Labour conference passes ‘Israel genocide’ motion that does not mention Hamas

“Whilst the debate itself was conducted with civility, the outcome is not what we’d expect to see from a Party of government. We urge the government to continue to pursue a path of peace for all Israelis and Palestinians.”

Similarly, Labour Friends of Israel said it was “shameful, shocking and inexplicable for conference to have passed a motion, proposed by trade unions, about the tragic conflict in Gaza which makes no reference to the October 7 Hamas atrocities that sparked it.”

Another motion which also called on the government to suspend arms deals with Israel, took a less conclusive view on whether Israel is committing genocide and urged the government to: “Fully support the role and independence of the ICJ and the ICC, the primary international institutions for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes including genocide”.

That motion was rejected. 

The more extreme motion was introduced by Christina McAnea, the general secretary of Unison – Britain’s largest trade union, which has been supportive of Keir Starmer’s leadership.

However, McAnea attacked the government’s longstanding position that the determination of genocide is a matter for international courts.

“Let’s not play with semantics, let’s use the word… If we wait for this to be confirmed by a court, it will be too late because it is already happening as we sit here,” she told delegates in Liverpool.

“We cannot continue to watch from the sidelines in horror as people are being slaughtered as women and children are starved to death”, she added.

One Labour source speculated to the JC that the reason McAnea herself moved the motion was as a result of pressure from the left of Unison. She is facing a re-election campaign later this year.

Another was hugely critical of positioning on the issue and called her move “disgraceful”.

Seconding the motion was Marz Calambini, on behalf of rail union Aslef. He told the crowd that: “Genocide quite clearly taking place against the people of Palestine” and called on the government to stop “providing Israel with arms”.

However, there were some critical voices who objected to the unfolding events.

Speaking on behalf of the Jewish Labour Movement, Josh Garfield lamented that the motion “ignores Hamas entirely … Doesn’t even say the word Hamas. If we pass the motion, what would we be saying?”

Urging party members to reject the motion, he said: “Don’t do a disservice for Palestinians fighting for peace or Israelis fighting for coexistence.”

Similarly, South Norfolk Councillor Deborah Sacks, who was donning a yellow ribbon in support of the hostage families, spoke against the second motion.

She also pointed out that the suffering experienced by Israelis goes under-reported by the media: “My eight-year-old cousin spends regular time in his bomb shelter with his family… doesn’t get mentioned on the BBC.”

Sacks added that Labour figures who accuse Reform UK or Donald Trump of spreading misinformation should more considered in their language when it comes to the conflict in Gaza.

“We need to be really careful about the extraordinary use of language that has happened around this debate. When I was asked about the hostages recently, someone argued back ‘what about the Palestinian hostages’. You can’t be so loose about these terms. October 7 was an extraordinary event that should never be repeated… Please don’t stoke the conflict, please recognise the hurt on all sides.”

However, a spokesperson for the Board of Deputies urged the government to simply ignore the motions passed by the activists.

“On a day where serious talks are happening in Washington towards the resolution of this awful war, the highly problematic resolutions at Labour Conference are a divisive distraction. Continually failing to address the culpability of Hamas does nothing to move us towards peace”, they said in a statement.

They instead urged the government to focus on moves “towards a ceasefire that gets the hostages out, aid in, removes the threat of Hamas, and lays the ground for sustainable peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider Middle East.”

New Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper opened her speech to the party activists by speaking about the government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state.

She described recognition as “is the embodiment of our passionate belief that the only path, the only path, to security and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike is two states living side by side” and asserted that “there can, and will be, no role for Hamas terrorists in any future governance of Palestine.”

Although she called on the terrorist group to release hostages kidnapped on October 7, she was vehemently critical of Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

“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”, she said.

She also paid tribute to her successor David Lammy who, she said, “set out the pathway to recognition” and praised his actions in office including the restoration of aid to Unwra, support for the hostages, sanctions on Israeli ministers and on Hamas and restrictions on arms sales.

Later in the day, Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ address to the activists was interrupted by a pro-Palestine demonstrator who unfurled a Palestinian flag and talked about “genocide”.

Reeves hit back saying: “We understand your cause and are recognising a Palestinian state. But we are now a party in government and not a party of protest” to raucous applause from the delegates in Liverpool, adding: “I’m proud to stand here as your chancellor.”