18 - 24 April 2002
Issue No.582
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 18 - 24 April 2002 Issue No.582 |
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Britain's disquiet
Anger grows in the British political establishment as the sad truth about Israeli atrocities in the West Bank becomes clearer, writes Gamal Nkrumah
Unease simmered in the British political establishment after British Prime Minister Tony Blair returned from a Texas summit with United States President George W Bush last week. Many British parliamentarians expressed grave concern at developments in the Middle East, Israel's unchecked aggression against the Palestinian people and the warmongering of both Bush and Blair, especially with regards to Iraq.
"The world is run by a handful of very powerful people," said Tony Benn, veteran leftist and former member of parliament, who participated in the Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square demonstration in London last Saturday. An estimated 30,000 protesters took part, and the demonstration included people from all walks of life. "We are demonstrating against what US President George Bush called a 'crusade' against the Muslim world," explained Benn at the rally organised by Britain's Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Protesters burnt American and Israeli flags. They also handed a petition to Tony Blair urging him to sanction Israel for gross human rights violations and atrocities against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"The message to Blair is now clear: he must stop speaking on behalf of George Bush and instead speak on behalf of peace and justice in the Middle East," British Labour Party Parliamentarian Jeremy Corbyn told Al-Ahram Weekly. Corbyn was among several MPs who participated in the London demonstration on Saturday. Others included Labour MPs George Galloway and Mohamed Sarwar. "Many of us are pressing for an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo against Israel," Corbyn told the Weekly. "We want independent investigators to inspect Israeli atrocities in the West Bank and Gaza. We demand an immediate and permanent withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied Palestinian territories," Corbyn explained.
"My message at the protest march was that the world was shocked by the Jenin massacre and the savage Israeli atrocities and gross human rights violations in the West Bank," he said. "The wanton and sweeping destruction of Palestinian social and economic infrastructure is unacceptable. We expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, and with the peace movement in Israel. We ask for an immediate ban on British arms sales to Israel." Corbyn spoke of the general disquiet among Labour Party members, which he said "goes way beyond backbenchers and the peace group of the Labour Party." He said that public pressure was having a positive impact on the Blair government. "The British government is now forced to take our concerns into consideration."
The British House of Commons discussed the situation in the Middle East on Tuesday, where growing support for the Palestinian cause appears to be changing British policy towards the Middle East. Corbyn was among over 150 MPs, 125 of them ruling Labour Party backbenchers, who have signed a Commons motion expressing "deep unease" about possible US action against Iraq.
The anti-war British parliamentarians scoffed at Blair's assertion that the Iraqi military constituted a threat to Europe. "In future, if left unchecked, Iraq will be able to deploy its weapons of mass destruction against targets in western Europe, including the UK," Blair had earlier told British MPs. "The time for military action has not yet arisen," Blair conceded. However, Blair's tone was too confrontational for many of his backbenchers. "Simply turning our backs on the issue of weapons of mass destruction is not an option," Blair reminded his listeners, many of whom vehemently protested.
However, anti-war sentiment is not restricted to the backbenchers. Even some cabinet ministers such as International Development Secretary Claire Short is opposed to a joint US-UK attack on Iraq without prior approval by the UN. Short also said that she was "extremely anxious" about developments in the Middle East.
Groups like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Stop the War Coalition are determined to oppose the warmongering. "CND opposes the Bush-Blair intention to attack Iraq and is campaigning strenuously here in Britain against such an appalling scenario. There is considerable opposition to such a war in Britain and many parliamentarians from many parties are opposed to an attack on Iraq as is over half of British public opinion and many trade unions are taking strong positions against it. We are building a very broad movement against it," CND Vice-Chair Kate Hudson told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Groups holding different ideological and political persuasions are working closely together, and in tandem with politicians and parliamentarians. "The most effective way to step up the anti-war effort is to bring the campaigning into the mainstream of British politics, involving a range of parties, communities, trade unions and other organisations," argues Hudson. "The anti-war movement and campaigning must embrace the widest sections of British public opinion, particularly around the humanitarian concerns for innocent civilians," Hudson, who will speak on behalf of CND at the demonstration of the British Palestine Solidarity Campaign on 18 May, said.
"Regarding Palestine, we are supporting and participating in vigils and demonstrations to end the Israeli occupation and achieve a just solution. CND expresses its great sadness at the tragic loss of life and escalation of violence currently taking place in the Middle East. There must be no more violence. We urge all participants in the conflict to recognise that there can be no peace without justice for all peoples in the region," she stressed.
"CND supports the UN resolution calling for the implementation of a two state solution for Israel and Palestine and calls in all parties to the conflict to commit themselves to this process through peaceful means. We urge world leaders to exert every influence to ensure such a just and peaceful settlement is achieved," Hudson added.
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