Labour conference votes to recognise Gaza genocide, leaving Starmer looking like a fool

The Labour Party has passed a motion at its annual conference, stating that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The motion submitted by UNISON accepts the findings of genocide by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry. It makes the following demands:

• the government “employ all means reasonably available to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza”

• full arms embargo

• freeze UK-Israel trade/partnership agreement

• sanctions to enforce international law

• ban UK involvement in “aiding and assisting the genocide”

While the motion is not binding on Starmer, it means the official position of the Labour Party is in direct contradiction to the Labour government. Starmer is not just in disagreement with the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, and pretty much every human rights group and genocide scholar, he is in disagreement with his own party. Farcical isn’t a strong enough word.

It gets even more absurd when you hear that police arrested 66 Grantifa activists outside of conference for holding signs opposing Israel’s genocide and the proscription of Palestine Action. Starmer is so terrified of scrutiny that he wouldn’t even let journalists into events at the conference in case they embarrassed him. These are the actions of a deeply insecure man who knows he’s in the wrong, and instead of changing course, he simply hides and punishes his critics. He is not just an authoritarian, he is a coward.

Another coward is David Lammy who said of the recognition of genocide: “It must be for the ICJ and ICC to determine genocide... not politicians.” The ICJ has been clear that you can’t wait for a final court ruling before acting to prevent genocide. It has made a provisional ruling that genocide is plausibly underway and explained exactly what countries must do prevent genocide. That would be all the things the motion demanded, including sanctions and an embargo. Anything less can make you a partner in genocide.

As UNISON’s Christina McAnea put it: “This is genocide. If we wait for a court, it will be too late.”

Rather than take meaningful action against Israel, the Labour government has decided to mislead the public. When a party member questioned Rachel Reeves on Gaza, the chancellor said: “We understand your cause and we are recognising a Palestinian state.”

This seems reasonable until you dig deeper and realise there is no sincerity. The recognition of Palestine comes with no meaningful action against Israel and will simply install Tony Blair as governer. Yes, the butcher of the Middle East is being installed because they couldn’t find anyone better qualified to murder Muslims.

Blair will govern Gaza remotely and Palestinians won’t be given a choice. If Palestinians object, Israel will have the green light to kill them. The recognition of Palestine is not about recognising Palestinians, it is about legitimising genocide.

Predictably, the Jewish Labour Movement called the motion to recognise genocide “hugely disappointing” because it did not mention the Israeli hostages, but strangely, the JLM didn’t mention the 10,000 Palestinian hostages. Funny that.

The JLM argued the motion is unhelpful for a two-state solution, but we are recognising two states, albeit in a deceptive manner. It is Benjamin Netanyahu who has explicitly stated there will never be a Palestinian state:

“I have a clear message for those leaders who recognise a Palestinian state after the terrible October 7 Massacre: you are giving a huge reward for terror. I have another message for you: It won’t happen. A Palestinian state will not be created west of the Jordan.”

Only frauds like the JLM could hear Netanyahu talk like this and pretend the genocide motion is the real problem. Never forget the JLM were a driving force behind the anti-Semitism smears when Corbyn was in charge of Labour.

When the JLM were smearing Labour members, they were protecting monsters who would go on to commit genocide. They were trying to clear out the Labour P:arty to prevent exactly this kind of motion from passing.

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