Dozens of Muslim Labour councillors demand complete weapons embargo on Israel

The letter, coordinated by the Labour Muslim Network and signed by 114 elected councillors, cited “clear violations of international humanitarian law” by Israel.

“In the past few days alone we have seen images of Palestinian children and families burnt alive following Israeli military strikes at Al Aqsa hospital, and the continued shelling of schools used as shelter by displaced civilians,” the letter read.

“That is why we have come together, as councillors, as Muslims, and as Labour members, to call on this Labour government to meet our moral obligation by suspending all arms sales to Israel until such a time that international humanitarian law is observed and respected.”

Signatories of the letter include the mayor of Rochdale, Shakil Ahmed, and the mayor of Wellington, Usman Ahmed.

Labour National Executive Committee member and Manchester councillor, Yasmine Dar, has also put her name to the letter.

In early September the Labour government suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licences to Israel and dropped Britain’s objection to the International Criminal Court application for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

However, critics say the moves do not go far enough.

The letter by the Muslim councillors adds to pressure mounting on the British government from within the Labour Party to take stronger action against Israel.

Last week, 51 British MPs from seven political parties backed a parliamentary motion calling for the Labour government to take measures against Israel.

The demands include: “Ending all military exports to Israel, banning the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements and revoking the 2030 Roadmap which deepens UK economic, trade and security ties with Israel”.

Starmer stated on Wednesday that he is “looking at” sanctioning Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, as well as the national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, over comments he called “abhorrent”.

David Cameron, the former British prime minister and foreign secretary under the previous Conservative government, said on Tuesday that he had planned to impose sanctions on the ministers.

Meanwhile, early this week the British government announced fresh sanctions against three Israeli settler outposts and four organisations.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the organisations were responsible for “heinous abuses of human rights” against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.