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Greens call for scaling up actions against Israel, accusing UK government of complicity in killing

Text of a press release issued by the Green Party of England and Wales on 12th February 2024.

As Israel appears to be on the brink of an all out assault on Rafah, despite warnings against such action by the UN, Red Crescent and others, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer is demanding the UK scale up actions against the Israeli government until the killing stops. Greens are calling for an end to all arms sales to Israel, prosecutions of war criminals and targeted sanctions on Israel’s leaders. 

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: 

“It is clear that the Israeli government is refusing to heed warnings about the catastrophic implications of an all-out attack on Rafah. The UK government must now demand that Israel stop the killing, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Hamas must also agree to this ceasefire of course, and release all hostages.  

“Decisions made by the UK government - above all its failure, month after month, to call for an immediate ceasefire - have made them complicit in the killing of almost 28,000 people to date, 12,000 of whom are children [1]. 

“Israel relies on certain weapon parts manufactured in the UK, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter whose essential components are made here [2]. A Dutch court has today ordered the state to cease the export of F-35 spare parts to Israel. We call on the UK government to follow suit, and suspend all arms export licences to Israel until the killing stops. The UK must also cease all military collaboration with Israel, including allowing Israeli use of British bases and RAF intelligence flights over Gaza.

“Greens would also implement the requirements of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign across the UK economy. This would include excluding Israel from international sporting and music events; withdrawing all public money from funds with investments in Israel; and ending beneficial trade arrangements with Israel [3]. 

“It is clear that only outside pressure will make Israel stop its mass killing. We can increase the pressure on Israeli leaders by introducing targeted sanctions against key individuals. This would include travel bans and asset freezes on Israel's leadership and cabinet members, in particular those calling for new settlements in Gaza and the annexation of the West Bank. 

“Finally, we would encourage UK authorities including the Metropolitan Police and Director of Public Prosecutions to pursue perpetrators of war crimes committed where UK citizens are the victims or where UK citizens are potential perpetrators. 

“There are many steps the UK government could take to pressure Israel to stop the killing. Its refusal to do so means that they are implicitly condoning the appalling carnage in Gaza.” 

Notes

  1. Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: Live tracker | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera 
  2. Who Arms Israel? (workersinpalestine.org)
  3. This is consistent with the Green Party’s non-violent approach to demonstrating its opposition to breaches of human rights and international law. It is parallel to calls we have made for boycotts of a number of different countries in the past including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, China, and Qatar.

scientists warning to humanityThis year August 1st is Earth Overshoot Day, the date when we (all of humanity) have used more from the rest of nature than our planet can renew in the entire year. This date moves about three days earlier each year as our consumption, population and emissions increase. We are currently living as if we had 1.7 Earths, a 70% overshoot.

The dangerous realities of the situation were summed up in “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice".  In November 2017, over 15,000 scientists in 184 countries signed up to support this and over 5,000 more have signed since then.

The sign-up to this warning has now been opened to the wider public and to organisations. We in Enfield Green Party have signed this and we urge every person and every organisation that values our future to do so too. You can sign at www.scientistswarning.org/please-sign.

This is not a party-political issue. We are happy to work with others to promote public policies and private actions that will help us escape this escalating crisis. To be blunt, it will put problems caused by Brexit, hard or soft, in the shade. Recent forest fires are just the most recent wake-up call for the dangers we face.

In the face of this peril we need our best thinking and our most resolute leaders. Nothing less will do.

For more information and comment please contact Alex McRae, co-chair, Enfield Green Party, on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and +44 7891 608938.

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