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08/01/09 : Gaza: Salter Condemns Killings and Gathers MPs Support for Ceasefire Call, Labour Leaders Back Local Campaign :
Reading West Labour MP Martin Salter was one of 32 original signatories on a statement on a statement from MPs calling for an end to the slaughter in Gaza and condemning the Israeli actions as “disproportionate and counter-productive to achieving either security for the people of Israel or peace in the Middle East”. The statement, which has now been signed by over 100 MPs of all parties, also describes the deliberate targeting of civilians and medical facilities as “a breech of humanitarian law”.
Martin Salter was one of the speakers at a Gaza Crisis Meeting at Reading’s Pakistan Community Centre on Tuesday 6th January where he elaborated on his opposition to the killings in Gaza. Labour Council Leader Jo Lovelock also spoke at the meeting, and those present included Anneliese Dodds, Labour spokesperson for Reading East, and other Labour Cabinet members and Councillors.
In his speech, Martin Salter said:-
“ What is happening in the Gaza Strip is an outrage and the indiscriminate bombings, shelling and killings, together with the invasion by Israeli troops must stop – as must the rocket attacks.
In common with MPs of all parties I have condemned the Israeli assault on the people of Gaza, and in particular the targeting of civilians, ambulance drivers and medical facilities as a breach of international and humanitarian law. A copy of our statement ‘STOP THE SLAUGHTER IN GAZA’ was published in the Guardian on 31st December. I have also written in similar terms to the Foreign Secretary David Miliband and will be supporting further political action to put pressure on Israel when parliament returns next week.
“The Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has made herself an international laughing stock with her claims that ‘there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza’. But what was happening inside the Gaza Strip - the world’s biggest prison camp - is no laughing matter. Thanks to Israel’s 18 month-long blockade, it was a humanitarian crisis even before the December 27th assault - it is now a thousand times worse.
“Now I don’t pretend to be neutral on the issue of Palestine. I am a supporter of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and a founder member of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East. I oppose the occupation by force of Palestine in breech of UN Resolutions. I oppose the blockade of Gaza and I have publicly condemned the Israeli assault as inhumane, excessive and disproportionate. It is also counter-productive to the search for peace in the Middle East based on an independent and secure two state solution - as of course are the rocket attacks on Israeli towns and villages.
“However, it is possible-despite not being neutral on the issue of Palestine - to be fair minded and truthful in the arguments that we make and positions we hold.
“So let me tell the Israeli Foreign Minister why Gaza is a humanitarian outrage – not in my words, not in the words of the Palestinians but by quoting directly from yesterday’s situation report by the United Nations Office for the co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Gaza is now divided into two sections with internal movement within the Strip extremely dangerous. It is increasingly difficult for humanitarian staff to distribute aid or reach casualties. More than a million Gazans still have no electricity or water, and thousands of people have fled their homes for safe shelter. In addition to the destruction of essential infrastructure including electricity, water and waste water, communications and roads, hospitals are unable to provide adequate intensive care to the high number of casualties. Ministry of Health figures as of 1500 hours are 534 dead and at least 2470 injured since 27 December. However, the danger to medical staff and the difficulty of extracting the injured from collapsed buildings makes proper evacuation and estimation of casualties difficult
Martin Salter continued:-
“And only today we hear of 40 people killed whilst sheltering at a school of all places and the UN now saying that there were now no safe places left in Gaza for civilians.
“In the light of all this how could anyone deny there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza at the moment?
“There are 1.5 million Palestinians living as prisoners in a strip of land 25 miles long by 7 miles wide under sustained military assault without access to food, power, water and sanitation or proper medical facilities.
“This is not just an humanitarian crisis my friends, it is an international outrage.
Arguing for an immediate ceasefire, Mr Salter concluded saying:-
“The position of America is crucial and the pressure that we can bring to bear through the European Union and United Nations on both Israel and America is where we should concentrate our efforts. In military terms Israel is little more than a client state of the USA and responds primarily to pressure from Washington. Both the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Foreign Secretary David Miliband are pressing the USA to lift its veto on a UN Resolution and to agree a ceasefire, a truce and new border arrangements. The British Government is working through the EU, the UN and the Quartet to secure
An urgent and immediate ceasefire
Delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza
A new political process
“However, let me make this clear – the Israeli government has been cynical in the extreme in the timing of their assault on Gaza. They have been preparing for this invasion for the last 3 months and scheduled it for the dying days of the Bush administration safe in the knowledge that the ultra-conservative neo-cons in the Republican Party would resist any attempt to rein in the Israeli military.
“Now is the time for all our political leaders to stand up and be counted, as some of us did over the disastrous invasion of Lebanon in 2006. The bombings and the killings must stop - and stop now”.
Mr Salter promised the meeting that he would do all he could to encourage MPs to put pressure via the British Government on the UN and America to demand that Israel stops the attacks on Gaza. Together with other like-minded MPs he will be drawing up a Commons Motion which he hopes will include calls to end the arms trade with Israel; downgrade Israel’s preferential trade agreements with the EU and even boycott Israeli products should the military action continue in the face of international opposition.
Labour Leader of Reading Borough Council Jo Lovelock pledged to bring a resolution to the next meeting of the Council to help raise awareness of the issues in Reading and press for Government action to end the killing in Gaza and the blockade, and give the Palestinians the opportunity to rebuild their society and create a secure future.
Jo Lovelock, Anneliese Dodds and other Labour women are also supporting a women’s vigil which is being organised for the evening of Thursday 15th January in Broad Street, as a symbol of their solidarity with, particularly, the women and children of the Gaza Strip, and calling on local women to take part.
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