Delegates at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool have endorsed a motion urging the government to “employ all means reasonably available to it to prevent the commission of a genocide in Gaza.”
The non-binding motion also advocated for a complete suspension of arms sales to Israel.
A separate motion, which proposed suspending arms sales to Israel only for weaponry “that could be used in the conflict,” rather than a full embargo, was rejected by the delegates.
In response to the vote, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy stated that the determination of “the issue of genocide” is the purview of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
A UN commission of inquiry previously reported that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a claim strongly refuted by the Israeli government.
Prior to the vote, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper addressed the conference, asserting that “Hamas must end its abhorrent detention of hostages” and the Israeli government “must end the moral obscenity of this campaign that has seen food, water and medicine denied.”
Cooper, who assumed her role earlier this month, also emphasized that the UK’s potential recognition of Palestinian statehood should serve as “a spur, not a substitute for action.”
“No family should endure another loss. Enough is enough. This moment cannot be lost. The time for peace is now,” she declared.
During the Labour conference, delegates introduced two emergency motions concerning the Middle East for debate.
The initial motion urged the government to “apply further sanctions to put pressure on the Israeli government to respect international law” and to “continue to demand the immediate release of all hostages” held by Hamas.
It further stipulated that the government should “fully suspend arms trade with Israel that could be used in the conflict.”
Conversely, the second motion called on ministers to “fully suspend the arms trade with Israel and the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement.”
Joshua Garfield, a member of the Jewish Labour Movement and a Labour councillor, implored delegates to reject the second motion, contending that it would “dishonour” the victims of the October 7th attacks “if we pass a motion that ignores Hamas entirely.”
Marz Colombini from the trade union Aslef, in support of the second motion, argued that a ban on arms sales was “a no brainer.”
He stated that it would be “perverse to provide anybody, whether an individual or a state with weaponry, then get upset when they use it to do harm.”
The second motion also accepted the findings of a United Nations commission of inquiry which alleged that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel’s foreign ministry has denounced the report as “distorted and false.”
Through a show of hands, Labour conference delegates rejected the first motion in favor of the second.
Lammy, formerly the UK’s foreign secretary, addressed the outcome of the vote.
He clarified that it is “for the ICJ [International Court of Justice] with their judges and judiciary, and for the ICC [International Criminal Court], to determine the issue of genocide in relation to the convention, it is not for politicians like me to do that.”
He added that he had determined last year “that I did see a clear risk that Israel was breaching international humanitarian law” and subsequently suspended arms sales to Israel.
The UK government is not a primary arms supplier to Israel, accounting for approximately 1% of its arms sales. The United States is the leading supplier, followed by Germany and Italy.
British companies seeking to export military goods are required to obtain a license from the government.
Upon assuming power, Labour suspended 30 out of approximately 350 arms export licenses to Israel, citing a “clear risk” that the equipment could be used to commit serious violations of international law.
However, campaigners have criticized the continued export of parts for F-35 jets and launched unsuccessful legal action to halt the sales.
The government has stated that it has prohibited the direct sale of F-35s to Israel but cannot prevent Israel from obtaining these components as they are shipped to manufacturing centers abroad as part of a global program.
Earlier in the day, Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech was disrupted by a pro-Palestinian heckler who displayed a Palestinian flag and questioned: “Why is Britain still arming Israel?”
As the protester was escorted from the hall, Reeves responded: “We understand your cause and we are recognizing a Palestinian state.”
“But we are now a party in government, not a party of protest.”
The conference has also been targeted by supporters of Palestine Action, an organization designated as terrorist by the government.
Sixty-four individuals were arrested on suspicion of a terrorism offense during a demonstration outside the conference venue on Sunday afternoon.
In their latest update, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that the current death toll has risen to 66,055 since 7 October, 2023.
The Israeli military initiated a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages.
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