Israeli PM is a war criminal - Labour MP in the Commons

David Miliband's statement on developments in Gaza yesterday showed MPs are more hostile towards Israel now than they were during the 2006 incursion into Lebanon.

MPs from all sides were calling for the Israeli ambassador to London to be expelled, sanctions against Israel and a ban on arms exports.

Few voices were heard on the other side - perhaps because they weren't called, one Tory suggested. From Hansard:

Ed Davey, Lib Dem foreign affairs: In trying to be balanced and rightly condemning Hamas for the rocket attacks, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have at times seemed unbalanced in the face of a truly unacceptable level of Israeli military might.

Peter Kilfolye, Labour: will [the Foreign Secretary] undertake to ensure that no arms at all go to Israel at the moment, given that it is guilty in many people’s eyes of state-sponsored terrorism with its activities in the Gaza strip?

Sir Patrick Cormack, Con: may I ask that after he leaves the House and goes back to the Foreign Office he will summon the Israeli ambassador and say to him calmly but clearly that many of us who have been in this House for a very long time and who have been proud to call ourselves friends of Israel now feel ashamed because Israel is not behaving as a civilised state should behave?

Sir Menzies Campbell, Lib Dem: Is not the blunt truth that while we discuss this the Israeli Government persist in disproportionate military action, using F-15s, F-16s, Apache helicopters and tanks at a terrible cost to human life? If any other democratic state were behaving in that way, would we not by now be considering what other economic and diplomatic steps were available to us?

Sir Gerald Kaufman: Is it not an incontrovertible fact that Olmert, Livni and Barak are mass-murderers and war criminals— [ Interruption. ] Yes. And they bring shame on the Jewish people whose star of David they use as a flag in Gaza, but whose ethos and morals go completely against what this Israeli Government are doing.

Marsha Sing: Is it not time that we expelled the ambassador of Israel and brought our ambassador back from Israel? Is it not time that we called for international sanctions against Israel?

George Galloway: Why will the Government not recall our ambassador from Tel Aviv, ask the Israeli ambassador to leave, and, above all, stop selling British weapons to the mass-murderers who are taking so many lives and limbs in Palestine today?

David Winnick (Lab): In the past week, the Israelis have shown total indifference to the suffering and lives of Palestinian civilians, and that some of the Israelis’ actions amount to war crimes against humanity?

Comments

[Mel Prophet]

It's good to see that they're still politicians today who are brave and honest enough to speak the truth about Israel's behaviour, without fear of being labeled as antisemitic.
Israel's behaviour is apalling and shameful. Their treatment of palestinians in general, is inhumane, and can only lead to resistance.

[Stephen]

MPs should be very careful of what they say about Israel and war crimes, seeing as how a lot of people in this country think the government's illegal invasions of Serbia and Iraq amount to war crimes and those MPs who voted for them could stand trial for their actions.

[MJTValfather]

Israel must cease and desist but hearing these rants for ending diplomatic relations and arms embargo makes my stomach want to heave. But what do you really expect from hypocritical politicians? Like we didn't use Apache helicopters, F16s etc when we helped kill tens of thousands in Iraq? Or sell arms to any despot - who can forget East Timor's massacred thousands, killed courtesy of our supply of Hawk jets to Indonesia's. When do the same standards get applied to our own country, I wonder...

[Catherine]

At last, the voice of reason.
Diplomatic relations should be broken off with Israel, economic sanctions placed, and all cultural/sports relations ceased.
Israel should be shunned by the international community.

[Alan]

Ed Davey, Peter Kilfolye, Sir Patrick Cormack, Sir Menzies Campbell, Sir Gerald Kaufman, and David Winnick should all fly out to Tel Aviv and speak to members of the Israeli cabinet instead of shouting out in the House of Commons without knowing what's going on. Alternatively, they could tune in to the Israeli news, which, thankfully, is still independent.

Oh, and did I forget George?
Oh well...
Perhaps he's better forgotten.

[robert]

Who cares what you say. Liars all. And in the future, when I want to go to a prosperous muslim nation, I'll go to England. I hear Londonistan is truly wonderous in the spring.

[Wilson]

it's an interesting phenomenon that the perpetrators of the massacre in Gaza are not clearly identified.
As there are no/minuscule Muslims in the Israeli army they therefore must be Jews.
Why not identify them as such.

[Bertram Janes]

The Israeli ambassador and all his staff should be given 48 hours and then sent packing.

[Vaseem]

What is rightly heartening at this terrible time is to see so many jewish politicians uniequivocally condemning Israel for its brutality. Indee the Foreign Secretary's speech at the Un was remarkably forthright and accurately identified many of the root causes of the problem - including the sytematic and sustained blockading and deprivation of Gaza

[George Scott]

This could be the start of a new and healthier relation between the UK and Israel.
Harsh criticism, boycotts and strong action in the UN until Israel stops attacking its neighbours, and gets out of the West Bank, the Golan Heights, the Sheeba farms and east Jerusalem.
Israel should pay the Gazan government reparations for its damages and murders -- I think about US$10 billion for starters.

[alan]

I want to know what number of Israelis are to be killed to make this action more proportionate, oh and can we have their individual names please so they can be told. And does this policy apply to our own military actions. I had always hoped to kill all the enemy needed to win, families as well if necessary, without the loss of any UK military personnel. My dream would be to arm the politicians and diplomats at the UN and seal the doors.

[Arthur Wrightson, Bristol]

Let's ban the Jewish/Israeli Lobbyists in the UK.

[Pietro B]

Where were all the people affronted at Israel's violence when Hamas was firing 90 rockets a day towards Israel's cities? I might not like the situation, but it is Hamas' doing, not Israel... the people in Gaza are merely the jihad's cannon fodder, made to die as numerous as possible to get maximum indignation from a gullible western public...

[ed]

It's certainly self-defeating action by Israel. Hamas was on the way out until three weeks ago.

[Don Green]

I support Israel wholeheartedly. I would like to see Britain expell the Israeli Ambassador and withdraw the British ambassabor from Israel. Such actions would finally strip away Britain's genteel antisemitism and expose the truth. But I'll admit that even this an improvement over the first expulsion of Jews that Britain pioneered in 1290.

[Jeanne Rey, Geneva Switzerland]

The Israeli government members and military chiefs should have their names circulated to all European ports and airports so that if they dare to enter the European Community, they will be immediately arrested and then brought before the International Court in the Hague to be accused of War Crimes.

[Dave]

Why don't all the MP's listed in this blog resign from their respective Party's and get together with George Galloway to form a new motley group and call it the "Hamas Terror Party" and they could be known as the "Israel Bashing Party". If any others wish to join them, do have a brain scan first to establish if you have any functioning brain cells. If you do, it is unlikely you will be able to fathom out what goes on in their heads!

[Jake, Brooklyn, New York]

I'm damned well ashamed that my government supports Israel with my tax dollars.
Trouble is AIPAC has influenced most all the politicians here what with free trips to Israel for politicians and their wives.
What's that if it's not bribery?
Not in my name!

[Judith C]

The statements from the morons in the House of Commons are par for the course. The ruling class (laugh) is so craven, so fearful of Muslim venom and craziness that it will stoop as low as needs be to appease them - which, of course, makes them all the more powerful. Slamming Israel for retaliating against terrorists who don't want peace, just all of Israel (without the Jews) is despicable but understandable coming, as I said, from the ignoramuses who call themselves MPs and pay themselves accordingly.

[Procopius]

Good. But why so few MPs on the side of humanity and equity? Sir Gerald Kaufman is spot on. Zionism must not be equated with Judaism: it negates it.
It should also be said that the Holocaust does not make Israel beyond reproach or criticism and to condemn military barbarism in Gaza (or in Iraq for that matter) does not imply anti Semitism. This is a cynical and effective Zionist ploy.
A return to the pre 1967 Borders is the only just solution and the only hope for a stable peace.

[Ash]

... and the EU funds that have been used by the Palestinians to buy weapons to target Israeli citizens? Funny how these MPs were silent in the face of rocket attacks affecting 1 million Israelis.

[aaron]

It is enlightening to finally see the true colours of your average Englishman and his unashamedly pro terrorist (and in the case of Wilson, anti jewish views). I especially enjoyed Tom Fyson's suggestion of taking up arms against Israel. Good idea Tom and at the same time as joining sides with terrorists, starting a war among the worlds democratic nations and subjecting British soldiers to a battle against what is pound for pound perhaps the most accomplished and well trained army in the world why not also encourage the British army to take up arms for Al Quaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan. Don't worry Tom, I will call President Ahmadinejad in Tehran ahead of time to tell him that you will be dropping round to tea on your way to the front line!!

[Robert Beher, New South Wales]

How come nobody is protesting that Israel is attacking and slaughtering the civilians in Gaza.....a country that has no army, no airforce, no navy, no marines, no F16s, no battle tanks, no white phosphorous bombs, no fragmentation shells, no attack drones, no radar, no bunker busting bombs, no machine guns, no bomb shelters etc.
Israel is at last in the dock accused of war crimes and the world has found Israel: Guilty as charged.

Now come the punishments.

[colin froman]

There are more than 600 MP's.
Why sample only the loonies?
Mr Haniya is hiding under a hospital bed.
Is that OK with you?
His friends took out the London buses tubes and Glasgow airport.
Or have you forgotten that too?

[Yoav - Israel.]

I wonder where were all these MPs when, for years, Israeli civilians were being targeted, intentionally and willingly, by the Hamas? Israel announces in advance to the Gaza population of its intending attacks, so they can escape. What other country does that? Civilians are beign used cynically and criminally by Hamas to hide behind them. There is ample evidence to that effect.What other country would stand idly by when its cities are being hit? Compared to what the Allies did to Germany and Japan, what Israel is now doing pales into insignificance. What would these MPs have said then? Let's see how the UK would behave if a terrorist group were using a base next door to the UK to attack intentionally British civilians for years and call for the destruction of the UK as a sovereign state...This is precisely what Israel has been facing.