Labour Party members are urging Keir Starmer to acknowledge that Israel is engaged in genocide in Gaza. In a blow to the government, an emergency motion led by Unison calling for a complete halt to arms sales to Israel gained support. The motion urged ministers to recognize the conclusions of a UN report that accused Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration of committing genocide.
During a passionate address on Monday, Unison’s General Secretary, Christina McAnea, implored the party to embrace the report’s findings. McAnea emphasized the severity of the situation, pointing out the staggering death toll among Palestinians and the dire conditions in Gaza. She stressed the importance of using the term “genocide” without hesitation, as many experts already consider the situation to meet the criteria.
McAnea emphasized the urgency of the matter, stating that waiting for formal legal confirmation would be too late given the ongoing atrocities. She called for immediate action to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, citing the Labour Party’s historical commitment to peace in the Middle East.
The non-binding emergency motion passed after a show of hands, urging the Government to take all necessary steps to prevent a genocide in Gaza, including suspending arms trade with Israel and the UK-Israel trade agreement. Additionally, the motion called for a ban on trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy echoed the call for government intervention to prevent genocide.
On September 16, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry declared that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.