January 2010 LFPME held its annual reception in the House of Commons on the 13th January, chaired by Dr Phyllis Starkey MP. Guests speakers included Ilan Pappe, pre-eminent Israeli historian and author of ‘The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine’ who urged the UK Government, MPs, and campaigners not to stand back and let further atrocities take place in Gaza. He told the large audience, which included members, MPs, Lords and political organisations, that by continuing to perpetuate crimes over a long period the Israeli authorities were evading the scrutiny of the world’s media who will only take note of large-scale atrocities. He urged guests to ‘count up the loss of lives over years not weeks’ to see the reality of Israel’s policy in Gaza. Peter Hain MP, spoke of the ‘enormous injustices’ in the region. He went on to say, that LFPME could count on many in the Party, including Ministers and MPs to support its work.
Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian Ambassador, reminded the guests that there was no peace process; and there had been no peace process for some years, and nor would there be one until significant political pressure was brought to bear on the Israeli Government. He stated that ‘we are fooling ourselves if we think Israel will give up one inch of land and that all Israeli policies from the massacre in Gaza to the erecting of walls are to create unbearable conditions so that Palestinians ‘get sick and leave’. He criticised plans for changes on Universal Jurisdiction for ‘protecting the Israeli war criminals’. Dr Phyllis Starkey MP closed the event by reminding everyone that the election of Conservative Government would be an enormously retrograde step for the future of Palestine. She pointed out that the stated positions of the British government are entirely in line with international law, but urged everybody to do all they can to increase the pressure on the government to put these principles in to practice.
