As the bombardment and tightening siege of Gaza enters it’s fifth week, millions of people around the world have been shocked and horrified by the immense suffering they are seeing on their screens and by the relentless brutality of the Israeli government towards innocent Palestinian civilians, so many of whom are children and newborn babies.
A ceasefire saves lives. This is an avoidable tragedy with more than 400 people killed by Israel every day.
From the outset, the overwhelming majority of the UK public has supported an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as has the Green Party. Though shockingly late in the day, the Liberal Democrat Party are now also calling for a ceasefire.
But Labour Party leader Keir Starmer still calls for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting, despite, at time of writing, more than a third of Labour Party MPs, including almost 20 frontbenchers, supporting a ceasefire in Gaza. Moreover, the leadership required MPs to abstain on a ceasefire motion raised in Parliament on the 15th November- putting them completely at odds with the public.
It is time all Labour politicians realise what most of their constituents realised weeks ago, that an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is not only a moral imperative but a political necessity for any kind of peaceful settlement to be reached, which includes the right of all people to live in safety and without persecution across the region.
Unfortunately, the government also does not support a ceasefire, however we call on Conservative councillors to support one anyway as a matter of conscience.
We therefore call for BANES Labour, Conservative and independent councillors to show the courage, leadership and compassion we expect from our elective representatives and to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
We, the undersigned
Please add your name below as a comment if you’d like to sign the letter (by signing the letter you confirm that you are a constituent of Bath and North East Somerset Council)
Comments
45 responses to “Open Letter to BANES Councillors”
[…] https://bathcampaigns.org.uk/open-letter-to-banes-councillors/ […]
[…] https://bathcampaigns.org.uk/open-letter-to-banes-councillors/ […]
[…] https://bathcampaigns.org.uk/open-letter-to-banes-councillors/ […]
[…] [18] https://bathcampaigns.org.uk/open-letter-to-banes-councillors/ […]
Free Palestine! We as a culture hold onto such a hero complex in the UK for how we fought hard to free other cultures in history, to bring justice
We cannot let our greed and capitalism win out against genocide!
Save the people of Gaza. They are our brothers and sisters. End the death and destruction. Ceasefire now.
Signed
Peace now.
Raouf Alebshehy
Sally Searby
People of Gaza need peace.
Stop the genocide and call for a ceasefire now.
Ceasefire Now
signed
Enough. Ceasefire now.
Signed.
Caitlin Quintin
Signed
signed
Ceasefire NOW. A pause is just a promise to resume the genocide. Free Palestine.
People will need to be held accountable for condoning genocide. That includes senior politicians.
Immediate and permanent ceasefire
Amanda Padamsee
Signed.
Signed
Palestine deserves freedom and self determination, an end to the occupation and justice for its people. Stop the slaughter now.
Free Palestine 🇵🇸
Blake Walker
Civilians are being viciously targeted and killed in their thousands. It is not controversial to demand that this stop. Neither should it be negotiable.
Ceasefire is the basic and urgent minimum. What people need to strive for is the end to illegal occupation and lasting resolution of the issue.
Ceasefire now. No to genocide.
Ceasefire immediately
Signed
Adrienne Preedy
Signed
We will not forget the politicians who remained silent and failed to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Your inaction makes them complicit in genocide.
Signed
Ceasefire now!
This killing of occupied civilians is no solution. It is immoral.
Grant Ninnes
Ceasefire now.
We need a ceasefire immediately to stop further loss of life. Act now please, before we lose more innocents.
Nathan Perry
Lisa Ghosn
Signed
Please continue to have the Palestinian Plight on key agendas