Far from the characterisation here made by people who prefer professedly biased outlets like Novara to primary sources, which would tell you that Labour is avoiding talking about Gaza, Cooper talks about Gaza throughout the speech. Palestine is the very first country she mentioned:
Do you know, fifteen years ago, when I was Labour’s shadow Foreign Secretary, the last world leader I met in that role was President Abbas in East Jerusalem. And fifteen years on, the first world leader I met as Foreign Secretary was President Abbas in London. And the tragedy – we talked about the same things – peace, the need for peace, the need for two states, the need for reform.
Yet not only has so little changed, so much has gone backwards.
Conference, for many decades, the UK has pledged support for a two state solution in the Middle East but only recognised one of those states.
Until now.
Seven days ago, I stood in the Great Chamber of the United Nations in New York, beneath the UN symbol of peace to confirm the historic decision of the United Kingdom to recognise the state of Palestine. Our manifesto promise. Because statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people.
She also repeatedly criticised Israel. For example:
The Israeli government must end the moral obscenity of this campaign that has seen food, water and medicine denied, and an unconscionable loss of human life. Because Palestinian civilians should not have to go another day in fear and hunger.
Now. If I didn’t want people to talk about Israel and Gaza, I would not go about this by getting the Foreign Secretary to mention it prominently and repeatedly in her speech to conference.
If I didn’t want people to talk about Israel and Gaza
People want the UK to do something about the genocide that Israel is committing. If you think it’s about “not wanting people to talk about Israel and Gaza” you’re sorely sorely wrong and have misunderstood the feeling really terribly.
We can start by acknowledging the UN report and immediately sanctioning Israel. Start there.
Really? Because Novara said that ‘the party had hoped [conference] would be about anything but Gaza’, and Cooper’s speech was about the things the government has done and yet 90% of the discussion in this sub is people insisting that all of it, including things they were calling for before they happened, actually haven’t happened. Exhibit A: You, presented with a speech where they describe what they’ve done, saying they haven’t done anything.
I meant of all the things the government can do they’ve done the very least.
Why has it taken this long to acknowledge that a two state solution requires … you know… two states? Why isn’t the Government condemning genocide? The UN has been clear on this. Why hasn’t the government completely stopped all trade with Israel? These send stronger signals than the government dragging their heels and then eventually doing the bare minimum.
So yes there might be some hyperbole here about what the government hasn’t done. But one thing is for sure it could do a lot more and what it has done is hardly worth fawning over.
Yeah, but we can take the win! They’re doing this because of activist pressure moving them the right way. The stance should be: Good, they’ve done this, now they need to do [next thing]. If instead we say: nothing’s happened, all our pressure and work was pointless, why keep working at all? Unfortunately, most of the motions the left is shouting about don’t include a commitment to sanctions and, ironically, are just more words and symbols: recognise this, demand that, acknowledge the other. This is the kind of ineffectual ‘activism’ you and I both take issue with!
Fact is, it’s not easy to move against a military and intelligence ally like this, especially not one that has US backing, and especially when Gaza is still run by an organisation like Hamas (right wing terrorists - surprising Trump doesn’t like them, now I think about it - maybe someone whould tell him?). It requires a level of diplomacy and negotiation that is simply not an issue for you and I when we boycott Hewlett Packard or whatever (I’m assuming we both support BDS). But the UK government is moving the right way.
It is. Quite right. I just hope it goes further.
You and me both! No idea what’s going to happen with the Trump-Netanyahu-Blair peace plan, but I’m not exactly optimistic about those three.
My guess? It won’t come to fruition. Or it won’t last longer than a year. Nobody is willing to demilitarise and nobody is willing to put external troops on the ground to protect the peace. Nobody is willing to sanction the aggression.
Sadly, I see no reason to disagree with you.
The things the government has done like supply arms and Intel to Israel and attempt to equate supporting Palestine with terrorism? Cracking down on pro Palestine protest by stating it’s pro Palestine Action. Equating Palestine Action with terrorist groups.
Are you so naive to think the government haven’t seen the writing is on the wall for them with Reform and Your Party taking away their support and so they now must change tact?
Being reminded by members of multiple parties that unlike their Israeli and American counterparts they are beholden to the ICC and could find themselves in The Hague for crimes against humanity?
One speech, delivered after negative news stories, does not absolve her of her crimes. Nor does it mean those news stories were wrong.
Do you believe she wrote that speech herself weeks in advance and didn’t have her team of advisors, spin doctors, and writers whip it up posthaste to change her image in an increasingly Israel-hostile political environment? Because it turns out your average Labour voter is anti genocide and anti genocide enablers, and she’s trying to cover her arse.
I don’t know how much clearer I can be about this: the speech is important because it describes what they have done and those are real things. It is not the speech, it is the fact that the speech describes a series of shifts in policy. It is evidence that the government has responded to activist pressure, something you inexplicably and self-defeatingly describe as a bad thing!
And what they have done, as mannycalavera has said, is the most tepid bare minimum response possible to a genocide in which they have helped facilitate. Yes, okay, it’s good the tide has turned but from a party led by a human rights lawyer it’s fucking pathetic. Pro Palestine protestors have still faced inexcusable police action, including at this conference, and those police answer directly to Yvette Cooper.
I understand your point that it’s good they’re no longer supporting Israel but your point that Novara and Lemmy are disingenuous is ridiculous. This government has been openly pro Israel until very recently, trying to act righteous now when their crime is facilitating starvation, bombing, genocide is what is disingenuous. Yvette Cooper, David Lammy, and Keir Starmer, if this were a just world, would stand trial at The Hague for their part in the avoidable deaths of thousands of men, women, and children.
But, again, do the people actually concerned, the Israelis and Palestinians, think the government is doing nothing? They do not: Netanyahu thinks we’re appeasing Hamas by recognising Palestine. This is not the reaction of a man who thinks the UK is helping him out. On the other side, Hamas called the same action a ‘victory’ for Palestine.
So, with all due respect, should I listen to people on Novara and Lemmy about whether the UK’s actions matter, or should I listen to Palestinians?
The things the government has done like supply arms
We stopped supplying arms to Israel a while ago.
and attempt to equate supporting Palestine with terrorism?
When did this happen? Palestine Action was proscribed, but not for supporting Palestine, instead because they attacked police with sledgehammers, trashed businesses just for having Jewish workers, ram-raided a factory with workers inside, supported Hamas, called for a killing of Jews worldwide, broke onto an RAF base and destroyed the engines of two jets.
Supporting Palestine is fine. I’ve been to a number of pro-palestine demonstrations and they’re always fine. PA ones aren’t, because of the above.
Why would the government ban weapons exports to Israel, publicly condemn Israel for war crimes, ramp up aid for Palestine, sanction a bunch of Israeli MPs, commit to arresting Netanyahu if he ever sets foot in the UK, and recognise Palestine as a country if they actually hate Palestine/love Israel? It makes no sense.
During the incident, two officers were assaulted with a sledgehammer, police said.
One of the officers was taken to hospital with injuries to her back and has since been discharged, while the other officer received medical treatment at the scene after being struck on the back of his legs.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mnnje4wlro
Do you honestly believe the police’s side of the story here? Do you realise how devastating a sledgehammer injury would be? And yet one has been discharged by the time the story was written and the other they didn’t even bother to take to hospital. Was it a plastic sledgehammer or something?
Can you provide a source for your innocent Jewish workers claim? And that of calling for the killing of Jews worldwide? Because from what I can find is they targeted weapons and drones manufacturers, not random businesses just because Jewish people worked their.
Do you believe retired magistrates would be supporting Palestine Action if what you said were true?
No matter how you try to spin it, attacking people with a sledgehammer is not acceptable. Shame on you.
I’m not your search engine. I’m sure you’ll be able to trivially find any of that stuff.
Does running over people in a defence manufacturer’s factory somehow make it ok?
Why are you so keen on supporting proscribed terrorist groups? What’s next, Hamas? ISIS? The IRA?
