Standing Up for Peace and Justice in Palestine

Every day, we’re confronted with heart breaking images from just beyond Europe’s shores—in Palestine. Hospitals and apartment blocks lie in ruins, hollow-eyed children search for food, and aid workers climb through rubble.

But this is not the aftermath of a natural disaster but the result of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza—in response to an evil terrorist attack almost two years ago - which has now led to the deaths of over 60,000 people.

The October 7th attack was the most devastating assault on Jewish people since the Holocaust. The hostage-taking, alongside the murder, rape, and burning of kibbutzim, was a truly evil act carried out by Hamas—a day that will rightly remain etched in the memory of Israelis and the global Jewish community.

However, a democratic nation committed to a rules-based international order cannot respond by attempting to destroy an entire population—especially one already living in poverty, with many having spent generations in refugee camps since the creation of Israel.

It is not antisemitic to believe that Palestine has a right to exist, nor is it anti-Jewish to value the lives of children in Gaza as much as those in Israel or anywhere else.

When I visited Palestine and Israel in 2013, the disparity between the two populations was already stark. Israel withheld water from the newly built city of Rawabi in the West Bank, electricity was frequently cut off in Gaza, and illegal settler camps dotted hillsides near Jerusalem, pushing borders beyond internationally recognized lines.

To stop the Netanyahu government from erasing Palestine from the map, we must formally recognize the Palestinian state and support a democratically elected Palestinian Authority—with help from the UN if needed.

We cannot turn a blind eye to this horror. Those responsible for the October 7th massacre and those destroying Gaza must be held accountable. War crimes must be prosecuted. Aid must be allowed to enter freely and be distributed where needed—by land, sea, or air.

The UK must revoke any remaining licenses for arms or equipment that could be used in combat. While Israel has a right to defend itself against hostile actors like Iran, British-made weapons must not be used against vulnerable civilians in Palestine.

I was encouraged by the Prime Minister’s statement that the UK would recognize Palestine, but concerned that this recognition was made conditional on the actions—or inactions—of the Netanyahu government.

In Parliament, I regularly challenged the Foreign Minister on this issue, my Party Leader and our spokespeople are leading the demands for more action. Now, during recess, I have written again to make clear that the people of Gaza and the West Bank deserve their land and their freedom. When we return to London in September, I hope to hear a much stronger defence of international law.

I know many of you feel helpless watching this suffering unfold. You are not alone. These tragedies affect all of us who care about humanity, compassion, and peace. Hundreds of you have already written to me—I read every message, and they shape my actions in Parliament.

Please keep reaching out. Together, with my Liberal Democrat colleagues and others across the House, we are determined to make sure your voices are heard and to help bring this awful conflict to an end.