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5 hours ago
2
It would be churlish not to welcome the Damascene conversion of the Labour leadership on Israel’s unconscionable actions in Gaza but, as your editorial says, this must be translated into action (The Guardian view on the calls to save Gaza: Palestinians need deeds, not words, 20 May). As well as sanctions and an arms embargo, that should include an announcement on the recognition of a Palestinian state – which has already been endorsed in a symbolic Commons motion in 2014 by 11 members of the current cabinet – to revive the moribund peace process.
A key element must be to put pressure on the Americans, who alone have the power to persuade the Israeli government to stop the carnage. While Benjamin Netanyahu has hitherto had Donald Trump’s backing, he will no doubt be aware that the capricious US president, fixated on the bottom line and now distracted by projecting his gold obsession into outer space with his Golden Dome missile defence system, could turn on a dime.
Netanyahu has described the crisis as existential for Israel. In one sense, he is right. As well as obliterating Palestinians and condemning the remaining hostages to death, he has turned Israel into a pariah state and embarked on a self-destructive course that risks the moral and physical integrity of Israel.
Anyone who has the best interests of both the Palestinian and Israeli people at heart must surely support all actions aimed at an immediate end to the war, the return of the hostages and the full resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Dr Anthony Isaacs
London
Your report of the foreign secretary’s announcements to parliament states that a “future bilateral strategic roadmap” will be reviewed (UK suspends trade talks with Israel and attacks ‘repellent’ extremism, 20 May). The 2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations was in fact signed in March 2023. This provides the framework for the prospective trade agreements that are now under review, but also outlines the many areas in which the two countries already partner. This includes defence and security, science, technology and health.
There is also the promise of cooperation on culture, arts, education, climate change, gender and development. The UK government has also committed to “tackling the disproportionate focus on Israel in the UN and other international bodies”.
That the roadmap is not in the future but determining relations in the present is evident from the extremely delayed and limited response of the British government in condemning the actions of its Israeli partners. The roadmap must now be suspended in its entirety.
Emma Sangster
London
David Lammy’s words are not enough – we need concrete actions. His government is still authorising arms export licences with end users in Israel, potentially violating international law. It has not yet sanctioned the Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose language demonstrates the intention to commit genocide, and it is ignoring the pleas of the 600,000 who I joined in a demonstration in London last Saturday on behalf of Palestinians to end Israel’s occupation and the starving of civilians, and to stop this terrible war. Moreover, we who demonstrate face hostile policing, arrests and prosecutions, clogging up our already overburdened courts, wasting taxpayers’ money.
Margaret Owen
London
