Labour members have chosen to avoid having a “divisive” debate about the conflict in the Middle East at their party’s annual conference.
Delegates in Liverpool on Sunday were balloted and chose instead to select topics other than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to discuss during the gathering of activists and trade unionists in Merseyside this week.
Activists instead voted to debate topics including housing, violence against women and girls, buses, knife crime, reindustrialisation, and fairness for older workers.
Influential left-wing groups Momentum and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy had sought to urge the party to adopt severe anti-Israel measures.
One model motion circulated by the left-wing activists welcomed Andy Burnham’s apology for positions the party had taken on the conflict in Gaza under Sir Keir Starmer, but called on the government to “Accept the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry that Israel has committed genocide.”
The motion also demanded that the government impose “comprehensive sanctions on Israel, including a full arms embargo” and ban “all trade that aids or assists Israel’s military actions in Gaza or its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, including all trade with Israel’s illegal settlements”.
Reacting to the decision by party members to reject a debate on the Middle East, Labour MP Luke Akehurst told the JC: "I am sure conference delegates have very strong views about the Middle East, but this vote shows they don't think a divisive, confrontational debate with two minute speeches on conference floor is the best way to discuss a complex and emotive foreign policy issue."
Last year, a similar non-binding motion was passed by Labour’s conference – backed by the party’s affiliated trade unions – which labelled Israel’s actions a genocide and didn’t mention Hamas.
The Jewish Labour Movement slammed the decision at the time, saying it “barely pays lip service to the 48 hostages held by terrorists in Gaza.”
Despite the party’s conference voting against a discussion on the Middle East, there were anti-Israel protesters outside the conference venue, with some holding up banners in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action.
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