JJP eaction letter to MPs
On 20 March 2025, the JJP Executive asked signatories and supporters to write to their MPs again about the continuing, horrific situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
Our letter is below
As a Jewish constituent of yours, I am very concerned about our government’s relative silence regarding Israel’s abandonment of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, brokered by Qatar and Egypt. It is utterly deplorable that Israel has now recommenced its mass slaughter of Gazan civilians:
I also fear that Israel’s decision to cut off all food, water and other supplies to Gaza, will lead to mass starvation, will play into the hands of terrorists worldwide, will alienate the Arab world from western governments and could ultimately destabilise neighbouring Arab countries. Withholding food and water etc to two million civilians and carrying out mass slaughter are clearly very serious war crimes – and further undermine the crucial principles of the international rule of law. Indeed most genocide and holocaust studies scholars now believe that Israel’s conduct in Gaza over the past 16 months amounts to genocide under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
I think that the Israeli government’s actions are detrimental to British and global security, deeply unjust to the Palestinians and dangerous for the future of Israel.
The UK government’s relative silence on Israel’s current conduct could also contribute to Netanyahu concluding that he can get away with doing absolutely anything – and UK silence could therefore end up inadvertently encouraging Israel to further increase its ethnic cleansing operations in the West Bank, to depopulate Gaza, to annex all or part of both territories and even to attack Iran, thus tragically triggering another major war with huge economic and other consequences for the world.
As my MP, I would therefore like you to consider urging the government to take more robust measures to persuade Mr Netanyahu and his colleagues to take the UK government’s views more seriously. Persuasion without action will I fear be totally ineffective.
I therefore believe that our government should immediately do four things to show its strong disapproval of Israel’s current conduct and to demonstrate our country’s commitment to progress in the region:
(1) Introduce a moratorium on all arms exports to Israel, that have the potential to be used for offensive rather than purely defensive purposes. Likewise, other military assistance, in particular the supply of parts for Israel’s F35 fighter planes, and RAF reconnaissance flights over or adjacent to Gaza should surely also cease. Info re the RAF reconnaissance flights: https://www.declassifieduk.org/why-is-britain-still-sending-spy-flights-towards-gaza/
(2) Recognise the State of Palestine. Info re why the UK should do this rapidly: https://balfourproject.org/the-united-kingdom-israel-and-palestine-recognition-q-and-a/
(3) Suspend the tariff-free regime for Israeli imports into the UK.
(4) Officially warn Israel that any attempted depopulation or annexation of Gaza or the West Bank (or any parts of them) will result in an immediate raft of additional UK economic, diplomatic and other measures against Israel. Info re Israel’s planned ethnic cleansing of Gaza: https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-trump-somaliland-sudan-somalia-575e03aaa0c487bae2fbadfdef8f5ca3
It is tragic that it has come to this. But it is no longer wise (or in Britain’s interest) for the UK government to effectively ignore Israel’s appalling and dangerous behaviour. Enough is enough.
Thank you for reading this e-mail.
Looking forward to hearing from you as to what, on my behalf, you feel able to encourage the government to do.