The situation in Palestine is a moral emergency. What the Israeli Government has inflicted on the people of Gaza is a stain on the conscience of the world. Throughout my political career, I have been a staunch advocate for peace and justice in the Middle East, and I remain committed to this cause. Over the last three years, we have witnessed unimaginable horrors in Gaza. As the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has said, Labour must do more to address the situation on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank.
I am pleased that the Labour Government has placed tackling these issues firmly on the agenda. We are going to be stronger in standing up for what is right, and bolder in the action we take.
The two-state solution – freedom, security, and self-determination for both Palestinian and Israeli people – is the North Star of this government’s policy, yet it is under great threat. There is increasing evidence that war crimes have been committed and we are witnessing unprecedented violence, including settler terrorism, and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank perpetrated by settler terrorists.
Labour is taking action, making it clear that we recognise the occupation, as a whole, is unlawful, in line with the finding of the International Court of Justice. Alongside international partners including France, Labour is standing up for what is right. We are:
- Banning trade in goods from illegal Israeli settlements and taking action on services.
- Creating new designation powers to go after individuals and companies that support, facilitate, or profit from illegal settlement activity.
- Banning advertising or promotion of land and property in illegal settlements.
- Extending our sanctions regime so that we have powers to go after those who break international humanitarian law.
I welcome the use of our existing global human rights regime to sanction several extremist settlers who have supported or incited acts of violence against Palestinian communities. More concrete actions like these sanctions are well overdue after the continuing ethnic cleansing resulting from land grabs in the West Bank and the genocide happening in Gaza. This is why I asked the Foreign Secretary what he would do to encourage more countries to support the International Court of Justice’s judicial process to bring about justice to Palestine. Here is what he said.
I am proud of the progress this Labour Government has made. I welcome the Labour Government recognising the state of Palestine and committing to addressing the situation in Gaza; however, there is still much to be done. The Israeli Government is letting settlers push Palestinians from their land. It is wrong and it is illegal. The international community must stand against it. I will continue to advocate for this cause, and you can view my full track record here.