Members of all three constituency Labour parties (CLPs) in Brighton – Hove & Portslade, Brighton Pavilion and Kemptown & Peacehaven – will table a motion to censure Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) for its stance on the “unacceptable and inhuman” massacre in Gaza yesterday of around sixty civilians and the wounding of thousands of others by Israeli forces.
While Labour quickly issued an unequivocal condemnation of the killings, LFI pointed the finger of blame at Hamas rather than at those pulling the trigger or ordering others to do so.
The motion condemns LFI’s response to the massacre and calls on MPs to publicly disavow the group. The full text to be proposed reads as follows:
On 14 May, LFI responded to the massacre of civilians by Israeli forces in Gaza, not by condemning those who fired weapons at them or those who gave the orders, but with the words “Hamas must accept responsibility for these events“. Doctors without Borders described the killings as ‘unacceptable and inhuman’.
___ CLP condemns the stance taken by LFI and calls on all Labour personnel to publicly end any association with the group.
The next meeting dates of the Brighton CLPs are:
Hove & Portslade – 26 May
Pavilion – 9 June
Kemptown & Peacehaven – 14 June
Labour members in Sutton and Cheam in Greater London are also believed to be putting the motion forward at their next meeting and further CLPs are expected to do so imminently.
A complaint against LFI for bringing the Labour Party into disrepute has also been sent to Labour general secretary Jennie Formby.
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Just asking my CLP to do the same …right now !
Apart from the LFI and JLM is there anyone in the Labour Party who does not recognise the mind blowing hypocrisy and double standard of the Israeli Government, the US Government, the British Government and anyone else who labels Hamas as a terrorist organisation?
Israel was founded on terrorism by gangs of terrorist thugs such as the Stern Gang and the Haganah who drove the Palestinians out of their homes and villages so they could steal their land and property. Yet when Hamas fight back to regain what is rightfully theirs, they are labelled as ‘terrorists’ and much of the world complies with this sick joke.
During the 2nd WW, when Churchill formed the secret ‘Death Squads’ to inflict mayhem and ‘murder’ upon the Nazis had they invaded us, would we and the world have classed them as terrorists to be condemned? – of course they wouldn’t but when Hamas does the same, cowardly governments jump on the bandwagon to condemn them.
The mealy mouthed LFI and others tell Hamas ‘that’s no way to protest’. Who the hell are they to tell a colonised and brutalised population, forced into an outdoor prison camp, living under atrocious conditions, how they should protest?
The LFI and the JLM, should have been booted out of the Labour Party long ago. Instead, what does the LP do? it turns in on itself and in acts of appalling appeasement it sanctions those who it should be supporting.
Zionism has no place in the Labour Party, it is totally incompatible with Socialism.
And the US response to the massacre:
‘Israel acted with restraint’
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-gaza-israel-united-nations-20180515-story,amp.html
But THAT’S psychopaths for you – ie the psychopaths in Israel order a massacre of the Palestinian demonstrators and murder dozens of them, and no doubt seriously injured hundreds more, and the US psychopaths then tell the American public (and have them believe) that Israel acted with restraint.
But for the Psychopaths our reality and our history would be totally different.
Irrelevant resolution and I think some socialist hearts are ruling their heads.
Trump will be gone in a few years, the way things are going, and he can take his silly daughter with him who treats the dreadful opening of the US Embassey in Jerusalem as a bloody fashion shoot to add insult to injury. And then his moment in the sun will be seen as a even darker chapter in Right Wing US history than usual and to be learned from.
Oh and if the Right in Labour want to get rid of a group like Momentum should we want to get rid of a group because of their very insensitive comments, some may want rid of Labour Friends of Palestine next but you take people on with ideas.
Perhaps Brighton and others could better spend their time moving a resolution for an urgent independent UN enquiry into Monday’s Right Wing Israeli Govt. killings and if israel are found guilty then they should be prosecuted for a war crime.
I am a peaceful left wing democratic socialist and think we should also be calling for a peace conference in the region, after 70 years of violence, enough is enough and the Palestinian’s plight has worsened whilst many on both sides have been brutalised.
Might is Right seems to be the male dominated mantra on both sides but with Israel’s mighty arsenal (courtesy of the US) if Right Wing Hamas think they can win militarily then they are as delusional as Zionism (Right Wing Israeli Zionists think everyone hates them but they are special – some even use the scriptures as “evidence”) but Jewish citizens are equal to other groups of human beings, and are no better, and no worse.
There was a tiny shift to the Left and for a small left Arabic Party in the last Israeli election (where you aren’t allowed to stand if you are against the state of Israel – in this restricted democracy).
Perhaps the best we could do is to stand with left wing peaceful democratic socialists forces on all sides, as Labour Friends of the World.
Yours in Peace.
I detect a note of moral equivalence in your comment.
The Brighton motion is an excellent move and is by no means irrelevant.
And I detect a note of glorifying violence in your comments.
I am on the side of a peaceful resolution.
And who, by far, does most of the brutalising:
https://www.vox.com/2014/7/14/5898581/chart-israel-palestine-conflict-deaths
Your comment is the biggest and most vapid triumph of hope over experience I think I have seen in my 74 years.
Israel has systematically torpedoed all and any attempts at talks or compromise, their intent is the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. No Labour Party member should be associated with a Zionist organisation like LFI.
The Right Wing Israeli Govt. so don’t join them in the gutter!
I don’t know WHO or WHAT you were responding to Bazza, but in what sense is anyone joining the Israeli Government in the gutter?
I was responding to Jack T.
The Right Wing Israeli Govt. are barbarians who have dehumanised themselves through violence and I was suggesting Palestinians shouldn’t go down that road.
I once went to international adult education conference in the mid 90’s in Tunisia (where the PLO were then based) and met PLO members, Sandinistas etc. and even Arafat but noticed the PLO Leaders all had fabulous villas (we went to one) and their wives were dripping in diamonds and as a working class young male socialist from the inner city I felt uncomfortable as thousands of Palestinians languished in poverty in camps. But Right Wing Hamas were clever they got in with the poor by offering services and jobs to win hearts of minds and I warned the PLO.
Fake friends tell you what you want to hear (like Labour Friends of Israel n this case) but true friends tell you what you NEED to hear which is where LFI failed and I am telling Palestinians to be wary of Right Wing Hamas.
But the Brighton resolution does nothing to help the Palestinians and perhaps:
“(a) This CLP calls upon Labour members and groups to try to adopt critical thinking approaches when making public comments unlike the recent example of Labour Friends of Israel who appear to blame the victims instead of the perpetrators of violence.
(b) To further the cause of justice we also call for a UN independent enquiry into the recent Israeli shooting of Palestinian protesters on Monday the 14th of May and if this is found to be a war crime then the guilty party should be prosecuted.
(c) We further call on the UK Govt. to halt its £300m arm sales to Israel which includes sniper rifles.
(d) After 70 years since the Nakba when the situation of the Palestinians has progressively worsened we finally call for a peace conference in the region and to end all violence.”
Oh and as I have said there is a very good Left Wing Democratic Socialist Palestinian Leader (who advocates a peaceful approach) currently languishing in an Israeli jail, freeing him could be a good start.
Yours in peace.
I replied to your earlier silly comment about “glorifying violence” but Skwawkbox obviously doesn’t like firm responses and deleted it.
As is often the case when these atrocities are committed by Israel the attention swervers often try to deflect the focus on to Hamas. We’ve seen it again by Theresa May.
If you had bothered to listen to the Palestinians and even those from the West Bank where Hamas has no influence, you would know that the demonstrations were as a result of the utter frustration of young people not being able to live freely and with dignity in their own land.
Just seen a brilliant interview on CBS (see The Canary) and the human rights lawyer, Naura Erekat is brilliant. She mentions the Palestians have been protesting peacefully for years, have had marches, carnivals, circuses and more but the (Right Wing) Israeli Govt. won’t negotiate. When asked what can be done she says “Give the Palestinians Freedom!” Naura has given a slogan for the World, we must all try to pressure Israel to restart the peace process (and Palestinians have accepted Israel’s Right to exist) but they want their own state. FREEDOM FOR PALESTiNIANS!
Just watch the interview!
Yours in peace!
Your original article jumped the gun a bit but I thought you might like to hear that Brighton Pavilion just passed the quoted motion at this morning’s GC meeting.