LFPME hosted its first Gala Dinner on Wednesday 27th June at the Great Hall of Lincoln’s Inn, London. The Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband MP, leader of the Labour Party, attended and addressed over 200 guests.
A large number of Labour Parliamentarians, prominent members of the British Arab community, Arab Ambassadors, Labour Party members, trade union representatives as well as people working for NGOs in the Middle East attended.
Guests enjoyed Arabic food, drink and music and heard speeches from the Rt. Hon. Ed Miliband MP, leader of the Labour Party, and His Excellency, the Palestinian Ambassador Manuel Hassassian.
The chair of LFPME Simon Danczuk MP welcomed guests and introduced the work of LFPME and described the activities undertaken to support the two state solution and justice for Palestinians. He said he was proud that the Labour Party under the leadership of Ed Miliband came out in support of the Palestinian bid for recognition at the UN in 2011. He also spoke about his own visit to the West Bank before he became an MP and witnessing the harsh reality and unfairness of the situation in the region. He urged the international community to move beyond the rhetoric that supports the two state solution to taking action which implements international law, upholds human rights, ends the occupation and blockade of Palestine and achieves the two state solution.
Whilst introducing the Palestinian Ambassador the LFPME vice chair Richard Burden MP welcomed the FCO funded report by British Lawyers on the treatment of Palestinian children under Israeli military law which found Israel is in breach of a series of articles under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
His Excellency Ambassador Hassassian followed Richard Burden MP and acknowledged the work done by LFPME and its staff - who are all volunteers - and thanked them for hosting the Gala dinner and supporting the cause of justice for Palestinians. He praised Ed Miliband and Labour MPs for their commitment to achieving peace and justice in the Middle East and for showing leadership and courage in supporting the Palestinian bid for recognition at the UN last year.
The Ambassador stressed that time “is not on our side” and the growth of illegal settlements, in blantant defiance of international law and opinion, were increasingly diminishing the opportunities to achieve a two-state solution. He said that the absence of action by the international community to halt settlements and violations would soon result in there being very little left to negotiate and urged action to save the two state solution.
LFPME vice chair Andy Slaughter MP introduced Ed Miliband and praised his leadership and thanked him for bringing the party leadership closer to the party membership on the issue of Palestine and the Middle East.
In his speech Ed Miliband thanked LFPME for its work and commitment to the cause of peace and justice. He joked that there were more shadow cabinet members present at the dinner than attend shadow cabinet meetings. He said that the large number of Labour MPs, peers and people from the Labour family at the dinner was indicative of the importance the Party places on the cause for peace and justice in the Middle East.
Ed Miliband went on to say that while it was easy to be pessimistic there was a need to be optimistic. He highlighted the case of Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi whom he met during her recent visit to the UK and he drew parallels to the peace process in Northern Ireland. He also spoke of the Arab Spring and the changes taking place and the important role western governments have in supporting democracy in the region and ensuring that a settlement in Israel-Palestine is also part of the wider changes taking place.
He also reiterated that the Labour Party is fully supportive of the two state solution with a viable Palestinian State alongside Israel. The party he said was also against illegal settlement activity, the blockade on Gaza and against all violence including rocket attacks on Israel.
On the decision taken by the Party to recognise Palestine at the UN, he said it was the right thing to do and it illustrated that things can change.
Ed Miliband also said that he recognised that the situation in the region remains dire in terms of the lack of negotiations and the humanitarian situation. He said there was a need for change and that the Labour Party would continue to press the Israeli Government on these issues and in particular on the rights of children and their treatment in detention.
He concluded by saying that the Labour Party under his leadership stood ready to be the honest brokers needed to support change, to support progress, and support the two state solution that the Labour Party stands for. He thanked LFPME for their hard working and all the guests for attending and supporting the internationalist traditions of the Labour Party.
You can view some pictures from the event on the LFPME Flickr pages.
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