Keir Starmer Faces Resignations Over Stance on Middle East Crisis

Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has faced a wave of resignations from Labour councillors following his stance on the Middle East crisis. Starmer has repeatedly expressed his belief that Israel has a right to defend itself, in accordance with international law. However, his comments made during a radio interview last week have sparked anger among some Labour activists.

During the interview on LBC radio, Starmer stated that Israel had the “right to defend herself” after a Palestinian militant group, Hamas, launched an unprecedented attack on October 7th, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 people. He also mentioned that this included doing “everything it can” to safely bring back hostages taken into Gaza. When asked about the appropriateness of cutting off water and power supplies to Gaza as part of Israel’s response, Starmer replied, “I think that Israel does have that right, it is an ongoing situation. Obviously, everything should be done within international law, but I don’t want to step away from the core principles that Israel has a right to defend herself.”

These remarks led to several Labour councillors resigning from the party, as they felt that Starmer’s comments amounted to an endorsement of the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, which is against international law. So far, nine Labour councillors, out of over 6,000, have resigned over Starmer’s stance. Two of them, Shaista Aziz and Amar Latif from Oxford City Council, explained in their resignation statement that Starmer’s remarks seemed to condone the use of collective punishment against the people of Gaza, which goes against international law. They also expressed their disappointment in not receiving a response after seeking urgent clarification from the national and local leadership.

In an attempt to defuse the situation, Starmer’s spokesperson clarified on Wednesday that his statement about Israel having “that right” was referring to the general right to self-defense. The spokesperson mentioned that there were overlapping questions and answers during the LBC interview, and Starmer had been consistent in all his interviews, emphasizing that Israel should abide by international law.

In response to the resignations, Starmer has written a letter to all Labour councillors, stressing their role in communicating the party’s stance to their constituents in their local areas. In the letter, which was reported by the New Statesman, Starmer reiterated that there should be humanitarian corridors and access to food, water, electricity, and medicines for the people in Gaza, along with protection for aid workers. He reiterated Labour’s position that Israel has the right to defend itself and bring hostages home, but emphasized that this must be done in accordance with international law.

Following a video call between Starmer’s chief of staff, Sue Gray, and Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, the party has confirmed that there will be no change in their position as a result of the meeting. Some members on the left of the party, as well as the SNP, have called on Starmer and the government to support a ceasefire to protect civilians. However, both Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have declined to back the call, reiterating their support for Israel’s right to self-defense.

Starmer has presented a united front with the government on the conflict, arguing that political division would only benefit the “enemies of peace and democracy.” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly echoed this sentiment, stating that he had seen “absolutely nothing” to suggest that Hamas would respect a ceasefire. The situation remains tense as both sides continue to escalate the conflict.