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BREAKING
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

UK artists urge Starmer to cease arms sales to 'Israel' if elected PM

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 3 Jun 2024 12:27
3 Min Read

Celebrities, including Steve Coogan and Paloma Faith, call on Keir Starmer to champion human rights and international law.

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  • UK artists urge Starmer to cease arms sales to 'Israel' if elected PM
    UK actor and comedian Steve Coogan (AP)

Celebrities such as Steve Coogan, Miriam Margolyes, and Juliet Stevenson, along with musicians, writers, and directors, are urging Keir Starmer to cease arms sales to "Israel" if he becomes prime minister.

In further detail, over 100 individuals, including Paloma Faith, Mike Leigh, and Michael Rosen, have signed a collective letter organized by Artists for Palestine UK, calling on the Labour leader to take a stand against the ongoing Israeli atrocities in Gaza.

Additional prominent endorsers comprise actors like Dame Harriet Walter, Lena Headey, Riz Ahmed, and Maxine Peake.

The appeal follows Benjamin Netanyahu's recent restatement that "Hamas must be completely destroyed before Israel will agree to end its war in Gaza."

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Dive deeper

The letter urged Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, to demonstrate the UK's dedication to human rights and international law by ceasing arms sales to "Israel" should he become prime minister. This amplifies existing pressure on the Labour leader from London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and over 50 Labour MPs, who have called for an end to UK weapon supplies to "Israel". According to the letter, over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed by "Israel" since the war commenced on October 7.

“As a former human rights lawyer, you have a unique opportunity to bring about meaningful change by ending UK complicity in war crimes in Gaza,” the letter read. “The UK must no longer remain complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

The joint letter added, “Continuing to sell arms to a country whose leader is accused of such grave violations of international law is morally reprehensible.”

It is worth noting that Netanyahu and Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant are the subject of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
  
A Labour spokesperson said, "Labour has repeatedly called on the government to publish at least a summary of the legal advice around arms sales, given our serious concerns over the horrifying scenes in Gaza."

“We have been clear that the government must uphold both our domestic and international legal obligations when it comes to arms exports," they added, concluding, “If Labour wins the election, we will assess the most up-to-date legal advice and we will act on what it says."

  • UK Prime Minister
  • Arms sale
  • Keir Starmer
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