JJP lobbies Foreign Secretary to prevent an Israeli attack on Gaza

On 14 May 2022, the JJP Lobby Group wrote to the Foreign Secretary as a result of the escalating violence between Israeli security forces and Palestinians. JJP urged her to make it clear to Israel that any attempt to assassinate a Palestinian leader or to mount another attack on Gaza would result in severe sanctions.

Our letter to the Foreign Secretary is below.

14 May 2022

Elizabeth Truss MP, Secretary of State

Amanda Milling MP, Minister of State

Dear Ms. Truss and Ms. Milling,

We are writing about the recent cycle of violence between Israel and the Palestinians.

Since the beginning of March, 28 Palestinians and 17 Israelis have been killed. Most worrying of all, Israeli politicians have started threatening the life of the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and claiming Israel may have to attack Gaza yet again to stop Palestinian terrorist attacks.

Underlying the recurring cycles of violence is Israel’s determination to maintain the 55-year long occupation, increase settlements and take over more Palestinian land. Notwithstanding their ritual anguish whenever a Jewish Israeli is killed, Israeli leaders understand full well that Palestinians will resist and there will continue to be loss of life on both sides.

There is no incentive for them to change course as long as they see the Israeli death toll as politically manageable and continue to countenance the much higher Palestinian death toll, and as long as Israel continues to enjoy all the benefits of good relations with the UK and other major countries. The Israeli military even have a phrase for the repeated attacks on Gaza. They call it “mowing the lawn”.

The cycles of violence have been occurring since 2000. There have been many different flashpoints – sometimes Israeli police aggression on the Noble Sanctuary, sometimes ultra-nationalist religious Jews praying on the Noble Sanctuary in violation of the Status Quo agreement, sometimes continuing evictions in East Jerusalem, and sometimes a spike in house demolitions in the West Bank.

We urge you to make it clear to the Israeli government that there will be adverse international consequences if it assassinates a Palestinian leader or mounts another attack on Gaza.

Yours sincerely,

Arthur Goodman

Diplomatic and Parliamentary Officer