Israel-Palestine: Labour Party sees massive drop in Muslim support
New polling has shown a massive drop in support for the British Labour Party by the country's Muslim community, as anger over the party's pro-war stance on the Israeli onslaught on Gaza continues to mount.
According to the survey by Muslim Census of 30,000 British Muslims, support for the party has dropped by 66 percent compared to 2019.
In 2019, 71 percent of Muslims said they would be supporting the party, but now only 5 percent said they would. The largest bloc, 40 percent, now said they will not vote at all at the next election.
In a statement on Thursday, Muslim Census said the new polling, which also put support for the ruling Conservative Party on 0.5 percent, showed widespread concern among British Muslims about the political consensus on the Gaza conflict.
"There has been a consistent and unsettling message shared by our political leaders which is that Israel has the right to defend itself with impunity, despite contravening international law," said the statement.
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"Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, emphasised this speaking on LBC Radio when he stated Israel had the 'right' to cut off water, electricity and aid to Gaza – violating international humanitarian law and the Geneva conventions."
On Wednesday, a letter organised by the Labour Muslim Councillors Network, signed by approximately 150 councillors, called on Labour leader Keir Starmer to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"As Labour councillors elected to serve our constituents, this message we have been repeatedly hearing over the past two weeks is simple. People just want an end to the bloodshed and loss of innocent life," the letter said.
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Starmer on Wednesday met with Labour's Muslim MPs in a bid to ease tension over the party's stance on the situation in Gaza.
Israel launched a brutal bombing campaign on Gaza on 7 October, after Hamas conducted a massive surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,400 people, including civilians and combatants.
Ongoing Israeli strikes have since killed at least 7,000 people, including more than 2,704 children and 1,584 women, according to Palestinian officials.
An additional 1,600 people, including 900 children, are missing and presumed to be trapped under rubble.
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