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Greens call for scaling up actions against Israel, accusing UK government of complicity in killing

Text of a press release issued by the Green Party of England and Wales on 12th February 2024.

As Israel appears to be on the brink of an all out assault on Rafah, despite warnings against such action by the UN, Red Crescent and others, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer is demanding the UK scale up actions against the Israeli government until the killing stops. Greens are calling for an end to all arms sales to Israel, prosecutions of war criminals and targeted sanctions on Israel’s leaders. 

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: 

“It is clear that the Israeli government is refusing to heed warnings about the catastrophic implications of an all-out attack on Rafah. The UK government must now demand that Israel stop the killing, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Hamas must also agree to this ceasefire of course, and release all hostages.  

“Decisions made by the UK government - above all its failure, month after month, to call for an immediate ceasefire - have made them complicit in the killing of almost 28,000 people to date, 12,000 of whom are children [1]. 

“Israel relies on certain weapon parts manufactured in the UK, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter whose essential components are made here [2]. A Dutch court has today ordered the state to cease the export of F-35 spare parts to Israel. We call on the UK government to follow suit, and suspend all arms export licences to Israel until the killing stops. The UK must also cease all military collaboration with Israel, including allowing Israeli use of British bases and RAF intelligence flights over Gaza.

“Greens would also implement the requirements of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign across the UK economy. This would include excluding Israel from international sporting and music events; withdrawing all public money from funds with investments in Israel; and ending beneficial trade arrangements with Israel [3]. 

“It is clear that only outside pressure will make Israel stop its mass killing. We can increase the pressure on Israeli leaders by introducing targeted sanctions against key individuals. This would include travel bans and asset freezes on Israel's leadership and cabinet members, in particular those calling for new settlements in Gaza and the annexation of the West Bank. 

“Finally, we would encourage UK authorities including the Metropolitan Police and Director of Public Prosecutions to pursue perpetrators of war crimes committed where UK citizens are the victims or where UK citizens are potential perpetrators. 

“There are many steps the UK government could take to pressure Israel to stop the killing. Its refusal to do so means that they are implicitly condoning the appalling carnage in Gaza.” 

Notes

  1. Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: Live tracker | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera 
  2. Who Arms Israel? (workersinpalestine.org)
  3. This is consistent with the Green Party’s non-violent approach to demonstrating its opposition to breaches of human rights and international law. It is parallel to calls we have made for boycotts of a number of different countries in the past including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, China, and Qatar.

Thousands of Enfield families live in homes that are too small for them.

  • Enfield has one of the highest rates of overcrowding in the country.
  • The council's core strategy, adoped in 2010, correctly identifies the need for family homes, but Labour has not delivered them
    • Enfield has not built enough affordable family homes and has built far too many smaller flats.
    • The target for homes with 3+ bedrooms was missed by 2,638 homes.
    • The target for social rent homes was missed by 991 homes.
    • The target for 1-2 bedroom homes was exceeded by 1,507 homes

Because there are too few family homes, rents have been rising

  • Affordable properties to rent with 3+ bedrooms in Enfield are relatively scarce.
  • The cost of renting 3-bedroom homes has risen much faster in Enfield than in other outer London
    boroughs.
  • The cost of renting a 3-bedroom home in Enfield has risen much faster than the cost of renting a 1-
    bedroom home.

The rising cost of 3+ bedroom homes is pricing out local families.

  • Many Enfield families are living in homes that are too small for them.
  • Some families move away from the area in search of affordable family housing, which can mean leaving
    support networks, changing schools and longer commutes.
  • Family finances are pushed to breaking point, which can lead to eviction and force families into emergency temporary accommodation.

By missing opportunities for family homes on brownfield sites, the council is jeopardising the Green Belt

  • New developments at Chase Farm, Colosseum Retail Park and Meridian Water have too few family-sized affordable homes
  • Land at Meridian Water belongs to the council - they are missing a chance to build family homes on their own land!
  • If building family homes is put off too long, they may have to be built on precious Green Belt land.
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