London- After their resignation due to its leadership’s positions on the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, prominent politicians in the British Labor Party chose to run in the parliamentary elections scheduled for next July 4, as independents.
It seems that the emergence of independent candidates, as an alternative to traditional party lists, may threaten to disrupt the political balances that will be formed in light of the results of the upcoming elections.
Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the Labor Party, and one of the most prominent political voices supporting the Palestinian cause in Britain, is considered one of the most prominent of these independent candidates. His positions in support of Palestine remained a constant source of skepticism from his political opponents, who accused him at times of “anti-Semitism” and at other times of “supporting terrorist groups.”
In an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune Net, Corbyn described the student movement in support of Gaza and Palestine, which British universities are witnessing, as unprecedented and significant, and stressed that he will continue to defend the only way to achieve just and lasting peace, which is ending the occupation of Palestine.
The following is the text of the dialogue:
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After years of leading the Labor Party. Why are you running as an independent?
I feel very proud to have been the MP for Islington North since 1983. During this election, I was banned from standing as a Labor candidate. No one in the area had a say in this decision. Several people in my constituency talked to me about running as an independent, so that’s what I decided to do.
I am running to ensure that my community has an independent voice in Parliament, standing up for them and their values of equality, democracy and peace.
We have had a fantastic response from people of all backgrounds, religions and ages, because our campaign focuses on the core issues faced by people in my constituency – child poverty, rising rents, the privatization of our NHS and the rise of racism in our society.
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Do you think that independent candidates will have political weight in the next parliament?
During the upcoming election, there are many Socialist, Green and Independent candidates running across Britain, and their remarkable popularity and the likelihood that voters will vote for them over other party candidates, reflects the desperation of many people to find a real political alternative to the Conservative Party.
It seems that we will bid farewell to this party’s rule of the country, which lasted 14 years, without finding real solutions to poverty and inequality, while it continued to support horrific wars.
I believe British voters need a new, more credible political narrative that gives them hope that our children can have a better future, that a more peaceful world exists, and that we can build a cohesive society.
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Will the war on Gaza have a pivotal role in the choices of British voters?
Citizens in my constituency are simply disgusted by the horrific and devastating loss of innocent lives in Gaza. Millions of people of all faiths have been calling for a ceasefire for months, but the country’s political class and decision-makers simply ignored them.
I, along with many others, have been disgusted and angry at the failure of both parties – both Conservative and Labor – to stand up for international law, and their blatant abandonment of Palestinians suffering under occupation at a time when they need this support.
During the election period, some politicians began to back down, perhaps concerned about the electoral consequences of their political positions, and in an attempt to bridge the gap with an electoral mood angry at the inability of the political class to formulate a clear and firm position towards what the Palestinians are suffering in Gaza and against what Israel is doing to them.
But I believe that if these politicians had integrity and a moral political conscience, they would have mourned the 35,000 Palestinians who were killed, starved, or buried under the rubble, but they did not do so simply because of their moral and political cowardice.
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What will you offer to the Palestinian file if you win the upcoming elections?
Whatever the outcome of the elections and regardless of the political scene it produces, I and many others will continue to demonstrate in support of Gaza and to demand an end to the war, because there are people dying every moment and we cannot turn a blind eye to that and ignore it without any action.
As an independent candidate for Islington North, I will use my voice in Parliament to demand an end to arms sales to Israel. I will do what I have always done, which is to defend the only path to achieving just and lasting peace: ending the occupation of Palestine.
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What is your assessment of the movement in student universities? Could it be a milestone in supporting the Palestinian cause?
I believe that the student movement taking place in British universities is unprecedented and significant. I recently visited a student camp at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOIS) to show my support. These students and their colleagues in several British universities have shown bold and appreciative solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip and the suffering and pain they are enduring.
University administrators must engage with the student body and respond to their demands, draw lessons from this uniquely peaceful student demonstration, and consider public opinion in Britain which overwhelmingly supports a complete, permanent and immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
We must continue to support the peaceful student movement, in the UK and around the world, which promises to change the way politicians approach the Palestinian issue.
