A statement by Clive Lewis MP welcoming the Labour Government’s announcement on 19th July that funding to UNRWA will be resumed:

“Actions like these are why a Labour government makes a real difference. We must stand our ground and defend international aid, as well as the broader principles of international humanitarian law. It’s the least we can do.

“Together, these are a North Star for humanity, a way of acting through common institutions to support each other and responding to governments for violations against citizens.

“Such principles also need to be defended against a challenge being mounted by a small but vocal and well-funded rising far right movement that we see in Europe and the US, but also around the world.

“They seek to undo the universal human rights settlement that emerged as a consensus in the aftermath of World War 2. Universal human rights have perhaps not yet been achieved in reality. But, this is a worthy ambition for humanity to continue striving towards, and a standard to which governments must be held to account on.

“This will be even more so the case in the century ahead. Climate breakdown will mean increasing resource scarcity and economic volatility. We can choose to respond to this by committing to principles of common humanity, and acting collectively and in solidarity with those communities most exposed to the harshest impacts – whether they be in the UK, or in Gaza, or in the Caribbean, or elsewhere.

“Or we can give way to the far right’s project. That is, the project to derail international cooperation to advance common humanity, in order to accelerate the hoarding of economic wealth, common resources, and power, at any cost, by a small minority. This is our choice.

“The Labour government now needs to make progress on suspending arms licenses to the Israeli government. The U.K. must also not block the ICC’s proposed action against Netanyahu. The ICC has given the new government a deadline of 26 July, to decide whether to carry the baton for the Tories’ bid to block the ICC’s action on Netanyahu’s arrest warrant. Labour should of course drop it.”

ENDS