The following letter was signed by numerous members of the public and sent to Local MPs Peter Bottomley and Tim Loughton, as well as to David Cameron and Rishi Sunak
Feb 10th 2024.
Dear
As the horrific war in Gaza continues, arms sales have spiked from millions of pounds and dollars
to billions. The UK along with Germany and the USA continue selling arms and ordnance to Israel,
feeding its lust for human carnage. Hypocrisy is evident, moral integrity absent.
As this is being written Israel has starting bombing Rafah. Rafah, basically a refugee camp, with no
water, no food, rampant disease and on the brink of starvation is about to be attacked by an IDF
ground invasion as well as an aerial one. This is insanity.
Meanwhile 11,500 children (1% of the total child population of Gaza) have been killed since
October 7 th .
At least 7,000 children have been orphaned. Numbers are not known of those who have died
terrifying deaths under the rubble.
A number of children have been reported dying from starvation.
Desperate populations of displaced Palestinians are reported to be eating grass.
Likewise 27,840 people have been killed since October 7 th and again none can really know how
many lie under the rubble or identify them.
Many grave stones just have numbers on them.
Countless children have and are writing their names on their hands and arms for when death
comes; this is so they will be recognised by their families and friends, should they be found.
Children are enduring unspeakable horrors, including life changing burns, inadequate medical
care, and parents and loved ones lost for ever.
Over 1000 children have lost both legs and suffered amputations without anaesthetic.
Unthinkable, unspeakable but known about by the UK government. Any professed ignorance is
selective ignorance and unacceptable.
Our government’s response to the IDF’s rampage of killing , the un-armed civilians, hospital
patients, doctors, health-workers, young adults, children, school teachers, students and families
sheltering in ‘safe places’, (an army which has no legal right to exist as it is protecting (so called) an
illegal occupation of land, which does not belong to them), is at most mealy mouthed and no more
than a rap on the knuckles.
In so doing, this government exposes itself to complicity in the genocidal modus – operandi of
Israel and Netanyahu’s desperate attempt to stay in power.
While no-one condones the Hamas attack, as well as urging that the Israeli hostages must be
released immediately, this unabated killing, bombing and summary executions by Israel must stop.
Our government, MPs and councils have rightly protested against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, yet
complaints about Israel's shocking and illegal behaviour are rare.
This is despite frequent demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands of people in London,
elsewhere and throughout the world.
Britain continues to sell deadly weapons to Israel and has imposed no sanctions or punishments
upon it.
Indeed, many of us have asked how horrific the Israeli army's actions will have to be before the
international community acts to stop it.
I therefore call upon you as my democratic representative to stop arms sales to Israel
immediately, as well as to call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
Sincerely,
