Key facts
- Grassroots Labour groups plan to pressure Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the upcoming conference regarding Gaza.
- The groups are circulating a motion demanding the government recognize Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide.
- The motion also calls for comprehensive sanctions and a ban on trade that aids Israel's military actions or its presence in occupied territories.
- Burnham has apologized for Labour's past handling of Gaza but has not used the term genocide, citing the need for international court rulings.
- More than 100 British and French diplomats have urged tough action against Israel, including suspending arms transfers.
Grassroots Labour groups are preparing to confront Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the upcoming Labour conference, aiming to force the government to recognize Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and implement a full arms embargo.
Organisations including Momentum, Labour & Palestine, the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) are circulating a model motion. This motion calls for the government to accept a UN commission of inquiry's findings that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. It also demands comprehensive sanctions, including a complete suspension of arms trade with Israel and a ban on trade that supports Israel's military actions or its presence in occupied Palestinian territories, specifically mentioning trade with Israeli settlements.
Burnham's refusal to use the term 'genocide' has reportedly caused frustration among many Labour MPs, not exclusively those on the party's left. While welcoming Burnham's apology for Labour's previous handling of Gaza under Keir Starmer, several MPs believe he should go further and explicitly acknowledge Israel's actions as genocide. Burnham himself has previously stated that while there is 'increasing evidence' of war crimes, it is for international courts to make such rulings.
This push comes as the UK government has indicated that further measures against Israel might be forthcoming, following Israel's advancement of controversial E1 settlement plans. Labour had previously attempted to prevent motions on Palestine from being debated at the conference, leading to accusations of stifling debate. However, a previous conference supported an emergency motion calling for the government to prevent genocide in Gaza and suspend the arms trade with Israel.
Burnham is also facing pressure from outside the party, with over 100 British and French diplomats urging strong action against Israel. Emily Thornberry has advocated for a ban on imports from the occupied West Bank. Polling suggests that the issue of Palestine was a significant factor for voters who switched from Labour to the Green Party. Activists from Momentum and PSC are urging Burnham to take decisive action, warning that failure to do so could result in plummeting support and a 'legacy of infamy'.