UK MPs asked to end Israeli apartheid in national lobby for Palestine

Israeli security forces detain a Palestinian protester near the house of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. (Reuters)

LONDON: Pro-Palestinian supporters across the UK are asking their MPs to end their complicity in Israeli apartheid and calling for sanctions on Israel. 
The lobbying, which was organized by non profit organization Friends of Al-Aqsa, and supported by a number of key organizations, was the first in-person lobby of parliament for Palestine since 2019.
“Constituents are bringing Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid in Palestine to the attention of MPs, both in person and virtually, and urging them to take immediate action. Key points include asking for sanctions on Israel for its apartheid policies and ongoing attacks on Al-Aqsa,” the organization said in a statement.
The move comes following the announcement of proposed legislation to stop public bodies from practicing boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) in Queen Elizabeth’s Speech on Tuesday.
It also comes the day Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered by Israeli forces while reporting from Jenin.
MPs are being asked to affirm the value of BDS in allowing individuals to make ethical choices regarding the products, services and culture they buy, use and engage with. This comes after many individuals across the UK have called out politicians for their double standards on Palestine and Ukraine, after MPs’ support for sanctions on Russia.
Pressure will also be on MPs to write to the foreign secretary to ban all trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
“Today, MPs face an important moral question: will they play their part in ending Israeli apartheid and support sanctions on Israel, or will they continue to ignore the findings of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which support what Palestinians have been saying for decades?” says Shamiul
Joarder, head of Public Affairs at FOA.
“We will continue to call out MPs for their blatant double standards — Israel must be sanctioned for its breaking of international law, just like we are seeing with Russia,” he added.