The British government must recognise Palestine as a state and stop its sale of arms to Israel, said Baroness Warsi, who recently resigned as a Minister in the David Cameron-led government in protest against its Palestine policy.
She told Sunday Times that the Conservatives will not win the next elections because it has alienated ethnic minorities.
Ms Warsi’s voice is one among what is a growing number within her party that are speaking out against the Gaza killings.
Meanwhile, on what was observed in several parts of the world as a “day of rage” against the killing of civilians in Israeli bombing, thousands participated on August 9 in the largest demonstration ever organised in the U.K. for Gaza.
The protest, organised by Stop the War Coalition, took place on a day when Israel resumed its bombing on Gaza after a three-day truce.
According to the police, 20,000 joined the march.
The organisers, however, claimed that 150,000 participated in the peaceful protest march – at all points on the route a dense carpet of marching humanity with flags aflutter and banners held high, which passed the U.S. Embassy, and ended on the lawns of the park on a balmy Saturday evening.
The march was so long that when the head of the procession reached Hyde Park, the rear had not even left the starting point.
Standing out amongst the marchers were pig-tailed male members of Jewish groups dressed in black robes, who held up pro-Palestine banners and flags that called for an end to the aggression in Gaza.
There were demonstrations marking the day in other parts of the United Kingdom and the world. Protests were held in Manchester, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, Rome, and South Africa, according to media reports.
The protestors demanded an end to Israeli bombing of Gaza and called on the British government to implement an immediate embargo on arms sales to Israel.
Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MP and Chair of Stop the War Campaign; Tariq Ali, writer, journalist and anti-war activist; Dianna Abbot, Labour MP; George Galloway, Respect Party MP; and David Ward Lib Dem MP, were amongst those who spoke at the rally.
In his speech, Mr. Ali said that the idea of “equivalence” or that Israel was only retaliating against Hamas’ aggression, was untenable. “If the occupation of Palestine by Israel is ugly, then the resistance will not be pretty either,” he said.
“This is the biggest demonstration we have organised on Palestine,” Mr. Corbyn told The Hindu .
“More and more MPs are calling for a special session on Palestine to be convened. I said this in connection with the Iraq war, and say it again: ‘Let’s stop and not let slip the dogs of war,’’’ he said.
