A wave of resignations shakes Labour party over Gaza
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The resignations have been in protest of the party's leader, Keir Starmer, who expressed support for what he termed as the Israeli "right" to restrict power and water supplies to Gazans.
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Britain’s main opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer applauds a speaker on the final day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, northwest England, on October 11, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
Several councilors affiliated with the UK's primary opposition party, the Labour Party, have tendered their resignations in recent days. Their decision to step down comes in protest of the party's leader, Keir Starmer, who expressed support for what he termed the Israeli "right" to restrict power and water supplies to Gazans.
Britain is united with Israel against terror.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 16, 2023
We are united in upholding international law and the protection of innocent lives. pic.twitter.com/0c2tp3U9N3
Prominent figures within the shadow cabinet and other senior members of the party have also echoed similar sentiments to Starmer, defending the current Israeli aggression. This group includes individuals such as Emily Thornberry, who holds the position of shadow attorney general, John Healey, serving as the shadow defense minister, and David Lammy, who serves as the shadow foreign secretary.
'A cheerleader of war crimes'
Before officially declaring her departure from the Labour Party, Kensington and Chelsea Councilor Mona Ahmed said remarks from both the governing Conservatives and her party had been highly condemnable, as cited by Anadolu news agency.
When discussing Keir Starmer's reaction to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Ahmed remarked, “Nobody will forget how Starmer chose to be a cheerleader of war crimes and collective punishment. He could have called for de-escalation but instead he contributed to the chorus of voices which enabled the genocide we are now seeing. Arab and Muslim communities will not forget this.”
Ahmed noted that any demonstrations of solidarity and backing for the Palestinian cause are being effectively silenced. Those who speak out against Israeli human rights violations have, in some instances, been unfairly characterized as "Hamas-supporting mobs". She pointed to a specific BBC broadcast where the presenter labeled protesters as Hamas supporters, trying to confine the Palestinian Resistance to one party.
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In her capacity as a psychiatrist working for the National Health Service, Ahmed emphasized her inability to remain apathetic to the ordeal of Ghassan Abu-Sitta, a British-Palestinian surgeon. Abu-Sitta revealed that British counter-terrorism police had "visited my residence in the UK and intimidated my family." He frequently appears on British media channels to provide insights into catastrophic conditions within Gaza's hospitals.
Read next: Packed Gaza hospitals crippled; four out of service
“They would try to paint a doctor who is reporting from the frontline as a terrorist and sending anti-terror police all whilst medical personnel in Gaza are themselves being terrorized by Israeli bombs falling on hospitals is shameful,” Ahmed said.
“I cannot in good conscience continue in the Labour Party in its current form,” she stressed while declaring her resignation.
Amna Abdullatif, the first Muslim woman to serve on Manchester City Council, was among the group of Labour councilors who recently stepped down from the party. Abdullatif explained that she felt compelled to resign from Labour, asserting that the party leader essentially supported what she deemed a "war crime".
Regarding senior members of the party, she criticized their "horrifying" statements that "Israel" had the right to withhold fuel, water, food, and electricity from the 2.3 million Palestinians confined in Gaza.
Read next: From deliberate killings to starvation, 'Israel' bombing bakeries now
Shaista Aziz and Amar Latif, both Labour councilors in Oxford, have also chosen to resign from the party following Sir Keir Starmer's statements concerning Gaza.
Aziz stressed that politicians should "evoke humanity" and “put an end to collective punishment in Gaza.”
Latif argued that party leader Starmer had reacted in the manner he did "because he's afraid of losing votes."
Former senior Labour MP Lynne Jones, who served in parliament for two terms, also tendered her resignation, citing Starmer's endorsement of what she referred to as the "collective punishment" of Palestinians.
“When I joined the Labour Party in 1974, we opposed apartheid in South Africa. Now it is not allowed even to mention that Israel is an apartheid state, a view endorsed by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and (Israeli human rights organization) B’Tselem, as well as those with experience of apartheid in South Africa like Desmond Tutu,” Jones said.
Lubaba Khalid, a Palestinian photographer who held the position of Young Labour BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) officer, announced last week that she had submitted her resignation in response to Starmer's comments.
'A grave and horrifying humanitarian crisis that I can no longer ignore'
Altaf Patel, a Conservative councilor in Blackburn, has chosen to step down from his position due to the government's failure to denounce the Gaza blockade.
“The Conservative Party’s apparent disregard for the realities on the ground and its implicit support of policies that amount to collective punishment, is nothing short of a grave and horrifying humanitarian crisis that I can no longer ignore. It bears a striking resemblance to a situation that I could be aptly described as genocide,” Patel stressed in his resignation announcement.
This is a genocide and a war crime.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 17, 2023
Reports suggest that around 800 Palestinians were murdered due to "Israel" bombing a hospital in the #Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/XMTvWPWP6z
Lammy has declined to disclose whether he endorses Israeli orders for the population in Gaza to be forcibly displaced.
It is reported that he engaged in urgent discussions with council leaders on Monday night due to concerns about potential additional resignations.
David Evans, Labour's General Secretary, allegedly prohibited local Labour Party banners from being displayed at Palestinian solidarity marches held across the country. Labour MPs received a similar directive from the party's chief whip, advising them not to participate in any protests.
