Israeli pressure on Labour Party, British politics 'huge', Corbyn says

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Jun 2024 15:52
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Jeremy Corbyn reveals he was challenged to provide assurances that he would automatically support any military Israeli action, to which he answered no.

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Former Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a protest rally in central London on March 11, 2023. (AFP)

Before Keir Starmer took over the Labour leadership, he demanded full party backing for future Israeli military operations, Jeremy Corbyn, former UK Labour Party leader, said in an interview with independent journalist Matt Kennard published on Wednesday.

Corbyn's statement comes amid ongoing debate and scrutiny surrounding his tenure, which ended amid accusations—widely contested—of failing to effectively address "antisemitism" within the party. It is worth noting that Corbyn has a longstanding record of advocating for peace and Palestinian rights.

When asked by Kennard if he was surprised by the level of support that Starmer and other senior Labour figures had shown for "Israel" during its aggression on Gaza, Corbyn responded that he was not shocked, explaining that the reason was “because I know where many of these people are coming from.”

“During one extremely hostile meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party Committee, they confronted me and said: ‘Will you give a blanket undertaking that you as party leader and potentially prime minister will automatically support any military action Israel undertakes?’ And I said no,” he stressed.

Jeremy Corbyn says during a meeting with the Parliamentary Labour Party Committee he was confronted and asked to give assurances that as Labour leader - and potentially prime minister - he would automatically support any military action Israel undertakes👇 pic.twitter.com/RIN13HkHpF
— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) June 20, 2024

Corbyn stated that the Israeli government's influence on the party is "huge", as is the impact of the pro-Israeli lobby on British politics as a whole.

Furthermore, he criticized his successor over an interview for LBC shortly after October 7, where Starmer argued that "Israel" has the "right" to cut water and power supplies to Gaza in "self-defense".

Those remarks “totally shocked” Corbyn, he said, because “it’s absolutely clear in every aspect of law, never mind morality, that you don’t bomb schools, you don’t destroy water supplies, you don’t cut off electricity.” Contrary to Starmer’s assessment, such actions constitute “a war crime,” he emphasized.

It is worth noting that the interview further addressed the UK's involvement in what Kennard described as the US "imperial project", Corbyn's efforts to diminish the "special relations" between the two countries, and speculated on the potential outcomes of the early July snap election for British citizens.

Labour mobilizes activists in Muslim areas amid poor Gaza conduct

Last week, a report revealed that the British Labour Party is directing activists to campaign in seats with substantial Muslim populations, fearing the alienation it has experienced due to its stance on the war on Gaza.

Led by Keir Starmer, the Labour Party has supported the Israeli war on Gaza and has been heavily criticized for comments he made after the outbreak of the war on Gaza, for seemingly supporting "Israel's" withholding of aid from Palestinians.

He has also been criticized by humanitarians, namely Alastair Russell, head of Public Affairs at Save the Children UK.

"It is deeply disappointing that Keir Starmer has continued to rebuff this vital humanitarian call," Russell said, in reference to Starmer's negative remarks on the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Supposedly representing a progressive political line, Labour has failed to live up to the expectations of many Britons who recognize the impact of Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

It took Labour nearly 140 days of the war on Gaza and hundreds of massacres to call for a temporary humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Currently, Labour is focusing its campaign on Conservative and Scottish National Party seats but is also targeting 13 Labour-held seats where Muslims make up at least a fifth of the electorate.

Concerns arose after George Galloway's Workers Party of Britain win in Rochdale and a drop in Labour's Muslim vote, attributed to the party's stance on Gaza and leader Starmer's comments.

Labour's website directs volunteers to campaign in key constituencies, including those with significant Muslim populations. Despite worries, a Savanta poll showed 63% of Muslim voters still plan to vote Labour, with the NHS, cost of living, and the economy as top concerns.

However, the poll does reveal that 86% of those Muslim voters who rank Gaza as one of their main concerns would consider voting for a pro-Palestine independent candidate.