Labour on Israel are always shocking. This week was jaw-dropping
IT can be easy to become desensitised to the horrors unfolding in Gaza. Every day the death tally climbs, warnings of man-made famine and even genocide escalate, and many world governments continue to do nothing. Or, in the case of the UK Government, aid in the destruction.
That is not a light accusation to level, but the shocking news revealed by the Labour Government's own figures earlier this week leave scant other conclusions to be drawn.
It transpired that, despite having made a song and dance about suspending around 10% of the weapons export licences to Israel in September 2024, Labour then oversaw a massive increase in the amount of military equipment being sent to the nation.
The figures are so genuinely shocking that at first we could not believe them. But a few phone calls and spreadsheets later, they were confirmed. From October to December 2024, the UK Government licensed £127 million worth of arms exports to Israel.
This is more than the value of all the weapons sent from the UK to Israel in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 combined. Combined.
As Labour ministers pat themselves on the back for suspending a handful of export licences, the value of military equipment being sent has skyrocketed. The hypocrisy is breath-taking – even if they claim the targeting systems and other equipment being sent is defensive in nature.
READ MORE: Labour MPs and peers call on UK Government to recognise Palestine
And it doesn't stop there. In a twist of fate, the UK Government was in the High Court defending its decision to continue sending F-35 parts to Israel on the same day that those arms export figures were published.
At that High Court hearing, Labour had the sheer cheek to argue that the evidence does not support conclusions of a genocide in Gaza. That will be news to Amnesty International, the UN, and even the Spanish government, whose prime minister this week called Israel 'genocidal'.
The reason that argument from Labour is particularly galling is because their ministers repeatedly insist that any determination of genocide is not for them. That is a cop-out – and a lie, evidenced by their own argument that actually there is no genocide in Gaza. They are quite happy determining that.
Labour are also quite happy cheerleading Israel, a country who let's not forget is actively breaking international law at this very moment – regardless of when you're reading this.
Israel is illegally occupying the West Bank, illegally occupying Gaza, and illegally cutting off aid into the region. Its prime minister is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court. But instead of treating the country as the international pariah it should be, Labour is cheering it on.
The UK Government sent Asylum Minister Angela Eagle down to a discrete pro-Israel love-in at the British museum earlier this week, where she nauseatingly spoke about what a difficult time the country is having. As if none of it is the Israeli government's own doing.
It's a bit like telling a domestic abuser that you sympathise with them going through a difficult divorce. All context is stripped away by necessity. To look at that context would be to acknowledge their own evils – even as Labour ministers scoff and tell themselves they are the adults in the room.
But there is nothing adult about sending weaponry to Benjamin Netanyahu, a far-right, genocidal maniac. Why are Labour so insistent on defending their right to do so?
Whatever their twisted reasoning, they're making the most of it.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
8 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Swinney defends ‘two-horse race' comments after by-election loss to Labour
The First Minister spoke of his disappointment at his party's loss, acknowledging there is 'anger' about the cost of living and concerns around access to services in Scotland. In the run-up to polls opening on Thursday, Mr Swinney had repeatedly sought to frame the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election as a contest between his party and Nigel Farage's Reform. But in a surprise result in the early hours of Friday, Scottish Labour were victorious with their candidate Davy Russell taking 8,559 votes. The SNP's Katy Loudon took 7,957 votes, while Reform's Ross Lambie secured 7,088. Labour are celebrating their by-election win (Jane Barlow/PA) Mr Swinney spoke to journalists at the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh, saying his party had improved its position from a devastating general election result last year, but recognising they must make further progress ahead of next year's Scottish Parliament vote. He told the PA news agency: 'Clearly, we're disappointed that we didn't win last night, but we made progress in the election compared to the general election last summer, and we've got to build on that and make sure that we strengthen our support in advance of 2026. 'So the SNP made progress last night, but it's not nearly enough and we've got to build on that.' (PA Graphics) Asked if it was a mistake to call the by-election a 'two-horse race', he said: 'I called it the way I saw it. 'The way I saw it was the Labour vote was collapsing compared to the general election last summer, which it did, it was down 20%. 'We saw the Reform vote surging, which it has. The SNP sought to portray the by-election as a contest between themselves and Reform (Jane Barlow/PA) 'And in that context, I thought the SNP was best placed to see off Reform because of the scale of collapse in the Labour vote.' He said Nigel Farage represented a 'poisonous injection into our politics'. Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has said he is 'delighted' with the result in Hamilton. (PA Graphics) Mr Swinney also defended his party's campaign in the constituency, saying it was 'energetic' and 'enthusiastic'. He had frequently visited the seat in the run-up to the vote. Asked if people are turning away from the SNP because of their record in government, he said: 'There's a lot of anger in the electorate just now because people are finding things tough, particularly with the cost of living, and they're concerned about about issues in terms of access to public services. 'So what my government is going to focus on is addressing the day-to-day priorities of people in Scotland, about improving their lives.' He mentioned the Scottish Government's plans to scrap peak rail fares in September and bring down NHS waiting lists.
South Wales Guardian
9 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Swinney defends ‘two-horse race' comments after by-election loss to Labour
The First Minister spoke of his disappointment at his party's loss, acknowledging there is 'anger' about the cost of living and concerns around access to services in Scotland. In the run-up to polls opening on Thursday, Mr Swinney had repeatedly sought to frame the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election as a contest between his party and Nigel Farage's Reform. But in a surprise result in the early hours of Friday, Scottish Labour were victorious with their candidate Davy Russell taking 8,559 votes. The SNP's Katy Loudon took 7,957 votes, while Reform's Ross Lambie secured 7,088. Mr Swinney spoke to journalists at the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh, saying his party had improved its position from a devastating general election result last year, but recognising they must make further progress ahead of next year's Scottish Parliament vote. He told the PA news agency: 'Clearly, we're disappointed that we didn't win last night, but we made progress in the election compared to the general election last summer, and we've got to build on that and make sure that we strengthen our support in advance of 2026. 'So the SNP made progress last night, but it's not nearly enough and we've got to build on that.' Asked if it was a mistake to call the by-election a 'two-horse race', he said: 'I called it the way I saw it. 'The way I saw it was the Labour vote was collapsing compared to the general election last summer, which it did, it was down 20%. 'We saw the Reform vote surging, which it has. 'And in that context, I thought the SNP was best placed to see off Reform because of the scale of collapse in the Labour vote.' He said Nigel Farage represented a 'poisonous injection into our politics'. Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has said he is 'delighted' with the result in Hamilton. Mr Swinney also defended his party's campaign in the constituency, saying it was 'energetic' and 'enthusiastic'. He had frequently visited the seat in the run-up to the vote. Asked if people are turning away from the SNP because of their record in government, he said: 'There's a lot of anger in the electorate just now because people are finding things tough, particularly with the cost of living, and they're concerned about about issues in terms of access to public services. 'So what my government is going to focus on is addressing the day-to-day priorities of people in Scotland, about improving their lives.' He mentioned the Scottish Government's plans to scrap peak rail fares in September and bring down NHS waiting lists.
South Wales Guardian
9 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Trump bid to ban foreign Harvard students temporarily blocked by judge
Mr Trump's proclamation, issued on Wednesday, was the latest attempt by his administration to prevent the nation's oldest and wealthiest college from enrolling a quarter of its students, who account for much of Harvard's research and scholarship. Harvard filed a legal challenge the next day, asking for a judge to block Mr Trump's order and calling it illegal retaliation for Harvard's rejection of White House demands. Harvard said the president was attempting an end-run around a previous court order. A few hours later, US District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston issued a temporary restraining order against Mr Trump's Wednesday proclamation. Harvard, she said, had demonstrated it would sustain 'immediate and irreparable injury' before she would have an opportunity to hear from the parties in the lawsuit. Ms Burroughs also extended the temporary hold she placed on the administration's previous attempt to end Harvard's enrolment of international students. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard's certification to host foreign students and issue paperwork to them for their visas, only to have Ms Burroughs block the action temporarily. Mr Trump's order this week invoked a different legal authority. If Mr Trump's measure were to survive this court challenge, it would block thousands of students who are scheduled to come to Harvard's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the summer and autumn terms. 'Harvard's more than 7,000 F-1 and J-1 visa holders — and their dependents — have become pawns in the government's escalating campaign of retaliation,' Harvard wrote in a court filing on Thursday. While the court case proceeds, Harvard is making contingency plans so students and visiting scholars can continue their work at the university, president Alan Garber said in a message to the campus and alumni. 'Each of us is part of a truly global university community,' Mr Garber said on Thursday. 'We know that the benefits of bringing talented people together from around the world are unique and irreplaceable.' Harvard has attracted a growing number of the brightest minds from around the world, with international enrolment growing from 11% of the student body three decades ago to 26% today. Rising international enrolment has made Harvard and other elite colleges uniquely vulnerable to Mr Trump's crackdown on foreign students. Republicans have been seeking to force overhauls of the nation's top colleges, which they see as hotbeds of 'woke' and antisemitic viewpoints. Mr Garber says the university has made changes to combat antisemitism. But Harvard, he said, will not stray from its 'core, legally-protected principles', even after receiving federal ultimatums. Mr Trump's administration has also taken steps to withhold federal funding from Harvard and other elite colleges that have rejected White House demands related to campus protests, admissions, hiring and more. Harvard's 53 billion dollar (£39 billion) endowment allows it to weather the loss of funding for a time, although Mr Garber has warned of 'difficult decisions and sacrifices' to come.
