Labour Conference 2025
On 29th September 2025, the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) and the Labour Muslim Network (LMN) co-hosted a packed Labour Conference Fringe Panel Event entitled: “Labour’s responsibility towards Palestine: Foreign policy at a crossroads.”
The fringe event took place on Monday evening at the ACC in Liverpool, and was chaired by Abtisam Mohamed, MP for Sheffield Central and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The full panel of speakers included:
- Dr Nada Al Hadithy – An NHS doctor who has volunteered in Nasser Hospital in Gaza
- Tayab Ali – ICJP Director and Head of International Law at Bindmans LLP
- Richard Burgon MP – Member of Parliament for Leeds East
- Hamish Falconer MP – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Middle East
- Daniel Levy – former Israeli peace negotiator
- Ehab Omar- Co-founder of British Palestinian Families.
- Husam Zomlot – Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The event took place only hours after Labour Conference historically voted in favour of a motion that acknowledged the UN Commission of Inquiry’s recognition of genocide. The passing of the motion is considered to be a major blow to government, coming less than a month after then-Foreign Minister and now-Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy wrote a letter saying that the government had not recognised a risk of genocide, let alone genocide taking place.
The Labour leadership now faces increasing pressure, with its official policy being at odds with both the UN Commission of Inquiry and its own party. This point was raised by several panellists, including Richard Burgon MP and Daniel Levy.
Dr Nada Al-Hadithy raised photographs of child patients she had provided healthcare to, including one child who had to have a flap implemented on their head due to their brain being exposed. She showed the photographs to the crowd and directly to the Foreign Minister.
Tayab Ali of the ICJP also offered to sit down with the Foreign Minister to go through the significant primary witness evidence testimonies that the ICJP has collected, calling it “a bit embarrassing that the government hasn’t asked me for that evidence.”
ICJP Director Tayab Ali’s full proposition to Foreign Minister Hamish Falconer was:
“The British government have turned away, through acrobatics, from all the evidence that we’ve got. I’m prepared to meet with you in private in a room to go through our evidence so you can make a judgement for yourself on what you think is actually happening on the ground in Gaza.
And it’s a bit embarrassing that the government hasn’t asked me for that evidence, particularly when I’ve worked with members of our government, [on the] frontbench, in legal cases in the past.”
Husam Zomlot, previously the Head of Mission for Palestine to the UK, and now the Ambassador, spoke about the importance of recognition of the State of Palestine. Meanwhile, Ehab Omar shared testimony of family members of his in Gaza, including children, who simply wanted items such as a football, a birthday cake, and other ordinary items.
ICJP also attended numerous other events focused on Palestine during the conference, including a Breakfast Reception hosted by Labour Middle East Council, the Arab Ambassadors’ Reception, the Labour Friends of Palestine and Middle East Evening Reception and panel events including a panel event on the right to protest for Palestine, hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and a panel event entitled ‘Red Line for Gaza’, hosted by Oxfam, Save the Children and War on Want.
