Will only consider Labour return if it recognizes Israel’s ‘war crimes,’ says British-Palestinian professor

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - Kamel Hawwash, a professor at the University of Birmingham, has resigned from the UK’s main opposition Labour Party for its support to Israel enforcing “a full siege on the people of Gaza.”

Hawwash announced his resignation on Sunday with an open letter to party leader Keir Starmer, urging him to “stand on the right side of history.”

Speaking to Anadolu, Hawwash said that since Starmer took over as leader from Jeremy Corbyn – a political figure who opposes the Israeli policies – the party has adopted a “very heavy pro-Israel position and has refused to engage with the Palestinian community.”

“Starmer is a lawyer and, therefore, he should be referring everything back to international law,” Hawwash said, referring to reports by various independent rights organizations that accuse Israel of “apartheid” practices.

Israel barred Hawwash from visiting his family members in Jerusalem back in 2017 and, to this date, he is unsure whether he will ever be able to visit the city where both of his parents were born.

When recently asked on the LBC radio station whether “cutting off power and water” to the besieged Gaza Strip was an appropriate response from Israel, Starmer replied: “I think that Israel does have that right ... It is an ongoing situation. Obviously, everything should be done within international law.”

Following strong public backlash, Starmer later claimed he did not mean to imply that Israel was justified to cut off essential supplies like power and water.

“He’s tried to wriggle from that, but I don’t believe him. He supports Israel enforcing a full siege on Gaza,” Hawwash said, adding that Starmer has not called for a cease-fire despite multiple calls from party supporters.

Hawwash appreciated the “extremely supportive” reactions he has received over his resignation, but said some pro-Israel groups have viewed it as “good riddance.”

“I’m not directing my letter to them but at the leadership of the party to change its position, because people are being killed as we speak,” he said.

The academic said he recently spoke to one of his friends, who told him that he has lost “30 family members, including his mother, father, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.”

Hawwash said his return to the party would depend on whether Labour changes its “anti-Palestine” position.

“When the Labour Party acknowledges that Israel is committing war crimes, then that might be a time to consider rejoining,” he said.

- ‘Party expels members for supporting Palestine’

In his resignation letter to Starmer, the professor said the party has been suspending and expelling members, “especially Jewish members,” essentially for voicing support for Palestinians instead of backing the party’s biased position on Israel.

“You have refused to meet the Palestinian community in Britain despite repeated requests to do so, while meeting pro-Israel organizations on a regular basis,” he wrote.

Hawwash hailed Labour councilors “for saying enough is enough and resigning,” adding he hopes more will reflect and come to the same conclusion “that Palestinian lives are no less valuable than other lives, and that the party’s line on Palestine under your leadership is shameful and wrong.”

A number of party councilors resigned last week for the same reasons.

Their decision came after some prominent leading members of the shadow Cabinet and other senior party figures made similar remarks in defense of Israel’s latest actions, including Emily Thornberry, the shadow attorney general, John Healey, the shadow defense minister, and David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary.

Prior to announcing her resignation from the party, Mona Ahmed, the councilor for Kensington and Chelsea, told Anadolu that comments made by both the ruling Conservatives and her party “have been deplorable.”

“Nobody will forget how Starmer chose to be a cheerleader of war crimes and collective punishment,” she said.

“He could have called for de-escalation but instead he contributed to the chorus of voices which enabled the genocide we are now seeing. Arab and Muslim communities will not forget this.”