Dear MP,

The Dudley Palestine Solidarity Group send congratulations regarding your recent Election for Member of Parliament.

You will be acutely aware that the biggest Global Foreign Policy issue is what the International Court of Justice, the highest Court in the world - has ruled that there is sufficient evidence for investigating Israel for genocidal intent in GAZA.

This ruling in International law is historic. Israel back in February were given one month to demonstrate protection for civilians and facilitating humanitarian aid into GAZA, they were ordered to report back to the ICJ its progress on these measures. Israel have not taken any measures - quite the reverse via an escalation of bombings and destruction of GAZA. Israel have blitzed the Gaza Strip with over 75,000 tons of bombs, more than the combined bombing of Dresden, Hamburg and London during World War 2. We are talking about a strip of land 27 miles in length and 7 miles wide - LONDON is 4 times the size of the Gaza Strip !

We have witnessed over 26,000 children killed or injured -the number of children killed within the first four months by Israel was higher than the number of children killed in 4 years of wars around the world combined, (UN report) . It was disgusting that the UK along with the US cut funding to the United Nations’ Relief Agency UNRWA based on Israel’s lies and propaganda. We have witnessed the killing of over 40,000 people in 9 months . The systematic bombing of Mosques, Churches, Schools, Hospitals, Aid Convoys across the Gaza Strip - including Refugee Camps in Jabalia, Rafah and al-Maghazi. Including the bombing of men, women, and children sheltering in Tents, in areas that have been declared, by Israel “Safe zones.” We also add into the equation famine, On 9th July 2024 the UN declared that “Israel’s intentional and targeted starvation campaign against the Palestinian people is a form of genocidal violence and has resulted in famine across all of Gaza.” The lack of medical supplies has been documented by several medical professionals, performing amputations on children with no anaesthetic has become routine & due to the lack of infrastructure diseases such as scabies & hepatitis are now coursing through the people herded from one part of the Gaza Strip to another whilst they are bombed again and again.

The International General Medical Journal, The Lancet reported in July 2024 that its investigations estimate the “death count” to be at least 186,000 people, over 8% of the total population as a result of what the International Court of Justice has accepted as a “ plausible case of genocide.” Some 90% of Gaza's population have been displaced and the ICC is seeking Arrest Warrants for Israeli Leaders for Crimes against Humanity including the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

The situation could not be more urgent.

Both the previous UK Conservative Government and the Labour Party are complicit in these atrocities via not supporting Ceasefire motions (we are pleased that is now not the case) but much more is required, one cannot support a Ceasefire then continue to Arm the Israeli State to continue with its genocidal intent.

We urge you to support the following steps without delay via David Lammy’s visit to both Israel and the Occupied territories.

1 - Immediate halt to all ARMS SALES to Israel, this includes the closure of the UK Military Bases in Cyprus to all “Israel bound traffic.”

2 - Publicly state and actively work to ensure an immediate comprehensive and permanent Ceasefire in Gaza.

3 - Immediately abandon the previous Governments attempt to frustrate the ICC and support moves by the ICJ and ICC to hold Israel’s leadership to account for breaches of International and Humanitarian Law.

4 - Stand up for the rights and dignity of all Palestinian Refugees by supporting the immediate and full restoration of British funding to UNRWA ensuring it can fulfil its International mandate. By failing to do so the UK is not supporting an International rules based order - which it constantly accuses other Nations of violating.

5 - The UK should support an Independent Palestinian State, a two State or One State is a decision to be made by all the people in the Land of Palestine. In the United Nations some 145 countries out of 193 support an Independent Palestinian State. Within the European Union it is supported by 14 of the 27 member States.

This is the most urgent Political and moral issue of our times, the current atrocities in Gaza did not begin on 7th October 2023 but are built on the foundations of a 76 year old Occupation of decades and decades of violations of Palestinian Rights, Apartheid and now genocide in which successive Conservative and Labour Governments have been complicit.

We applaud some of the early noises coming from the new Labour Government and expect the Labour Parties Election slogan “CHANGE” to begin in Foreign Policy terms with all the aforementioned 5 points.

Stop Arming Israel.

We, your constituents, are eager to hear your response.

Yours sincerely,