Dozens of Arab figures in Britain called on British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to apologize for his statements in which he downplayed the genocide crimes in the Gaza Strip.
This came in a letter titled “An official statement from the leaders of the British Arab community in the United Kingdom regarding Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s statements regarding Gaza,” at the initiative of the Arab Forum in Britain, yesterday evening, Tuesday.
The figures stressed that Lamy’s statements not only underestimate the seriousness of the situation, but also ignore international standards of international law, which describe systematic acts of destroying and targeting civilians and obstructing the arrival of humanitarian aid as clear signs of genocidal intent.
The signatories of the letter called on the British government and international leaders to take a decisive stance to support international law, achieve justice, and ensure the protection of the Palestinian people in this critical circumstance.
The letter also stated that “Lami’s statements belittle the atrocities documented by reliable parties, such as the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, who confirmed in her reports the existence of acts that rise to the level of genocide, in addition to the fact that many international organizations have repeatedly condemned Israel and described its actions as carrying color of genocide.
The signatories of the letter described “the Secretary of State’s failure to acknowledge the scale of human rights violations in Gaza as disappointing, especially at a time when civilian suffering has reached unprecedented levels.”
Among the most prominent signatories of the letter: Sabah Al-Mukhtar, Adnan Humaidan, Anas Al-Takriti, Firas Abu Hilal, Riyad Masharqa, Ibrahim Hamami, and others.
Last Monday, opposition conservative MP Nick Timothy urged Foreign Minister Lammy – while in Parliament – to clarify that “there is no genocide occurring in the Middle East,” adding that terms such as “genocide” in reference to Gaza are “inappropriate” and “inappropriate.” “It is repeated by demonstrators and lawbreakers.”
Lamy said in response: “These are, quite correctly, legal terms that must be defined by international courts.”
Since October 7, 2023, Israel – with absolute American support – has been waging a “genocidal” war on Gaza, which has resulted in more than 144,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing persons, amid massive destruction and famine that has killed… Dozens of children and the elderly, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.