Palestine Solidarity Campaign - Tumblr Posts
On Wednesday 21st February 2024 the motion to call for a ceasefire was tabled and therefore never voted on by parliament. If you are a British citizen then please follow the link to email your MP about how wrong this is (just your name, email and postcode required) and if you are not then please reblog this post.
"I am one of your constituents, and am writing to ask you to press the government to support an immediate ceasefire and other measures to protect Palestinians who have so far survived Israel’s brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have so far killed more than 29,000.
Over 100 Palestinians were killed across the Gaza Strip from Israeli shelling on the night of Wednesday 21 February – the majority of them being women and children. Whilst the UK parliament descended into shameful chaos over a vote that never came to be, Israel was dropping bombs on Rafah ahead of a looming ground offensive.
During the day on 21st February, thousands of constituents came to exercise their democratic right and peacefully lobby MPs in parliament. The unprecedented number of people queuing in the rain for hours to see their MP had a simple message to deliver: Support an unambiguous call for an immediate ceasefire now, as articulated in a motion tabled by the SNP.
The subsequent disgraceful display within parliament on 21st February reflects the UK’s overall response to Israel’s atrocities in Gaza. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has handed down an interim ruling affirming there is plausible evidence Israel is committing genocidal acts against the Palestinian people, yet our government is still selling weapons to Israel and has suspended funding to UNRWA, the primary agency supporting the needs of Palestinian refugees, including more than 1.5 million in Gaza.
The UK has an obligation to comply with the ICJ ordered provisional measures. This means taking action to end Israel’s war crimes and ensure humanitarian aid can reach Gaza. It is urgent for MPs to use their position to:
Call for a complete and immediate ceasefire in Gaza;
Press the UK government to immediately suspend all arms sales to Israel;
Demand the UK meets its obligations in relation to the ICJ’s provisional measures, including ensuring humanitarian aid reaches Gaza by reinstating funding to UNRWA.
Please show your commitment to these fundamental principles by signing EDM 377 ‘International Court of Justice Ruling on Gaza and the UK’s duties under the Genocide Convention’.
In recent days, some politicians and others in the media have suggested that for constituents to lobby their MP in relation to this important issue, in person or by email, constitutes improper behaviour or even harassment. I reject any such characterisation and I hope that you do too."