Debate on Iran-Israel Statement at the House of Commons in the British Parliament

 

Debate on Iran-Israel Statement at the House of Commons

in the British Parliament

Dr Mozammel Haque

 

 Dawn Butler 

(Brent Central) (Lab)

 

Labour Member of Parliament for Brent Central, Dawn Butler said, “Prime Minister, I condemn Iran and Hamas—let me start there—but we must not lose focus on the situation in Gaza, where there is a humanitarian crisis and famine. It is just destruction that people are seeing in front of their eyes. If we want to ensure that the hostages come home—like the hostage who has been adopted in Brent, Noa Argamani—we must argue for a ceasefire, not a pause. Will the Prime Minister clearly state that we should be calling for an immediate ceasefire on all sides?”

Zarah Sultana 

(Coventry South) (Lab)

 

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, said, “I have notified the office of the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Alicia Kearns), who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, that I would reference her in my question. It was recently revealed that she told a private fundraising event:

“The Foreign Office has received official legal advice that Israel has broken international humanitarian law, but the Government has not announced it.”

She asked, “I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. If he cannot answer it—if he dodges and deflects—our constituents will know that he is hiding the truth. Was the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee telling the truth—yes or no?”

Ian Blackford 

(Ross, Skye and Lochaber) (SNP)

 

SNP Member of Parliament for the Constituency Ross, Skye and Lochabar said, “We live in deeply unsettling times, and the Prime Minister, along with our allies, is right to call for a de-escalation. When he has his discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu this afternoon, will he convey to him that now is the time to step back? There must be no further escalation in the middle east. Now is the time to recognise that both Israelis and Palestinians must live in peace, and for that we need the two-state solution. In 2014, when we had an outbreak of violence in Gaza, the then Prime Minister David Cameron unequivocally called for a ceasefire. We must today put an end to the conflict and the killing in that region for the benefit of both these countries.”

He added, “Finally if I may say so, I welcome the Prime Minister’s comments on the situation in Ukraine, but we are all aware of the reports of a build-up of Russian activity. I say to the Prime Minister that we must do more today with our allies to protect our friends, and give them the tools they need to defend themselves and to ensure that Russia is defeated.”

Rehman Chishti 

(Gillingham and Rainham) (Con)

 

Conservative Member of Parliament for the constituency Gillingham and Rainham, Rehman Chishti, said, “The United Kingdom stands for an international rules-based system, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other nations. That is one of our key objectives with regard to Ukraine. I condemn in the fullest Iran’s attack on Israel, and I have previously condemned Iran’s malign behaviour in the region. The question on people’s minds is this: what information or intelligence does the Prime Minister have about what went on in Iran’s consulate in Damascus that led to the attack? The international community and people around the world want to see the United Kingdom applying international law consistently across the board.”

Richard Burgon 

(Leeds East) (Lab)

 

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency Leeds East, Richard Burgon said, “This is a very dangerous moment. The UN Secretary-General rightly told the Security Council last night:

“Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate”.

“Ordinary people in both Israel and Iran, and across the whole region and the wider world, will pay the price if this escalates. The Secretary-General also rightly reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the Security Council voted for, given the huge loss of life there. This is the first opportunity that we have had to question the Prime Minister since the recent killing of British nationals in Gaza. Is he planning to appoint an independent adviser to scrutinise the Israeli inquiry into those deaths of British nationals, similar to what Australia has done?”

Afzal Khan 

(Manchester, Gorton) (Lab)

 

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency Manchester Gorton, Afzal Khan, said, “Twelve-year-old Zain Arouq miraculously survived Israel’s bombing that killed most of his family in Gaza three months ago, but he was killed this weekend by an aid airdrop when he was searching for scraps of food because the parachute did not open. Zain and thousands of others would still be alive had allies like the UK and the US pushed Israel to adhere to the UN resolution on a ceasefire in Gaza, which would allow aid to reach starving children safely. Will the Prime Minister set out exactly what repercussions Israel will face for failing to abide by the UN Security Council motion?”

Marsha De Cordova 

(Battersea) (Lab)

 

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Battersea, Marsha De Cordova, said, “While globally the attention is rightly focused on Israel and Iran, and we are all in agreement that the next step has to be de-escalation, the situation in Gaza is worsening every day. More than 33,000 lives have been lost and more than 1 million will now be facing imminent famine. The UK almost stands alone in not restoring funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Will the Prime Minister tell us when he will set out a clear path for funding to resume?”

Naz Shah 

(Bradford West) (Lab)

 

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bradford West, Naz Shah, said, “Much has been said by the Prime Minister and other Conservative Members about the normalisation process between Saudi Arabia and Israel. On 9 January, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom told Radio 4 that that normalisation process was subject to a two-state solution and a fully recognised Palestine.”

She continued, “Having put that on the record, I remind the Prime Minister that support for any nation is not like the unconditional support that he has for his football team. When Iran acts like a rogue state in Syria, we rightly call it out and, when Israel taunts Iran by bombing its consulate building, knowing full well that Iran will respond and risking further escalation, we must call it out as well. What is the Prime Minister doing in his efforts to ensure that the two-state solution and the recognition of Palestine are being actively pursued?”

Joanna Cherry 

(Edinburgh South West) (SNP)

 

SNP Member of Parliament for the constituency of Edinburgh South West, Joanna Cherry, “I hold no candle for the Iranian regime. In fact, I recently co-authored a report on its disgraceful oppression of women and girls, which we concluded amounted to gender apartheid. However, just as Iran must be held to the standards of international law, so must Israel. The Prime Minister has paid tribute to the three brave British aid workers who were killed by the Israel Defence Forces. Will he condemn Israel for their wrongful killing, and will he also condemn it for the ongoing slaughter of innocent life in Gaza?”

Mr Khalid Mahmood 

(Birmingham, Perry Barr) (Lab)

 

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Birmingham, Perry Barr, Khalid Mahmood, said, “I deplore the attack by the IDF on the consulate in Syria, and I totally deplore the massive attack by Iran, which launched 301 drones and missiles towards Israel. Iran knew full well that this attack would detract from the great work that we need to do in Gaza to support people who are starving and young children who are suffering from malnutrition. Will the Prime Minister commit to oppose escalation in the region by any of the countries involved? As he said in his statement, we need to concentrate on supporting young people and those who are dying in Gaza.”

Caroline Lucas 

(Brighton, Pavilion) (Green)

 

Green Party Member of Parliament for the Constituency of Brighton, Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, said, “Like the whole House, I condemn the attack on Israel by the tyrannical Iranian regime, just as I deeply condemn the atrocities of Hamas, but I am also incredibly concerned that our Prime Minister has now pitched the UK into a perilous war—and in support of an Israeli Government presided over by Netanyahu, a man who chose to bomb an Iranian embassy because he is dependent on his hard-right provocateurs. That was itself a dangerous escalation by Israel and a further breach of international law, so if the Prime Minister’s priority is indeed international law and de-escalation, why is he not calling now for an urgent bilateral ceasefire to get the hostages home and to get the region on the path to peace?” located here

Sir Stephen Timms 

(East Ham) (Lab)

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency East Ham, Stephen Timms, said, “I welcome the support of the Prime Minister and the Government for the resolution on Gaza adopted recently by the United Nations Security Council. Israel is currently in breach of that resolution. How does that affect the Prime Minister’s view of the current actions of Israel in the middle east?”

[Continued..]

British Prime Minister on Iran-Israel Statement at British Parliament

 

British Prime Minister on Iran-Israel Statement

at the British Parliament

Dr Mozammel Haque

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP gave a statement on Iran-Israel in the House of Commons, British Parliament, on Monday, 15 April 2024 and then there was a debate on the topic.

The Prime Minister 

Rishi Sunak

British Prime Minister started by saying, “On Saturday evening, Iran sought to plunge the middle east into a new crisis. It launched a barrage of missiles and attack drones over Iraq and Jordan, and towards Israel. The scale of the attack, and the fact that it was targeted directly at Israel, are without precedent. It was a reckless and dangerous escalation.”

He continued, “In support of Israel’s own defensive action, the United Kingdom joined a US-led international effort, along with France and partners in the region, that intercepted almost all of the missiles, saving lives in Israel and its neighbours. We sent additional RAF Typhoons to the region as part of our existing operations against Daesh in Iraq and Syria, and I can confirm that our forces destroyed a number of Iranian drones.”

Rishi Sunak  said, “I spoke to my fellow G7 leaders. We are united in our condemnation of this attack. We discussed further potential diplomatic measures, which we will be working together to co-ordinate in the coming days. I will also shortly speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu to express our solidarity with Israel in the face of this attack, and to discuss how we can prevent further escalation. All sides must show restraint.”

British Prime Minister mentioned, “I believe there are three vital steps to put the region on to a better path. First, we must uphold regional security against hostile actors, including in the Red sea, and we must ensure Israel’s security. That is non-negotiable and a fundamental condition for peace in the region. In the face of the threats that we saw this weekend, Israel has our full support.”

Speaking about Gaza, he said, “Secondly, we must invest more deeply in the two-state solution. That is what we have been doing over the past six months, including working closely with the Palestinian Authority, so that when the time comes, they can provide more effective governance for Gaza and the west bank. It is significant that other regional partners actually helped to prevent a much worse attack over the weekend. It reminds us how important the attempts to normalise relations between Israel and its neighbours really are, and they hold out precious hope for the region, said Prime Minister Sunak.

“Thirdly, the conflict in Gaza must end,” said Sunak and added, “ I want to be clear: nothing that has happened over the past 48 hours affects our position on Gaza. The appalling toll on civilians continues to grow—the hunger, the desperation and the loss of life on an awful scale. The whole country wants to see an end to the bloodshed, and to see more humanitarian support going in. The recent increase in aid flows is positive, but it is still not enough. We need to see new crossings open for longer to get in vital supplies.”

Referring to the victims of British aid workers, Prime Minister said, “I want to take this opportunity, Mr Speaker, to pay tribute to the three British aid workers who were killed in Gaza: John Chapman, James Kirby and James Henderson. They were heroes. The children of Gaza whom they were risking their lives to feed need a humanitarian pause immediately, leading to a long-term sustainable ceasefire. That is the fastest way to get hostages out and aid in, and to stop the fighting. Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve to live in peace, dignity and security, and so do people across the entire region.”

Keir Starmer 

Holborn and St Pancras) (Lab)

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Holborn and St Pancras and the Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer in response to the Prime Minister said, “I also join the Prime Minister in offering our solidarity with the victims of the horrific attack in Sydney, and in recognising the heroism of the three British aid workers killed in Gaza while working for World Central Kitchen.”

Labour leader Starmer supported “the defensive action taken by the UK, alongside our international allies, against the Iranian attacks on Israel, and we welcome the Prime Minister’s call for restraint. Once again, we all salute the professionalism and bravery of our armed forces. We also support the RAF planes being sent to the region to bolster Operation Shader. Their efforts are vital for a safer world.”

Speaking about Gaza Starmer said, “While there is no justification for Iran’s actions, we cannot be naive to the fact that one of the drivers of tension in the region is the ongoing war in Gaza. Six months on from the horrific Hamas terror attack, hostages remain separated from their families, thousands of innocent Palestinians have been killed, and now more than a million people face the imminent threat of famine—so I urge the Government again to use every ounce of diplomatic leverage that we have to make sure that aid to Gaza is unimpeded and drastically scaled up.”

Labour leader also said, “we reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire, for Hamas to release hostages and for a return to a diplomatic process that can rekindle the hope of a two-state solution.”

Starmer also mentioned, “It is right that we condemn Iran’s action, it is right that we work with others to defend the security of our allies, and it is right that we seek the end of conflict in Gaza. But this is a moment for restraint, because escalation will only lead to further destruction; and, for the sake of all those still caught in the horror and violence, that must be avoided.”

Mr Speaker called for the SNP spokesperson.

Mhairi Black 

(Paisley and Renfrewshire South) (SNP)

 

SNP Deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black “condemn the acts of violence by the Iranian regime. They are no more than a cynical attempt to exploit the suffering, pain and turmoil being experienced by people in Palestine right now. While we rightly condemn the violent acts of Iran, so too must we condemn the violent acts of Israel.”

Mhairi Black mentioned, “From listening to the interviews that he has been giving, the Foreign Secretary is correct in his attempt to uphold the principle of proportionality, but if firing 100 missiles in retaliation for an isolated attack on an embassy is—correctly—considered disproportionate, so too must be Israel’s 192-day bombardment of Gaza.

She told the House of Commons, “The biggest continuing cause of conflict is the siege of Gaza; hence the need for a ceasefire. Can the Prime Minister outline what he is doing to ensure that the ceasefire mandated by the UN Security Council becomes a reality?”

Ed Davey 

(Kingston and Surbiton) (LD)

 

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey Member of the British Parliament for the constituency of Kingston and Surbiton, said, “The Prime Minister has rightly said that we must prevent further escalation, so does he agree that the best way to achieve that is to press all sides to agree to an immediate bilateral ceasefire in Gaza to get the hostages home, get the aid in, and put us on the path to a lasting peace for a two-state solution?”

 

While the UK’s main political parties have united in condemning Iran’s attack, it seems they are keen to keep the pressure on Tel Aviv over the situation in Gaza, BBC reported on 15 April 2024.

Rushanara Ali 

(Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab)

Labour Member for Bethnal Green and Bow Roushanara Ali said, “Despite the calls for a ceasefire here in our Parliament and from across the international community, the war in Gaza has raged, costing 33,000 lives as well as the 1,200 killed by the Hamas attacks and a humanitarian catastrophe that is now turning into a famine. For months many have raised concern around the spectre of regional escalation; precisely what conversations is the Prime Minister having with leading figures in the Israeli Government, as well as through various parties to influence the Iranian regime to de-escalate as quickly as possible given the seriousness of the crisis?”

John McDonnell 

(Hayes and Harlington) (Lab)

Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency Hayes and Harlington, John McDonnell said, “There is rightly consensus across the House to call for restraint from the Israeli Government, but we have called for restraint before: we called for restraint with regard to the attack on Gaza, yet the indiscriminate bombing took place; we called for restraint on the settlements in the west bank, yet the settlements have expanded; we called for restraint so that food could be got to the children of Gaza, yet malnutrition is killing some of them. So what action will the Government take if Israel does not show restraint, because we are in danger of the middle east being set alight by the decisions taken by the right-wing factions within the Netanyahu Cabinet?”

Kit Malthouse 

(North West Hampshire) (Con)

Conservative Member of Parliament for the constituency North West Hampshire, Kit Malthouse said, “The Prime Minister was right to authorise the defence of Israel and the avoidance of violence and death, but violence has also erupted in the west bank over the last few days, as he will know. What concrete steps can we take to protect those civilians?”

George Galloway 

(Rochdale) (WPB)

George Galloway Member of Parliament for Rochdale said, “There was not one single word in the Prime Minister’s statement of condemnation of the Israeli destruction of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which is the proximate reason for the event everyone is here in concert condemning. He was not even asked to do so by the Opposition Front Bench. Kay Burley is the only person so far to demand that of a Government Minister. We have no treaty with Israel—at least not one that Parliament has been shown. The Iranians are not likely to listen to the Prime Minister when Britain occupied Iran, looted its wealth and overthrew its one democratic socialist Government in my lifetime.”

UK Political Leaders Eid-ul-Fitr 2024 Messages

UK Political Leaders Eid-ul-Fitr 2024 Messages

Dr. Mozammel Haque

 The first day of Eid ul Fitre will be celebrated Insha Allah on Wednesday, 10  April 2024 as Shawwal Moon 1445 was not seen, subsequently Eid ul Fitr will be on Wednesday, 10 April 2024, according to Haramain Sharifain.

 

There are about 1.9 billion Muslims around the world, approximately 25 percent of the world population. Indonesia has the world’s highest Muslim population, with some 240 million Muslims living in the country. Pakistan is second with about 225 million Muslims, followed by India (211 million), Bangladesh (155 million) and Nigeria (111 million), according to Al-Jazeera 8 April 2024

 

Followings are the Eid-ul-Fitre 2024 Messages from the UK political leaders exclusive to @the Muslim News London:

 

Exclusive: Eid al-Fitr 2024 messages from UK Political leaders:@The Muslim News on 05 April 2024

Eid al-Fitr 2024 messages from the Leader of Labour Party, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Leader of the Scottish National Party and the First Minister of Wales, exclusively to The Muslim News.

Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP

Leader of the Labour Party

As the holy month of Ramadan ends and Muslims look forward to Eid al-Fitr, I want to take the opportunity to send my warmest greetings for Eid. I hope this Eid is an opportunity to spend time with family, to gather, and to celebrate the blessings the month of Ramadan has brought.

This Eid, the suffering of the people of Gaza is at the forefront of our minds. Far too many innocent people have died in this conflict, and more than a million are facing starvation. We continue to repeat our calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages. The war must stop now, and aid must reach all of those in need.

I value the immense contributions that faith communities up and down the country make to our nation. For as long as Muslim communities have settled here in Britain, they have been part of our national story, and I want to work with you to deliver an ambitious programme of renewal to rebuild our public services, our communities, and our economy.

 On behalf of the Labour Party, Eid Mubarak!

 Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey MP

Leader, Liberal Democrats

Eid Mubarak to everyone in the UK and across the globe celebrating Eid al-Fitr.

As we mark the end of Ramadan, this celebration highlights joy, unity, and gratitude, bringing our communities closer and emphasising the values that enrich our diverse society.

For many British Muslims, I know the last few months have been challenging as we witness the unacceptable rise in Islamophobia. But I do believe that the spirit of Eid inspires a collective resolve to face these challenges. Together, we can help create a more inclusive society—something I know many British Muslims are already working towards up and down the country.

The Liberal Democrats stand with you in celebration and solidarity.

Rt Hon Vaughan Gething, MS

First Minister of Wales

I would like to send my warmest wishes to Muslims in Wales and around the world as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr.

As the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, I hope you enjoy being together with your family, friends, and loved ones

To those going through challenging times, I hope the strength and support from communities across Wales bring you comfort and solace.

Eid Mubarak to you all.

Rt Hon Humza Yousaf, MSP

First Minister of Scotland

Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating Eid-al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan.

This is one of my favourite times of the year, when family, friends, and communities come together to celebrate through prayer, reflection, and the exchanging of gifts.

As we mark the end of Ramadan, we should reflect on what we can do to help those less fortunate than ourselves who are experiencing hardship, grief, and struggle.

My thoughts are with many Muslim communities who are suffering this Eid, particularly the people of Gaza and Sudan

Notes: The Eid messages from the British Prime Minister Rt. Rishi Sunak and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan were not included because they were not in The Muslim News print edition.

Courtesy: The Muslim News London

Acknowledgement @ The Muslim News London