Labour government’s shift on Gaza not enough, say British Muslims, scholars
Al Jazeera
Despite the prime minister taking a slightly tougher line on Israel, the UK continues to supply weapons, avoid sanctions.
London, United Kingdom – Halimo Hussain, 31, has voted for the Labour Party at every election since she was able to vote. But that stopped with the 2024 July election.
“I felt that it was impossible to support the Labour Party while they were actively funding and supporting genocide … and endorsing collective punishment [of Palestinians in Gaza] was unconscionable,” Hussain, a British Muslim and a diversity and inclusion officer from Tottenham in north London, told Al Jazeera.
She explained that in the run-up to the election, her efforts were focused on independent candidates who were pro-Palestinian.
Nearly four months after the election, Hussain’s views on Labour have not changed despite the party taking a different stance on the war in power than the previous Conservative government.
“I think they’ve semi-acknowledged that war crimes are taking place but yet are attempting to go through legal loopholes to keep funding and supporting Israel in its genocidal assault on Gaza, and that to me is insane,” she said, referring to Britain suspending 30 arms export licences to Israel in early September.
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