Hi John,
Israel’s assault on Gaza is becoming even more brutal, with over a million people sheltering in Rafah now facing the prospect of a full-scale military invasion – which the UN has already stated would breach international humanitarian law.(1)
Yet our leaders are tying themselves up in knots to avoid taking any action.
Foreign secretary Lord Cameron continues to insist that the UK would not support an invasion of Rafah. But even as that invasion is beginning to take place before our eyes, and even as President Biden has paused shipments of 2,000-pound bombs over the prospect, Cameron has suggested that the UK will continue providing arms to Israel.(2)
Some politicians have implied that Israel should face consequences depending on the supposed scale of the invasion of Rafah - the final corner of Gaza that has not been bombed to destruction, where Israel has previously told civilians to take shelter, and from which they have nowhere to go.(3) Such equivocating only serves to highlight the moral vacuum at the heart of our political leadership.
The attack on Rafah represents yet another disaster for the people of Gaza. As Israel’s tanks roll in, aid supplies have once again been cut off, water is scarce, and Gaza’s traumatised population is facing famine.(4) We must do everything we can to keep the pressure on our leaders to end this brutal war, which the International Court of Justice is investigating for genocide.(5)
This week Palestinians everywhere are marking the 76th anniversary of the Nakba (‘catastrophe’), when 750,000 Palestinians were violently driven from their homes as part of the establishment of the state of Israel.(6) Together we must stand against Israel’s brutal war today, and support peace with justice for the people of Palestine. Here are three things you can do:
1. Join the demonstration on Saturday
Join this Saturday’s latest national demonstration in London, to demand a ceasefire and an end to the war on Gaza. The march assembles at 12pm at BBC Portland Place, W1A 1AA and will finish at Parliament.
To march with Global Justice Now and allies from the climate justice movement, meet at 11.45am, Cavendish Square Gardens, London W1G 0AN (map). Look out for our Stop Arming Israel placards.
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2. Demand the UK suspends arms sales to Israel
The ICJ ruling which established that Israel is plausibly carrying out a genocide in Gaza, places a duty on all countries to also take measures to prevent genocide. The UK must end arms sales to Israel now. Please write to the Foreign Secretary and demand an immediate arms embargo:
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3. Demand the UK end trade talks with Israel
Unbelievably, amid the horrors in Gaza the UK has been holding talks over deepening its trade with Israel, increasing its complicity in war crimes taking place in Gaza. By contrast, Spain and Ireland have already demanded a review of the EU’s trade deal with Israel on human rights grounds.(7) Please write to the UK government now and demand it suspends trade talks with Israel:
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Our government is deeply complicit in the horrors unfolding in Gaza – we must show our leaders that they do not have our backing.
In solidarity,
Tim Bierley
Campaigner at Global Justice Now
PS. My colleague Meena Ghani has reflected on today's anniversary of the Nakba on our blog.
Notes
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- 'British weapons shouldn't be used in Israeli assault on Rafah' says Labour's Jonathan Ashworth, The Mirror, 12 May 2024
There is ‘nowhere safe to go’ for the 600,000 children of Rafah, warns UNICEF, UNICEF, 6 May 2024
- The UN says there’s ‘full-blown famine’ in northern Gaza. What does that mean?, AP, 6 May 2024
- A top U.N. court says Gaza genocide is 'plausible' but does not order cease-fire, NPR, 26 January 2024
- Palestinians mark 76 years of Nakba as new tragedy unfolds in Gaza, Al Jazeera, 14 May 2024
- Ireland and Spain demand EU reviews Israel trade deal over rights obligations, Guardian, 15 May 2024
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