A British writer criticized the policy of Labour Party Led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer Continuing to support Israel and follow the policies of the previous conservative government despite repeated promises of change, he stressed that London has continued to support Israel militarily and financially and contributes to obstructing international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and stop the crimes committed against the Palestinians.
Writer Shariz Chowdhury stressed the importance of holding the current government accountable for its policies ahead of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool from September 22-25.
He pointed out that the Palestine Solidarity Movement in Britain is preparing to protest the party's treatment of “genocide In Gaza” during his two-and-a-half-month rule.
In an article on the British website Middle East Eye, he pointed out that the continued treatment of Israel by Britain and other allies as a “partner” and “democratic” state is worrying and contradicts the reality conveyed by the news and social media.
This treatment is evident in the visit of the British Foreign Secretary. David Lamy -who describes himself as a “friend of Israel”- to the country after taking office, where he met with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu And the president Isaac HerzogAs if things were going normally.
Labour and Conservative parties are equal
Starmer had declared in 2021 that support for Israel was a “tradition” of the party, and indeed the British government abstained last Wednesday from voting on a draft resolution toto the united nations It demands that Israel end its “illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories” within 12 months, according to the writer.
The writer said that the party only took symbolic steps that did not constitute real diplomatic pressure on Israel, including re-funding United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and the withdrawal of the objection to the arrest warrants issued by International Criminal Court Right to Israeli leaders, and the writer stressed that these steps have no tangible impact on the lives of Palestinians.
Labour has also continued to pursue the previous government’s attempts to secure a free trade agreement with Israel, and despite the government’s claims that such an agreement would help the British economy – especially after Britain formally leaves the European Union – the trade union condemned the trade negotiations in March, citing Israel’s ongoing violations of international law and Palestinian rights.
Military support
The writer ridiculed Lamy's decision to suspend 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel in early September, saying that it was nothing more than a feeble attempt to appease voices calling for an arms embargo on Israel. Lamy himself made it clear that these measures would not “affect Israel's security.”
Among the continuing exports to Israel are spare parts for the F-35, 15% of which are produced in the UK, and an investigation found that this aircraft was used to carry out Mawasi massacre Which killed 90 Palestinians and injured more than 300 others.
The writer pointed out that the UK's military complicity in supporting Israel goes beyond merely supplying weapons to the occupation forces, and reports since last October have shown the role of the British army in gathering intelligence for Israel and supplying weapons through a base. Akrotiri In Cyprus.
In a clear example of the UK's policy towards anyone who is hostile to its ally, British aircraft launched air strikes on Yemen to stop the naval blockade imposed by Sanaa on shipments bound for Israel, according to the writer.