STATEMENT
On the Announcement of a General Election
London, 23rd May 2024
As the UK prepares for a general election, the genocide in Palestine - and Britain’s role - will be at the forefront of voters’ minds.
For the past seven months, hundreds of thousands of members of the British public have taken to the streets, week after week, calling for an end to the devastating Israeli assault which has killed or injured over 100,000 women, men and children to date. Polls have consistently shown that the overwhelming majority, 73% (as of 17th May) support an immediate ceasefire. On campuses all over the UK, our students represent the moral backbone of this country. British voters have made it clear that they do not want to be stained by their government’s complicity in war crimes.
The urgent need for international action to halt Israel’s genocidal assault is undeniable. South Africa’s representative at last week’s International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) hearing remarked, "it has become increasingly clear that Israel’s actions in Rafah are part of the endgame in which Gaza is utterly destroyed as an area capable of human habitation. This is the last step in the destruction of Gaza and its Palestinian people."
On 20th May, International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan KC announced his application for arrest warrants against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
On 22nd May, Norway, Spain and Ireland announced they would take the symbolic step of recognising Palestinian statehood.
These developments demonstrate Israel’s growing international isolation in the diplomatic arena, and the extent to which public opinion about its war on Palestinians is being felt by governments throughout the world.
Politicians across the political spectrum must uphold their duties to prevent and punish the crime of genocide and bring Israel's relentless campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza to an immediate and permanent end.
The UK government, if it heeds its citizens and joins those allies who have ceased arms sales to Israel, could play an important role in defending the rights and protections of an occupied people and upholding the rule of law.
Until now, the government’s response to both the ICC and the ICJ has been woefully inadequate. Rishi Sunak’s criticism of the ICC prosecutor and South Africa’s genocide case against Israel undermines Britain’s duty to respect the integrity of international bodies and ensure legal mechanisms can function effectively in carrying out their vital roles. In taking such positions, the UK has further isolated itself from international consensus.
Whatever the outcome of the upcoming election, Britain must demonstrate a clear commitment to universal values of freedom and justice – and to ending its own complicity in war crimes – by withdrawing its diplomatic support for Israel, imposing a two-way arms embargo, and working to ensure accountability for its grave breaches of international law.
The British Palestinian Committee is an independent organisation working to ensure that British Palestinian perspectives are integral to public discourse and policy making on Palestine.