Independent MP Adnan Hussain has demanded action from the UK government after London Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan admitted Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Khan is supported in his demand by at least nine other parliamentarians.
International law requires International Criminal Court (ICC) member states take every available action to prevent genocide. The Starmer government contorted itself shamelessly to strenuously deny the genocide. New PM Andy Burnham has shown similar evasiveness.
But Khan’s admission, coming from one of the Labour party’s most senior representatives, puts the Burnham government firmly on the legal hook. Quoting Khan’s recent speech, Hussain made the point emphatically below.
MP for Blackburn instigates letter
We, the undersigned Parliamentarians, note the recent public statement by the Mayor of London that genocide has been committed in Gaza and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bears responsibility. Whatever individual Members’ views may be, it is of profound constitutional and political significance when such a senior elected figure within the governing party publicly reaches this conclusion.
The question before the United Kingdom is no longer simply one of rhetoric, but of legal obligation.
The United Kingdom is a State Party to the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The International Court of Justice made clear in its 2007 judgment in Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro that the obligation to prevent genocide is one of conduct, not merely of reaction. A State’s duty arises when it learns of, or should normally have learned of, the existence of a serious risk that genocide may be committed. States are not entitled to remain passive until the conclusion of lengthy judicial proceedings before taking reasonable measures within their power to prevent the crime.
If senior representatives of the governing party now believe that genocide has occurred, or that there exists compelling evidence that genocide has been or is being committed, then the United Kingdom must ensure that its actions are consistent with its obligations under international law.
Accordingly, we call upon the Government to:
• Publicly set out its legal assessment of the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Genocide Convention in light of the current evidence and recent statements by senior public figures,
• Use every diplomatic, political and economic means reasonably available to the United Kingdom to help prevent further atrocities.
• Support all lawful international mechanisms for accountability, including proceedings before the International Court of Justice concerning allegations of genocide and the work of the International Criminal Court in investigating alleged international war crimes.
• Fully comply with the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Rome Statute, including cooperation with any valid arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court
• Ensure that no arms exports, military cooperation or other forms of assistance expose the United Kingdom to the risk of contributing, directly or indirectly, to serious violations of international law, including genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity
• Review the United Kingdom’s diplomatic, economic and defence relationship with Israel to ensure that it reflects the same principles and standards that the United Kingdom has consistently applied where other states have been credibly accused of the gravest international crimes, including through economic sanctions and other restrictive measures.
This is not a question of treating one state differently from another. It is a question of applying the principles of international law consistently, irrespective of the identity of the state concerned or its allies.
The United Kingdom has long claimed to uphold a rules-based international order. That commitment has meaning only if the same legal standards are applied universally, without fear or favour. Where there exists a serious risk of genocide, the duty to prevent is engaged. Where credible allegations of international crimes are made, accountability must be pursued. Where international courts exercise lawful jurisdiction, their processes must be respected.
History will judge not only those who committed atrocities, but also those states that possessed influence and failed to use it. The United Kingdom must now demonstrate that its commitment to international law is measured by its actions as well as its words.
Signed
Adnan Hussain MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
John McDonnell MP
Lord John Hendy
Ayoub Khan MP
Shockat Adam MP
Iqbal Mohammed MP
Richard Burgeon MP
Admission from London mayor
It’s not Khan’s first use of the word ‘genocide’ relating to Gaza but, perhaps stung by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stating that he wanted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu arrested, Khan strengthened his language.
Last week, he triggered a deranged Israel lobby meltdown by saying that no one can credibly deny Israel’s genocide:
It’s inescapable to draw the conclusion in Gaza we are seeing before our very eyes a genocide.
Hussain is absolutely right: the UK government must stop evading its legal obligations — or admit it is merely a failed-state poodle to the US and Israel.
Featured image via the Canary
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