UK: Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy warns government of ‘criminal liability’ over Israel arms sales
Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has warned that the UK government remains in danger of criminal liability over its supply of weapons to Israel.
The backbench MP, considered on the left of the party, made these remarks at a Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) fringe event on Monday evening at the ruling Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
Ribeiro-Addy also warned that the conflict in the Middle East is widening to southern Lebanon.
“The danger is a regional war,” she said.
The event had already drawn controversy after it was revealed that party managers had prohibited the use of the words “genocide” and “apartheid” in promotional brochures referring to Israel’s campaign against Palestinians.
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Ribeiro-Addy noted that there is “no question” where public opinion stands on selling arms to Israel and emphasised that Labour must uphold its commitment to international law.
In early September, the Labour government suspended 30 of the 350 arms export licences to Israel.
Ribeiro-Addy criticised the ongoing sale of UK-made F-35 parts to Israel. These parts make up 15 percent of every fighter jet and have been used by Israel in its war in Gaza.
“There’s been a lot of hot air over F-35s,” she said.
“The government is in danger of criminal liability for supplying weapons to Israel, not just parts for jets but all jets.”
She also called for the “safe release of Israeli hostages” and stressed that “all sides need to stop fighting”.
‘Palpable opportunity’
Attendees of the event also listened to speeches from Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, Sara Husseini, director of the British Palestinian Committee (BPC), and the PSC’s Ben Jamal.
Husseini said that “Britain and Labour played a pivotal role in the elimination of Palestinian peoplehood”, noting that the Nakba in 1948 took place during Clement Attlee’s Labour government.
“Labour has a palpable opportunity to right these wrongs.”
Jamal said Labour “cannot claim to be a party of human rights” while staying “silent in the face of atrocities in Gaza”.
Earlier that day, Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech at the Labour party conference was interrupted by a pro-Palestine protest.
As the protesters were hauled out of the conference hall, Reeves hit back at them, declaring: “This is a changed Labour Party. A Labour Party that represents working people, not a party of protests.”
Scottish National Party MP Stephen Flynn slammed Reeves’ behaviour, saying: “If you were being heckled for selling arms to a government that has killed or injured over 100,000 civilians, you’d surely be minded to show just a little empathy.”
“But then again, this is quite clearly a changed Labour Party,” Flynn said.
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