U.K. House of Commons Blows Up over Gaza Ceasefire Resolution

Feb. 26—The House of Commons blew up on Feb. 21 over a motion to condemn Israel for its “collective punishment” of the Palestinian people. The motion was brought forward by the Scottish National Party (SNP), with support from some Liberal Democrats and some Labour Party MPs. That was scary enough that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer reportedly induced the Speaker of the Commons Lindsay Hoyle to allow a vote on a Labour amendment which did not include the words “collective punishment,” before voting on that SNP motion. This was a break from the usual procedure, causing a walkout by SNP and Tory MPs. After the walkout, the Labour amendment was then passed, precluding a vote on the SNP motion.

MP Brendan O’Hara, of the SNP, said the House of Commons had the chance to be on “the right side of history” by voting to end the violence as the party called for an immediate end to fighting, reported Middle East Eye (MEE). “No one would deny that Israel has the right to defend itself…. What no country has the right to do is to lay siege to a civilian population, carpet bomb densely inhabited areas, drive people from their homes, erase an entire civilian infrastructure, and impose collective punishment involving cutting off water, electricity, food, and medicine from civilians.”

SNP lawmaker Anum Qaisar highlighted the U.K.’s complicity in the war, including the supply of spare parts for Israel’s F-35 stealth fighters. “It is morally corrupt and sickens me to my core that the U.K. continues to sell arms to Israel,” Qaisar said.

But, according to MEE, the Labour leadership, with a national election that it is expected to win on the way, felt “uncomfortable” with the motion’s mention of Israeli “collective punishment.” The Labour amendment stated that “Israel cannot be expected to cease fighting if Hamas continues with violence,” a formulation absent from the SNP motion.

Separate Labour sources informed MEE that Hoyle, who is also a Labour MP and who visited Israel in November, was told by senior figures in his party that if he did not allow a vote on Labour’s amendment, he “wouldn’t be Speaker after the general election.” The party has denied the allegations, but Hoyle is nonetheless facing demands that he resign.