Corbyn criticises ‘silence and evasion’ over Gaza in call for UK inquiry
Questions about Britain’s relationship with Israel are met with “silence and evasion”, Jeremy Corbyn has claimed in fresh calls for a Gaza inquiry.
The former Labour leader will use Parliament’s ten-minute rule to demand a probe into what he described as “Britain’s role in genocide”.
He is due to table his Gaza (Independent Public Inquiry) Bill in the Commons on June 4, which he can support with a speech lasting up to 10 minutes.
“We are witnessing a genocide, livestreamed before the entire world, and Britain’s continued military co-operation with Israel is utterly indefensible,” Mr Corbyn said.
The now-independent MP for Islington North added: “The public deserves to know the full scale of the UK’s complicity in crimes against humanity – and we are not going anywhere until we have established the truth.”
“Silence and evasion”
He also told the PA news agency: “Every week, MPs ask questions about the extent of Britain’s military co-operation with Israel, including the supply and use of arms, military intelligence and British air bases.
“Every week, these questions are met with silence and evasion.
“It’s time for a public inquiry into Britain’s role in genocide — and for the truth to come out.”
If Mr Corbyn’s Bill receives MPs’ backing next month, he faces a battle for parliamentary time so that it can clear the necessary stages and become law, but its progress could be accelerated if it attracts Government support.
If it is agreed, the Bill would “require the inquiry to consider any UK military, economic or political co-operation with Israel since October 2023.”
Genocide
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The inquiry would look at “the sale, supply or use of weapons, surveillance aircraft and Royal Air Force bases” in the Middle East, and would have powers to “question ministers and officials about decisions taken in relation to UK involvement”.
The UK Government last year suspended around 30 arms export licences covering items used in the conflict in Gaza, from a total of approximately 350 licences to Israel.
A UK assessment concluded “there is a clear risk certain military exports to Israel might be used in violations of international humanitarian law”.
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There is also the ‘soft power’ aspect of the Prime Minister’s unwavering moral support for Israel until very recently…
As for our high church preaching Foreign Sec, how he engages with St Peter at the appointed time would hold a fly’s attention…@Lemmy not Lammy
Don’t tell Cadw, it is the European Year of the Normans,
Headline: Winter Fuel coming (but can’t say when), says King Wenceslas
I don’t see how the people of Gaza can ever forgive the world. If there’s anyone left to forgive anything. I don’t understand how the world is standing by and in some cases facilitating genocide. I despair.
The U K Mr Corbyn nobody and no country take any notice of this meaningless little country called the Disunited Kingdom it is a joke of a country it is a sad thing that is happening in Gaza as Israel is now a terrorist state
Why is it that Hamas gets the label ‘terrorist group’ (they have certainly earned it) and not the IDF who have done many times worse than Hamas? Surely assigning ‘Terrorist Group’ to the IDF would be a big symbolic step to show that the UK does have a sort of moral compass. Of course a ban on all arms sales is needed too.
So you’d have the IDF do nothing in response to Hamas’s attacks and activities leading up to attacks? In other words Israel should sit back and let Iranian funded Hamas wipe them out?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/israeli-troops-fire-warning-shots-25-diplomats-visiting-occupied-west-bank
That doesn’t answer the question.