'Israel war crimes shame UK'
07 January 2009
Brown, Miliband slated on Gaza atrocities
The British government is today accused of complicity in Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people.
The accusation, from the anti-poverty charity War on Want, comes only hours after 40 people, including children, died when Israel shelled a UN school inside Gaza.In the first 12 days of the attacks, over 680 people have been killed and over 3,075 injured. As governments around the world speak out against Israel’s actions, the British government refuses to condemn Israel for its assault on Gaza.
War on Want hits out at the UK government for supporting the US block on the original UN Security Council resolution, submitted four days after the attacks began, which called for "an immediate ceasefire and for its full respect by both sides”.
The charity also denounced the government for licensing arms sales to Israel such as key components for F-16 fighter jets, used to bomb Gaza.
War on Want points to past admissions by the British government that UK military equipment licensed for sale to Israel could be used in attacks on Palestinian civilians.
It also cites the statement from Richard Falk, UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which challenged the complicity of countries “knowingly providing the military equipment, including war planes and missiles, used in these illegal attacks”.
War on Want criticises British ministers for continuing to support the European Union’s decision to upgrade the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which will reward Israel with even more privileged access to European institutions.
The charity brands Israel’s attack the culmination of its policy of collective punishment and killing against the people of Gaza over the past 18 months.
It says Israel has imposed an illegal state of siege on Gaza and created a devastating humanitarian crisis for the 1.5 million people trapped there.
According to the charity, the root cause of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is Israel’s illegal occupation, which has raised poverty among ordinary Palestinians to the levels of sub-Saharan Africa.
Ruth Tanner, campaigns and policy director at War on Want, said: “British ministers should hang their heads in shame for their failure to condemn Israel.
“By rewarding Israeli aggression with economic preferences and upgraded diplomatic relations, the UK government and other EU member states have given the green light to Israel’s campaign of illegal violence.
“Gordon Brown and David Miliband are complicit in Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinian people.”
War on Want is urging the public to write to UK foreign secretary David Miliband, demanding sanctions on Israel.
CONTACT: Paul Collins, War on Want media officer (+44) (0)20 7549 0584 or (+44) (0)7983 550728
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