Labour hypocrisy over Israel’s barbaric Rafah attack is all about the general election

Over the weekend, several Labour Party MP’s took to X to condemn Israel’s barbaric attacks on the refugee camp in Rafah – oddly just as the general election kicked off. 

Whilst Israel have been unlawfully bombing occupied Gaza since October, on Saturday 25 May they took it to a new level. They brutally bombed a refugee camp in Rafah – a designated safe zone. 

Funnily enough, some of the Labour MP’s tweeting to condemn Israel’s actions, are supporters of Labour Friends of Israel (LFI). 

Labour Friends of Israel

LFI describes itself as:

 a Westminster based lobby group working within the British Labour Party to promote the State of Israel.

As of January this year, LFI had 73 MP’s as parliamentary supporters or officers of the organisation, along with 37 lords and 4 MSPs. Ironically, LFIs website states: 

We promote a vision of peace founded on coexistence, cooperation, and mutual respect and recognition between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

Given the current atrocities that the Israeli government is committing both in Gaza and the West Bank it is laughable that MP’s have not called out LFI.

We need to start confronting the Labour Friends of Israel, who funds them and why? pic.twitter.com/NzMQHv793z

— #EastMidlandsSocialist voting Independent!!!! (@cooke550) May 23, 2024

Pure hypocrisy amid the general election

Although many Labour MP’s tweeted in support of Rafah over the weekend, some of them received more backlash than others. First up, was Jess Phillips – Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley:

The images coming out of Rafah are horrendous, for weeks the UK government have claimed to be against it but have done nothing when many of us begged that a message must be sent that these killings would not be tolerated. It’s now too late.

— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) May 26, 2024

However, people were quick to shut her down. Whilst she was one of 56 Labour MP’s that voted for a ceasefire in November, she is still a parliamentary supporter of LFI. 

You have been silent and complicit yourself for MONTHS. Condemn Labour Friends of Israel @_LFI NOW and present a commitment that a Labour government will cut all funding and support for Israel, including LFI, otherwise YOU SUPPORT THIS

— Tiberius (@ecomarxi) May 26, 2024

Are LFI stores of hypocrisy limitless? 🤮
Is it just that killing Palestinian kids will be just fine again on July 5th?

— Wise Guy (@OldYesButWise) May 27, 2024

David Lammy also tweeted:

We condemn the appalling strikes on a supposed ‘safe zone’ in Rafah.@UKLabour have opposed an Israeli offensive in Rafah for months. Israel must now comply with the ICJ’s orders.

We need an immediate ceasefire to end this war, get all the hostages out and get aid into Gaza. pic.twitter.com/qblhfjPDu6

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) May 27, 2024

The memory of a goldfish

Perhaps David thinks the British public are stupid – or perhaps he conveniently has the memory of a goldfish, because only back in November he made a statement in which he said bombing a refugee camp could be justified, if there was a military objective.

He is also a parliamentary supporter of LFI, and notably, he also abstained on the ceasefire vote in parliament last November along with 140 of his colleagues.:

You, David Lammy, said it was legally justifiable for Israel to bomb refugee camps.

You should be reminded of these words every single day during this election.

Do not vote Labour. pic.twitter.com/iFJ3gVzEPN https://t.co/pNuNhmsVKw

— George Aylett (@GeorgeAylett) May 27, 2024

Last time David was asked to comment on the bombing of a refugee camp he said “war is ugly” and “bombing a refugee camp can be legally justified”.

This was barely a few months ago? Why is this refugee camp bad, while the other was justified? https://t.co/IFcS4twEU8

— Chłoddy (@OfSymbols) May 27, 2024

Not to be mistaken for a man with a heart, the guy is keen to get re-elected. Obviously war crimes can be ignored until there is an election to win:

Last time David was asked to comment on the bombing of a refugee camp he said “war is ugly” and “bombing a refugee camp can be legally justified”.

This was barely a few months ago? Why is this refugee camp bad, while the other was justified? https://t.co/IFcS4twEU8

— Chłoddy (@OfSymbols) May 27, 2024

Many people also pointed out that some of the MP’s now condoning the actions in Rafah have in fact taken dirty money from pro-Israel lobbyists – which Declassified reported on back in November. They revealed that 13 of 31 members of Labour’s shadow cabinet received donations from pro-Israel lobby groups or individual.

One of these was Angela Rayner. When she tweeted on the scenes in Rafah, someone mentioned that she had previously taken money from LFI. Although it is worth mentioning that she is not a parliamentary supporter of LFI:

Angela Rayner takes money from Labour Friends of Israel.
More crocodile tears.https://t.co/98KZSEKdCh

— IainCrawford (@IainCrawford) May 27, 2024

Wes Streeting is another MP who’s actions speak louder than his words. He decided to quote tweet his pal David Lammy:

David is right. The images emerging from Rafah are extremely distressing and underline why so many of us opposed the mere suggestion of this appalling action. https://t.co/EqZbib4MKo

— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) May 27, 2024

Now this is particularly laughable, when in January he labelled the South African case at the ICJ a ‘distraction’. Again, he is a parliamentary supporter of LFI:

Never forget Wes Streeting called the South African case at the ICJ a distraction.

These Labour politicians are shameless now that he’s feeling the pressure from @LeanneMohamad he wants to pretend he’s always been on the right side of history.

Ilford North vote him out! 🥀 https://t.co/eZUJgHQjsw pic.twitter.com/syVFaZLuqb

— Newham Independents 🇵🇸💛 (@NewhamIndParty) May 27, 2024

Luckily, their hypocrisy didn’t go unnoticed. 

Wretched hypocrites both.

They gave political cover for genocide and failed to call for a ceasefire for months.

Now they fail to call for a ban on arms sales. https://t.co/P9NKKux6xe

— Alan Gibbons (@mygibbo) May 27, 2024

Words are cheap @wesstreeting – devoid of meaning unless followed by action.

Will you be resigning from Labour Friends of Israel Mr Streeting?

Will you be returning the funding you have received from pro Israeli lobby?

Interesting article by the wayhttps://t.co/H7gegvWIAw https://t.co/sScWU5bUK1

— Trish 🇺🇦🇵🇸🇮🇪🏳️‍🌈#freepalestine (@caro_resist) May 27, 2024

Labour friends of genocide

It seems that now Labour has a general election to contest, Its position has quickly changed.  But the fact that anyone within the Labour party has ever, and is still supporting a genocidal state is ridiculous:

So why is there still a Labour friends of Israel when the Israeli regime are committing war crimes and murdering children ? How is it acceptable. They are committing genocide and we the public find it sickening. It’s unacceptable. A huge red line. https://t.co/MaT34CMvkL

— Catherine #Fightfordecency 🕊️ (@dem_cath) May 27, 2024

If Labour really valued Palestinian lives – as it now clearly want us to believe – it wouldn’t have taken the party and its MPs 136 days to call for an ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’.

Waiting 136 days to call for a ceasefire, and then only strongly condemning Israel’s actions when a general election is at stake, shows the utter hypocrisy of our potential future leaders.