Israelis protest agains their government’s starvation policy in Gaza (photo: Standing Together).

Dollimore responds to Gaza claims

MP Helena Dollimore was not given the opportunity to comment on Gabriel Carlyle’s article Hastings MP backs continued UK arms sales to Israel this week, as she should have been. She has now sent us her most recent statement on the situation in Gaza, and responded to a number of claims made in his article. Nick Terdre reports.

Carlyle’s article reproduced in full a lengthy letter written by Dollimore to a constituent on 29 May in which she discusses the situation in Gaza and her support for government actions taken at that time in response to it. It claimed that the letter indicated that the MP supported the continued sale of arms to Israel following the suspension of a number of export licences last year.

Dollimore drew attention to a statement published on her Facebook page on 27 July (given in full below) in which she calls the images emerging “from Gaza and the desperate pleas from aid agencies and the United Nations to avert disaster…horrifying. The death and destruction is unbearable.”

“The use of aid as a weapon of war by Israel is inexcusable,” she says. “…almost 1,000 civilians have been killed since May seeking aid. Almost daily we hear reports of Israeli troops opening fire on people trying to access food. More aid workers have been killed in this conflict than ever…”

“We must use every lever at our disposal to end this bloodshed, get aid in and rescue the remaining hostages being held by Hamas…

She says she welcomes “the action that the British Government has taken so far to place pressure on Israel to end this horror. Our Government has suspended arm sales, sanctioned far-right Israeli ministers and settlers, suspended trade talks and provided ¼ of a billion in humanitarian assistance…

“Any pause in the fighting must be used to get more aid in, restore vital services and dignity to the Palestinians, get the hostages out and build a lasting ceasefire. Once these immediate humanitarian needs are met, we must develop a plan for lasting peace as part of a two state solution, with a Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.

“Diplomacy is the only viable path to peace…Not airstrikes and gunfire…”

In fact UK arms sales to Israel have only been partially suspended, as Dollimore acknowledged in the letter quoted in Carlyle’s piece. “There are exemptions from [the suspension of export licences] that relate to the international supply chain for F-35 jets because any suspension could impact supplies for Ukraine, which we would not want to do,” she wrote.

HOT asked Dollimore to comment on Carlyle’s claim that she “backs continued arms sales to Israel,” and what her view was on the characterisation of Israel’s present policy in Gaza as genocide, another matter discussed in his article. As of Saturday lunchtime, 9 August, no response had been received.

Carlyle also claims that the MP fails to respond to approaches from constituents, including himself, on Gaza. Her office pointed out that she has previously stated that she sent responses, including to Carlyle. In May she denied claims that she avoided meeting him in Parliament.

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