Posts Tagged ‘MP’
PSC’s Annual Lobby of Parliament: 28 November
November 6th, 2012 • News
Tags: lobby, london, MP, palestine, parliament
We are asking everyone to get involved in lobbying their MPs. There are 650 MPs and we want as many of them as possible to be lobbied directly by their constituents. Let’s make sure they know that Palestine is one of the biggest issues for our Government and Parliament.
Find out more at the PSC website…
This lobby will focus on the need for UK and EU policy to support the implementation of international law by:
- Ending UK support for the occupation and settlements: the UK and EU have failed to stop settlements from benefiting from EU benefits. The EU also funds Palestinian welfare because of the impact of the occupation; these costs should be borne by the occupier. The government should be implementing policies which will lead to the dismantling of all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
- Action against Israel’s forced expulsions of Palestinians from their lands and homes: The UK and EU must develop robust policies in response to breaches of international law and human rights, to ensure Israel stops committing further violations.
- Insisting on the rights of all Palestinian prisoners under international law.
- Action to protect child prisoners: the UK Government must press Israel to meet its international obligations on the treatment of Palestinian children.
Action not words
As more and more of us become aware of the injustices against Palestinians denied their basic rights, the situation is becoming even more desperate on the ground.
It has never been more important for us to make our elected representatives aware of the growing and unstoppable pressure for peace and justice.
Our government should be playing a leading role in implementing policies to ensure that Israel ends its illegal occupation and respect Palestinian human rights and international law.
Reply to Our Open Letter on Universal Jurisdiction
December 31st, 2010 • Action, Awareness, News
Tags: alok sharma, amnesty international, human rights watch, justice, ken clarke, MP, open letter, parliament, reading, rob wilson, uk, universal jurisdiction, vote
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill was debated recently in the Commons. Within the bill is Clause 151: “Arrest warrants : Restriction on issue of arrest warrants in private prosecutions”, which gives the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) a veto over whether or not an arrest warrant can be issued for war crime suspects.
As part of our effort to defeat this change, we sent an open letter from Members of Reading PSC to Rob Wilson (Con), Member of Parliament for Reading East.
This is the reply from Rob Wilson, sent 23 December 2010:
Thank you for contacting me about universal jurisdiction.
I believe it is vital for Israeli Government Ministers for example to be able to travel to foreign capitals. A country such as the UK needs to be able to tell Israelis that their actions are not acceptable, and this would not be possible if their travelling to western capitals was prohibited. I do not think it is advisable to further reinforce a bunker mentality within Israel.
As you know, the United Kingdom has asserted universal jurisdiction over war crimes under the Geneva Conventions Act, and over a few other offences of exceptional gravity, because of our international obligations and our commitment to ensuring that there is no impunity for those accused of such crimes. This commitment is unwavering.
It is important, however, that universal jurisdiction cases should be proceeded with in this country only on the basis of solid evidence that is likely to lead to a successful prosecution, otherwise there is a risk of damaging our ability to help in conflict resolution or to pursue a coherent foreign policy. It is unsatisfactory that, as things stand, an arrest warrant for these grave offences can be issued on the application of a private prosecutor on the basis of evidence that would be insufficient to sustain a prosecution.
Currently, anyone can apply to the courts for an arrest warrant. That is a right that the Government wants to protect. However, because the evidence necessary to issue an arrest warrant may be far less than would be needed for a prosecution, the system is open to possible abuse by people trying to obtain arrest warrants for grave crimes on the basis of flimsy evidence to make a political statement or to cause embarrassment.
The Government’s has, after careful consideration, decided that it would be appropriate to require the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions before an universal jurisdiction arrest warrant can be issued to a private prosecutor. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill includes provisions to introduce this change. As such, I will not be signing EDM 108.
However, let me reiterate that this will interfere as little as possible with the existing rights of private prosecutors, and will not prevent them from initiating prosecutions for these offences where the evidence justified that course.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
ROB WILSON MP
Member of Parliament for Reading East
- Our original letter can be read here…
- Watch coverage of the commons debate here…
“WHAT CAN I DO?”
It is important that you send a message to YOUR MP asking them to vote against the proposed changes. PSC have set up an easy to use e-tool to allow you to send a model letter to your MP: click here…
Background Information
- PSC Briefing: No Change to Universal Jurisdiction
- UK Government announcement, 22/7/10: New rules on universal jurisdiction
- Amnesty International UK, 1/12/10: War crimes arrests: New measures show UK is ‘soft’ on war crimes and torture
- The Guardian, 1/12/10: Amnesty International say police bill will let war criminals go free
- Human Rights Watch, 27/1/10: Briefing to Parliamentarians by the UK Universal Jurisdiction Group
- HRW, 10/01: The Case For Universal Jurisdiction
Comment: Nick Clegg, human rights, Palestine and amnesia
December 18th, 2010 • Action, News
Tags: amnesia, comment, Gareth Epps, human rights, liberal democrats, Liberal Democrats Friends of Palestine, MP, nick clegg, palestine, Reading East
Gareth Epps‘, 2010 Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Reading East and new member of the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee, recent post on his blog:
In the past, Nick Clegg has unequivocally condemned the blockade of Gaza, called for the EU/Israel Association Agreement to be suspended.
Now, he’s making speeches saying he got it wrong on Israel, speaking to pro-Israeli audiences while giving Palestinian campaigners the cold shoulder (see http://www.ldfp.eu/2010/11/15/mr-clegg-the-lib-dems-and-the-small-case-of-international-law/) and is about to author a change in the Universal Jurisdiction law to protect human rights abusers including representatives of the Israeli regime from attempts to bring them to justice.
I have raised at senior level the dangers of this stance, which runs the risk of unpicking years of carefully balanced and thought-out statements on Israel/Palestine (which in my view and that of many others could have gone a lot further in criticising discrimination and flagrant breaches of international law by successive Israeli governments, which have pandered to and increasingly contain people with outrageous extremist views).
We know that the Conservatives of the major political parties have the most one-dimensional view of this conflict, and will take the side of Israel. That does not legitimise the stance the Coalition government is taking on a fundamental issue of human rights. Rather than believe the spin that the change is ‘technical’, as I have been told by senior Liberal Democrats, I think it’s right to go public on this. Call it Conservative influence in Government, call it what you want, but Universal Jurisdiction is supposed to ensure that there is no hiding place for war criminals. The change of law has been condemned by a cluster of human rights groups including Amnesty who say it “will undermine the capacity of victims of serious international crimes to hold accountable alleged perpetrators who come within the UK’s jurisdiction by making all arrest decisions in such cases subject to political considerations rather than being based on the legal merits. Suspects may therefore find a safe haven in the UK, and the already considerable barriers to bringing such suspects to justice will be heightened.
“Instead of making it more difficult to arrest with a view to prosecuting such suspects, the UK should be seeking to enhance its capacity to do so, and mooted legislative changes are a step entirely in the wrong direction.”
There is no political sense in Nick Clegg pandering to the friends of the Israeli regime. These are people who are not Liberals and who would never consider voting for a party that gives the other side the time of day. He will gain no votes. Indeed, he will lose credibility among the many people such as myself who believe that the Palestinian people are long overdue justice, not collective punishment.
Oh, and Nick? If you’re really serious about being even-handed, then maybe you could answer positively to requests to speak to Lib Dem Friends of Palestine. It’s only fair.
Please contact Gareth to thank and congratulate him for this statement…
Universal Jurisdiction Debate Update
December 14th, 2010 • News
Tags: debate, Kaufman, MP, parliament, Police Reform Bill, universal jurisdiction
POLICE REFORM BILL PASSED SECOND READING: 320–230
The vote went in favour of the bill, 320–230, and will now pass to the committee stage. Summary of Reading and surrounding Berkshire MPs:
- Reading West, Alok Sharma (Con) – AYE
- Reading East, Rob Wilson (Con) – ABSENT
- Bracknell, Dr Phillip Lee (Con) – AYE
- Maidenhead, Theresa May (Con) – AYE
- Newbury, Richard Benyon (Con) – ABSENT
- Slough, Fiona Mactaggart (Lab) – NOE
- Windsor, Adam Afriyie (Con) – AYE
- Wokingham, John Redwood (Con) – AYE
As you can see, only Slough Labour MP, Fiona Mactaggart, opposed the Bill. See how your MP voted in these plain text lists of AYES & NOES.
Watch all parts (42mins) of the debate mentioning Universal Jurisdiction:
Clips above follow JFJFP’s transcript
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Excerpts: Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) & Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley):
–
Clips via BBC Democracy Live
JFJFP has the edited transcript mentioning UJ here… (full text)
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was around the corner at the Conservative Friends of Israel annual business lunch. Lauding Israel as a “modern, dynamic, enterprise economy” and that his and the Conservative Party’s friendship with Israel “thrived in opposition [and] will be strengthened in government.” – he closed with… “You have a Prime Minister whose belief in Israel is indestructible.”
OPEN LETTER: Universal Jurisdiction
December 9th, 2010 • Action, Awareness, News
Tags: alok sharma, amnesty international, human rights watch, justice, ken clarke, MP, open letter, parliament, reading, rob wilson, uk, universal jurisdiction, vote
UPDATE #1 – Monday 13/12/10
The police reform bill debate started at 6pm, watch live on BBC’s Democracy Live or BBC Parliament on Freeview 81, Freesat 201, Sky 504, Virgin 612.
Also, a letter was published in The Guardian today: “Grave dangers in police reform bill” – signed by Baroness Jenny Tonge, Jeremy Corbin MP, Michael Mansfield QC, Betty Hunter, Hugh Lanning, Gerald Kaufman MP and many others.
-
On Monday 13th December the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill will be debated in the Commons. Within the bill is Clause 151: “Arrest warrants : Restriction on issue of arrest warrants in private prosecutions”, which gives the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) a veto over whether or not an arrest warrant can be issued for war crime suspects.
As part of our effort to defeat this change, we have sent an open letter from Members of Reading PSC to Rob Wilson (Con), Member of Parliament for Reading East. The open letter appears below:
Dear Rob,
You are receiving this open letter on behalf of the members of the Reading branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC). We are sure you are aware of our organisation as you have met several of our members in the past to discuss our concerns about the treatment of Palestinians at the hands of the State of Israel.
Our organisation represents a wide spread of people in both Reading East and West. We are men and women. We are young and old. We are people of faith and no faith. We are the people of Reading.
We spend our time trying to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the catastrophe that has befallen the Palestinians, not because we enjoy it, but because we feel compelled by our conscience and simple human understanding and empathy to do so.
We understand that you are planning to support changes to the current Universal Jurisdiction laws in the UK. As we are sure you are aware, the current position is that a private individual may apply to a magistrate for an arrest warrant if a war crimes suspect is visiting the country or a visit is anticipated.
The issue of an arrest warrant for a war crime is decided only by specialist and legally qualified magistrates. In any case, the consent of the Attorney General is currently required for any prosecution to go ahead, but, in the absence of consent, a warrant may be issued if the magistrate considers that:
- there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence under such legislation has been committed;
- admissible evidence has been presented which (if uncontradicted) establishes the elements of the offence alleged;
- s/he has jurisdiction to issue the warrant and has ruled out the immunity of the suspect.
Any belief, therefore, that arrest warrants have ever been – or can still be – issued with little or no evidence to support a legitimate prosecution is a fundamental misconception of the existing law. If you think otherwise, we invite you to cite a single case in which an arrest warrant has been issued under Universal Jurisdiction law which could reasonably be considered an abuse of the existing system.
In the case of visiting Israeli ministers or leaders, the Goldstone Report, accepted by the UN, concluded that war crimes had been committed in Gaza by Israel during Operation Cast Lead in December 2008 – January 2009. It is not surprising, therefore, that a senior magistrate found there was enough evidence to warrant the arrest of former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni had she visited the UK.
The argument that we must allow elected ministers to visit the UK and be immune from our laws in order to engage them diplomatic talks is misleading. There is nothing, for instance, to stop British ministers from visiting the home countries of suspected war criminals where they are immune from prosecution. Additionally, the serving Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister of Defence of any sovereign country can visit the UK under the principle of sovereign immunity.
Any attempt to involve the Attorney General in the decision to issue the arrest warrant would be a regressive step in many ways. You must surely agree that the independence of the judiciary in the UK from political interference is critical. In fact, your voting record, Rob, proves this. In the past you voted against giving Ministers the right to intervene in inquests. But you apparently now think that the Attorney General – not exactly a wholly independent branch of Government – should have the right to intervene in cases brought by private individuals against people reasonably suspected of war crimes. How do you explain or justify this stance given that there is no case that you can cite where an arrest warrant was issued under the principle of Universal Jurisdiction which was not a valid use of the legal process?
Having to wait for an Attorney General decision on issuing an arrest warrant will simply allow suspected war criminals time to flee the country as well as the possibility of political interference in the rule of law.
Our views are not outlandish. They are supported by many other respected Human Rights organisations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, Global Witness, Justice and REDRESS who issued a joint statement saying they were:
“… gravely concerned that any changes to existing law and procedure will undermine the capacity of victims of serious international crimes to hold accountable alleged perpetrators who come within the UK’s jurisdiction by making all arrest decisions in such cases subject to political considerations rather than being based on the legal merits. Suspects may therefore find a safe haven in the UK, and the already considerable barriers to bringing such suspects to justice will be heightened.
Instead of making it more difficult to arrest with a view to prosecuting such suspects, the UK should be seeking to enhance its capacity to do so, and mooted legislative changes are a step entirely in the wrong direction.”
The Conservative party itself advocates the Big Society, a society where power is removed from a central political entity, and given to local people and communities. It seems it is fine for the general public to on the one hand ‘share the pain’ of budget cuts, but on the other they can not be trusted to share the responsibility of holding war criminals to account. A responsibility which you apparently wish to now restrict to a small but elite minority in Government.
In the the past the point has been made to us by you, Rob, to different members of our organisation, at different times, that not enough ‘pressure’ is being applied on parliament on the issues that we discuss with you. Please consider this letter as pressure. Please also consider the fact that the major Human Rights related organisations in the UK do not support any change to Universal Jurisdiction as pressure – and we know that they are undertaking to lobby MPs across the political spectrum. Consider the fact that no one has yet produced any example of a case where the existing Universal Jurisdiction law can be said to have been abused as further pressure upon your judgement.
We implore you to oppose any change to the law on Universal Jurisdiction on behalf of the people of Reading. We believe this is an issue that fundamentally alters the moral integrity of our country, and could well call your personal integrity into question should you support the changes.
Kind Regards,
Reading PSC
info@readingpsc.org.uk
http://readingpsc.org.uk
Sent via email @ 3.40pm Thursday December 9th, 2010
- All replies to this letter will be posted on the Reading PSC website.
- The Open Letter will also be sent to Alok Sharma, Member of Parliament for Reading West.
“WHAT CAN I DO?”
It is important that you send a message to YOUR MP asking them to vote against the proposed changes. PSC have set up an easy to use e-tool to allow you to send a model letter to your MP: click here…
Background Information
- PSC Briefing: No Change to Universal Jurisdiction
- UK Government announcement, 22/7/10: New rules on universal jurisdiction
- Amnesty International UK, 1/12/10: War crimes arrests: New measures show UK is ‘soft’ on war crimes and torture
- The Guardian, 1/12/10: Amnesty International say police bill will let war criminals go free
- Human Rights Watch, 27/1/10: Briefing to Parliamentarians by the UK Universal Jurisdiction Group
- HRW, 10/01: The Case For Universal Jurisdiction
Israeli Knesset Members Visit House of Commons
July 29th, 2010 • Awareness, Events, News
Tags: Dr Jamal Zahalka, House of Commons, Israeli, Knesset, memo, Miss Haneen Zoubi, MP, parliament, Talab Al-Sana, uk
Yesterday, MEMO organised a visit to the House of Commons by Arab members of the Israeli Knesset, Haneen Zoubi, Dr Jamal Zahalka & Talab Al-Sana.
Here’s a report from the event by artist and activist, Eleanor Kilroy:
Notes on MEMO Public Seminar with Palestinian members of the Israeli Knesset – House of Commons, UK, Wednesday 28 July 2010
“There is democracy for the Jews, and Jewishness for the Arabs,” says one of the speakers through smiles. I imagine few of us thought the Arab Knesset members would make us laugh, but humour is a strategy they use to brilliant effect, when conveying and arguing against the absurdly criminal, and criminally absurd, laws of the Israeli State. Referencing The Citizenship Law, ‘an Israeli invention’ that has to date destroyed 25,000 Palestinian families, the Chairman of Balad, Jamal Zahalka envisages a romantic encounter between a Palestinian couple: they begin their date with the question of how they can get together and change the demographic balance of Israel: Palestinian love, he reminds us, is a conspiracy against the state.In concluding his talk, Zahalka passes on to us the nature of Israeli democracy as defended to him by the Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin: you can debate, there is the first reading, the second reading of a bill, and so on, and only then is a law passed. The Knesset passed a law that says that any land confiscated by the Israeli State over 25 years ago cannot be reclaimed, even if it has not been built upon. Given that most Palestinian land (75 % between 1948 and 2010) was confiscated before the 1980s this law is of little use to Palestinians, so Zahalka suggests a trade: “You take my land and give me democracy; instead I propose that I take the land and you can have back your democracy.” Zahalka is also willing to forego the dubious compliment of being the proud Arab, a ‘folkloristic identity’, and a good citizen – for Palestinians being a good citizen of Israel means giving up your rights: there is no normal citizen in Israel: Just ‘citizen plus’ (a Jew) or ‘citizen minus’ ( a non-Jew).
Haneen Zoabi commands so much respect and love that several of us are compelled to stand when the chair, MP Jeremy Corbyn, introduces her. Zoabi’s words are a constant affirmation of her existence because she knows that, as a Palestinian, for Israel she has no identity, no history, no right of recognition: ‘We are phantoms, denied Israeli justice, not allowed to mention the word Nakba…. Don’t call me Muslim: I am a Palestinian… I am the indigenous people, and when I say I want equality I make a huge historical compromise. Yet in the minds of Israelis I am a strategic threat when I ask for democracy. I represent universal values, but in Israel they disqualify us from elections: “Look they are asking for democracy”… Israel is now more willing than ever to sacrifice its democratic image – it is easier and more beneficial for the State than to keep its Palestinian citizens free of democratic activity…. The law for all citizens to swear loyalty to a Jewish state is an obsession and by introducing its centrality to the State’s project, the present government hopes to blackmail the world with the notion of a ‘Jewish State’ before it is too late and the world wakes up to what that really means…. The Zionist project is to domesticate the Palestinians. Within Israel, I am not a Palestinian, and I am not an Israeli, but I must swear loyalty to a state that doesn’t recognise me.’
Zoabi underlined the role of the education system in Israel that erases her identity and history: ‘It is not surprising that in the Knesset I meet with hostility because as Israeli children these MKs didn’t learn about Palestinians… even if they could just teach them: “there were Palestinians, but they ran away from their homes [in 1947/8]”, that would be something’. The final speaker, Talab al-Sana, references research carried out by a professor at Haifa University on books for Israeli children; he found that in over 50% of the books included in the study, Arabs were presented in a negative light: as thieves, as armed thugs, even to the extent that if they ride a donkey, the beast is deformed, and if they have a dog, the dog is blind! The purpose, he emphasises, is to distort the image of Arabs in the eyes of this child so that when the child meets her/his first Arab, if the latter is well-dressed, they will say, ‘Oh you are a good Arab, not like the others.’ Children, al-Sana adds, are victims of brainwashing by the Zionist establishment.
We listen to Al-Sana through an interpreter, Daud Abdullah of Middle East Monitor. Al-Sana began his career as a lawyer, but frustrated with laws that allow for the demolition of people’s homes and the stealing of their land, he decided to enter politics in the hope of challenging these ‘democratic’ means of dispossession at their inception. Recently, he reminds the audience, a law was passed against commemorating the Nakba: ‘Whoever displays sadness or grief will be punished; we should go and visit our depopulated and ethnically cleansed village and show joy! There is no country which prosecutes emotions except Israel.’ Recently al-Sana asked in the Knesset if they would create a police force responsible for monitoring people’s feelings.
There are already 22 laws which legally discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel. Zoabi insists that every state that supports Israel supports undemocratic polices of racism, oppression and occupation. An examination and analysis of Israel’s treatment of its citizens throws into stark relief the myth of Israeli democracy: the US says it supports Israel because it is a ‘democracy’ and a ‘victim’, but the racism of the State is systematic – it is not just a policy, it is an ideology, and a part of the Zionist attitude to others.
Haneen Zoabi is asked if she will take part in the next Freedom Flotilla to attempt to break the siege on Gaza and her candid response is that she feels she must participate: ‘To send a message that this is my right’.
– Elly
Elly is working with Reading PSC on our BDS activities focusing on artists planning on performing in Israel.
Haneen Zoubi was a Freedom Flotilla participant and first female Arab elected to the Knesset, watch this France24 report on the reaction within the Knesset to her description of the flotilla raid as ‘piracy’.
Al Jazeera’s Riz Khan interviewed Haneen Zoubi a few weeks ago:
UK readers can watch BBC HARDtalks’s interview with Haneen Zoubi on the iPlayer – non-UK on Youtube.
GE2010: Make Palestine the Issue
April 21st, 2010 • Action, Awareness, Events, News
Tags: candidates, ge2010, general election 2010, lobby, MP, palestine, petition, PSC
Lobby Your Parliamentary Candidates
The issue of justice for the Palestinians has never been more urgent. 1.5 million Palestinians living in Gaza are now into their fourth year of living under a horrific and brutal siege. And Israel is continuing its illegal settlement building programme throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, further entrenching its illegal occupation.
It is vital that MPs in the next Parliament understand they have a responsibility to act to end Israel’s violations of international law.
Use our campaigning tool to contact your candidates and let them know the strength of public feeling for a just resolution for Palestine, and make them aware that this is a key election issue.
Ask them to show their support by signing up to PSC’s six election pledges:
Call on Israel to end its violations of international law, including ending its illegal occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza
Oppose any attacks on universal jurisdiction and support bringing those responsible for Israeli war crimes to justice
Work to end the siege on Gaza
Call on the government to ban the import of settlement goods
Call on the government to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement
Call for an end to Britain’s arms trade with Israel
It only takes a few minutes. Just click here to find out who your Parliamentary candidates are and you can start lobbying on behalf of the Palestinians.
Find out if your local candidates have signed the pledge below.
In solidarity,
Hugh Lanning
Chair, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Download PSC’s election briefing to send to your candidates with more in-depth information about the pledges.
URGENT: Britain must not become a safe haven for war criminals
January 19th, 2010 • Action, News
Tags: early day motion, law, MP, parliament, uk, war criminals
The British government have announced they wish to change the law to avoid future attempts to prosecute suspected war criminals. It is reported that they may come forward with proposals this week.
Please act NOW!
1. Email Gordon Brown and the Foreign Office, telling them not to change the law…
- Read the open letter to Gordon Brown, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and published in the Guardian on Saturday…
- Amnesty’s briefing & email facility…
2. Email your MP & ask them to sign Early Day Motion 502 on Universal Jurisdiction… – see if they have already signed – if they have, please email to thank them.
Both Reading East & West MPs have failed to sign the EDM, please contact them:
Reading East: Rob Wilson MP (Con) / robwilsonmp@parliament.uk / 0118 375 9785 & 0118 375 8343 & 020 7219 2498 & 020 7219 6519
Reading West: Martin Salter (Lab) / salterm@parliament.uk / 0118 954 6782 & 020 7219 2416
Surrounding constituencies – none of them have signed:
Aldershot: Gerald Howarth (C) / geraldhowarth@parliament.uk / 020 7219 5650
Bracknell: Andrew Mackay (C) / bracknellca@tory.org & mackaya@parliament.uk / 01344 868286 & 020 7219 2989
Wokingham: John Redwood (C) / redwoodj@parliament.uk / 020 7219 4205 & 0118 962 9501
Henley: John Howell (C) / howelljm@parliament.uk / 020 7219 4828 & 020 7219 6676 & 01491 613072
Maidenhead: Theresa May (C) / mayt@parliament.uk / 0118 9345433 or 01628 604961 & 020 7219 5206
Newbury: Richard Benyon (C) / mp@richardbenyon.com / 0207 219 8319 & 01635 551070
North West Hampshire: Sir George Young (C) / sirgeorge@sirgeorgeyoung.org.uk / SMS: 07624 806278 / Camilla: 0207 2196665 & Lucinda: 01264 401401
(Thanks to Reading PSC’s JP for the list)
British government ‘urgently’ looking at changing the law
December 16th, 2009 • Action
Tags: arrest, brown, Foreign Office, gaza, hague, harman, miliband, MP, PSC, tzipi livni, uk, war crimes, warrant
UPDATE – from Islington Friends of Yibna via Lambeth & Wandsworth PSC
UK government may act during Christmas
“At today’s PMQ the Conservatives made a shocking demand. William Hague MP [standing in for Conservative leader Cameron], suggested possible pressure on the judiciary and whatever it takes to ensure Israeli politicians would not be subjected to an arrest warrant for their responsibilities for war crimes. Harman MP [standing in for Gordon Brown] fully and shamelessly endorsed his demand.”
Clip of the Hague–Harman exchange followed by a question from Bob Marshall-Andrews about The Geneva Conventions Act:
Following arrest warrant for Tzipi Livni, British government ‘urgently’ looking at changing the law
Please act now! Contact your MP!
Following the news that Tzipi Livni, who served as Foreign Minister in the Israeli government that planned and executed Israel’s brutal bombing and massacre in Gaza, faced arrest if she entered Britain, tell the government there must be no impunity for Israeli war criminals. Please act URGENTLY – if possible email your MP today, and come to the vigil on 27 December to show the government that we will not let them forget Gaza.
Ask your MP to do the following:
1. Sign Early Day Motion 502 tabled by Jeremy Corbyn MP
Defending the right to bring war criminals to justice:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40074&SESSION=903
















