In the light of the Israeli Government’s military offensive on Gaza and its attacks on Palestinians in the Occupied Territories I have signed the following statement calling for Justice for Palestine issued by the Socialist Campaign Group.

“We stand with people all around the world in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in defence of their inalienable rights.

For 14 years Gaza has been under siege. For 54 years Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem have been illegally occupied by Israel.

The injustice against the Palestinian people is intensifying.

Following attempts at the forcible expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah and Israeli forces storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, attacks on Gaza in recent days have killed an estimated 119 Palestinians dead including 31 children with hundreds more injured and seven Israelis have been killed.

Israel is now threatening a ground invasion of Gaza.

A long-lasting peace for both Palestinians and Israelis can only be secured through a just solution that tackles the underlying injustices: Israel’s illegal occupation, its colonial settlements, its denial of the right of Palestinian refugees to return, its violations of human rights and international law and its siege of Gaza.

As the former colonial power that issued the Balfour Declaration, and then was responsible for the Mandate leading up to the Nakba of 1948, Britain has a special responsibility to do all it can to ensure a just peace.

We, therefore, call on the UK government to:

– Demand an end to the siege of Gaza and the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.

– Impose sanctions on Israel for its repeated violations of international law, place an embargo on arms sales and end trade with illegal settlements.

– Demonstrate full support for the International Criminal Court’s opening of an investigation into alleged war crimes in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

– Recognise the state of Palestine.”

Signed:

MPs