ICJP co-hosts packed event at Labour Conference ‘What a Labour government should mean for Palestinians’ rights’
Liverpool, 9th October 2023- Today, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) hosted one of the most hotly anticipated fringe events of the Labour Party conference. The event was titled ‘What a Labour government should mean for Palestinians’ rights’. The packed room ended up being standing room only as attendees listened keenly to advocates of Palestinian human rights.
The event was hosted by International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, alongside Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East (LFPME) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). The panel included Chris Doyle as chair from The Council of Arab-British Understanding.
Members of the panel included ICJP Director, Tayab Ali, Melanie Ward, CEO of Medical Aid for Palestinians, Sara Husseini, Director of British Palestinian Committee and Wayne David MP, Shadow Minister for the Middle East and North Africa.
Ward highlighted the short supply of electricity in Gaza and how this is likely to impact medical provision for civilian casualties in Gaza. Ali spoke next, on the recipe to peace, and how the crucial ingredient is a rules-based accountability structure which applies equally to Palestinians and Israelis. Husseini spoke about the importance of not decontextualising the events, in the face of decades of Israeli occupation, the siege of Gaza and hateful rhetoric from Israel’s current far-right government.
The event comes off the back of Labour Party conference organisers facing criticism last week, for trying to censor another Palestine focused fringe event. The other event, hosted by Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), was titled ‘Justice for Palestine: End Apartheid”. According to PSC Director Ben Jamal, a senior figure within the Labour party proposed that publishing a description of Israel as an apartheid state would be ‘detrimental to the party’. Many groups, including ICJP, issued statements expressing grave concern about Labour’s censorship events. ICJP also released a full statement on the Gaza escalation over the weekend.
Excerpts from ICJP Director Tayab Ali’s speech are available below:
“I want to start by stating something that should be obvious. It is my duty as a lawyer to condemn the taking of life outside the rule of law. That is a very important, simple and easy thing to do.”
“Where are Palestinians supposed to go? Palestinians can’t just leave Gaza, Gaza is a cage, it is the biggest prison in the world.”
“For decades Palestinian rights advocates have been asking the international community to intervene in the situation in Palestine and have faced insurmountable opposition and a purposeful lack of understanding.
The attack in Israel comes amid an ongoing failure to grapple with the dangerous situation for Palestinians in the West Bank where Israel’s extreme-right government has escalated the brutal daily pain of occupation over the past year.”
The recipe for peace is not difficult. It is the will that is missing. The cure is a rules-based accountability structure which applies equally to Palestinians and Israelis. Recognition of the State of Palestine and equality for Palestinians.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
- For more information, or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson please contact: Jonathan Purcell, Public Affairs and Communications Officer, at [email protected].