensures security and equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians
The reinstatement of funding for UNRWA and support for South Africa’s submission to the International Court of Justice.
Note that the Greens wholeheartedly support groups working for peace between Israel and its neighbours: Omdim Beyachad (Standing Together) and Peace Now, for example. We believe that these groups have a clear and important role in Israel’s future.
We do not consider criticism of Israel’s current campaign in Gaza to be antisemitic, and we do believe in the right to protest. Our policies on all international issues continue to be guided by our core principles: a commitment to international law, to universal human rights, and to the need to protect civilians at all times.
“A just way forward for Israel and Palestine”
If elected, will you undertake to advocate for immediate British Government recognition of Palestine? There must be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel. But while ending the suffering is the priority, the incoming British Government should recognise the State of Palestine at once.
When the shooting stops, there needs to be a plan for a political solution that prevents any more violence. Upholding the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is key. Britain deliberately withheld that right throughout the Mandate period, in breach of its legal obligations. It has yet to acknowledge its historic responsibility. Our Government must act in support of the Palestinian right to self-determination, enshrined in international law. Recognising the State of Palestine alongside Israel is one step towards realising that right.
The British Government formally recognised Israel in 1950 as a matter of right, not subject to negotiation. The same applies to Palestine today. Its existence is a right to be realised, not a gift to be given. It is non-negotiable. Our Government must not tie recognition to bilateral negotiations between Palestine and Israel.
To be serious about two States with equal rights, our Government should recognise both States and their territorial integrity. The State of Palestine comprises Gaza, East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank – the territories that have been under Israeli military occupation since June 1967.
Israelis deserve security just as much as Palestinians. Yet as long as the Israeli Government seeks to control the Palestinian people by force and deny their right to self-determination, neither people is safe. Accountability is also essential. No individual and no State should be above the law. International law must apply with equal force to Israel and to Palestine. That means distinguishing between the territorial integrity of Israel within its internationally recognised borders (pre-June 1967) and its illegal settlement project in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. Recognition of the state of Palestine entails working for Palestinian economic unity, free movement between Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinian control of the borders of the state and mutual security for Palestine and Israel, with international guarantees.
As I consider for whom I shall vote on 4 July, I ask for your commitment to advocate for immediate British recognition of the state of Palestine.
And this email:
Dear Karl Drinkwater,
Will you commit to upholding children’s rights in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt)?
I hope this message finds you well. As a constituent of Dwyfor Meirionnydd, I am writing to express my concern about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nowhere and no one is safe. I need an MP who will represent me, and I want the next Government to take meaningful action for children.
The public overwhelmingly support an immediate, definitive ceasefire and a suspension of arms to the Government of Israel*.
Save the Children has seen families relocated five times in 7 months and now fleeing Rafah, telling us they are being ‘killed slowly' as they are forced to move again. We have seen civilians killed in ‘safe zones’. It is too late for the children who have been killed, but any new Government must act immediately to protect those at risk because of starvation, displacement and abduction.
There are key asks that I would like to see you prioritise, including:
Call for an immediate and definitive ceasefire, allowing for unfettered humanitarian access, and the safe release of all hostages.
Immediately suspend the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to the Government of Israel while there is risk that they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law, including the killing and maiming of children.
Reinstate funding to support UNRWA, a lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza and the region.
Call on all parties to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law, commit no further Grave Violations against children and ensure that there is accountability for those committed.
I would be pleased to hear if you support these ideas, and if you are elected, what actions you will take to ensure the UK take decisive action for children in Gaza and Israel.
Your commitment will not only demonstrate your dedication to improving the lives of children but will also inspire confidence among your constituents that you are a candidate who values the UK Government’s international responsibilities.
I look forward to your response and to seeing your support for children’s rights reflected in your future work.
See my previous answer, as it is substantially the same for these. I just included them to illustrate the number and variety of emails on this topic, showing its huge importance to this election (and international justice in general).
I loved this response from a potential constituent after I replied:
Thanks very much for sharing this heartfelt plea for justice for the Palestinian people. If only we could have a Green government. This has a lot to do with their compassionate and fair stance on Palestine. Thank you Karl. I appreciate and respect your opinion. I couldn't bring myself to vote for Labour after Starmer has overturned all his stated principles!
That’s a key point. I would never vote for a party I don't believe in. Every vote for someone who opposes genocide sends a message.
Another email:
Please call for:
The British government to condemn Israel’s collective punishment and genocide of the Palestinian population of Gaza.
The British government to publish its legal advice on Britain’s arms trade with Israel.
Britain to cease its two way arms trade with Israel (one example of which is the British contribution, in the form of components, to U.S. F-35 combat aircraft used by Israel to bombard Gaza).
Following the release of the Colonna Report in April, Britain to renew its funding and support for UNRWA which constitutes a lifeline for the Palestinian people.
Britain to follow the moral lead of Norway, Ireland and Spain in recognising a Palestinian state.
What could provide clearer and more humane guidance to the British government than the Genocide Convention of 1948. Two quotations are produced in full below.
“The Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) is an instrument of International Law that codified for the first time the crime of genocide. The Genocide Convention was the first human rights treaty adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1948 and signified the international community’s commitment to “never again” after the atrocities during the second world war. Its adoption marked a crucial step towards the development of international human rights and international criminal law as we know today”.
“Importantly, the Convention establishes on State Parties the obligation to take measures to prevent and to punish the crime of genocide, including by enacting relevant legislation and punishing perpetrators, “whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals” (Article IV). That obligation, in addition to the prohibition not to commit genocide, have been considered as norms of international customary law and therefore, binding on all States, whether or not they have ratified the Genocide Convention”.
The British government continues to take the line that Israel is acting in self defence.
We grieve all human suffering and loss of life. We recognise the horror of the Hamas attacks on 7th October 2023 and that the shooting of unarmed civilians and hostage taking amount to war crimes. We do not seek to justify the attacks, we do seek to understand them in the context of 76 years of brutal occupation, since al Nakba of 1948, of the stranglehold of the 17 year siege of Gaza and five previous wars inflicted on Gaza by Israel 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, 2021 and 2022, causing massive killing, with whole families wiped out and widespread destruction. The Palestinians, as a people, are suffering trauma upon trauma, with no opportunity to heal.
It’s important for us to understand that this is not an equal conflict, but one of a colonising force and of an occupied and oppressed people. The United Nations affirms that as the occupying power, Israel is legally responsible for the well-being of the people of Gaza.
It is important to state that, horrific as they were, we now know that the details and impact were also exaggerated by Israel. Misreporting, without any evidence whatsoever, such as those of beheaded babies and mass rapes, have not been rectified in the British Parliament or on the BBC.
We must recognise that Hamas is not the Palestinian people nor is it the Palestinian cause.
It is important to record too that we hear little or nothing from the British government or in British mainstream media on the many peaceful means of resistance carried out by the Palestinians, such as The Great March of Return 2018, that are met with extreme violence by Israel.
We believe we must all base our views and actions on the truth, as far as we can ascertain it and respect international humanitarian law, crafted as it has been to protect human lives and rights, prevent bloodshed and work towards a just and peaceful world.
The current selective application and undermining of international law by the British government can only harm the cause of future peace and justice.
I have nothing to add to that, apart from: I agree.
Some possible articles to read
Note that I (obviously) don’t necessarily agree with everything in every article and said by every author below: but I do think these are all interesting and contain some valid points. A number of them are by Jewish authors, or were recommended by the heroes at Jewish Voice for Peace (I’m a member).
“ADL faces Wikipedia ban over reliability concerns on Israel, antisemitism”
“Framing Palestine: Israel, the Gulf states, and American power in the Middle East”
“Where is Palestine in Children’s Literature and Why Should We Care?”
“New film gives a harrowing glimpse of Gaza’s endless night”
“The IDF is one of the most criminal armies in the world: Even the United Nations is saying it now”
And two articles by me:
Promoted by Harriet King on behalf of the Green Party both at The Gate, Keppoch Street, Cardiff CF24 3JW.