Thank you to Nick HorseField for openly sharing this letter he wrote to Caroline Ansell MP 👇 🇵🇸
‘ Those of you who have written to Caroline Ansell – asking her to vote for a ceasefire, will probably by now have received her response, which she acknowledges has been “sent to all who have written to me.” ✅️
The following was my rely to her 👇
“Dear Caroline
Replying to my recent request (asking that you vote for a ceasefire in Gaza 🇵🇸) you pointed out:
“There is no vote in our British Parliament that can command a ceasefire.”
Indeed I, and I suspect every person who contacted you on this issue is already aware of that fact. Nonetheless, I’m sure you are aware that a request from the U.K. for a ceasefire would put some pressure on the Israelis adding to that already coming from most of the international community 🌎
You also said: “Expert and experienced voices will also tell you a ceasefire will protract fighting and increase casualties, allowing as it would, the time and space for Hamas to regroup.”
But you must surely must be aware that a different (and I suspect larger) group of experts, worldwide, support a ceasefire 🔥❎️
Within the UN these include:
Mr. Pedro Arrojo Agudo Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation;
Mr Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food;
Ms Tlaleng Mofokeng Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health,
Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons;
Ms. Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967;
Ms Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences;
Ms. Ashwini K.P. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
All these experts 👆👆👆 point to the desperate humanitarian plight of the people of Gaza and agree:
“All parties must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. We demand a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure that aid reaches those who need it the most. A ceasefire also means channels of communication can be opened to ensure the release of hostages,”
Others, with a military background, point out the potential costs to Israel, in the long-term, if they continue to press ahead and kill even more civilians (breeding more hatred and terrorism for generations to come).
You also say: “Is Hamas seeking talks? Peace? No and never.” You are factually incorrect here: Hamas have in the past shown a willingness to negotiate – you might not like their apparent opening position, but then every negotion starts with opposing groups holding positions which start as unacceptable but move toward a meeting point. (note the good Friday talks with the IRA). 🇮🇪
You then say: “There is no hiding their genocidal ambition for the international community either. They have made their intentions very, very clear.” This statement suggests to me you have been taught by Israeli propaganda to utterly dismiss (and dehumanise) Hamas.
The late Gerald Kaufman (Jewish himself) once said in a parliamentary speech: –
“Because of the failings of Fatah since Arafat’s death, Hamas won the Palestinian election in 2006. Hamas is a deeply nasty organisation, but it was democratically elected, and it is the only game in town. The boycotting of Hamas, including by our Government, has been a culpable error, from which dreadful consequences have followed.
The great Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban, with whom I campaigned for peace on many platforms, said: You make peace by talking to your enemies.
However many Palestinians the Israelis murder in Gaza, they cannot solve this existential problem by military means. Whenever and however the fighting ends, there will still be 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza and 2.5 million more on the west bank. They are treated like dirt by the Israelis, with hundreds of road blocks and with the ghastly denizens of the illegal Jewish settlements harassing them as well. The time will come, not so long from now, when they will outnumber the Jewish population in Israel.
It is time for our Government to make clear to the Israeli Government that their conduct and policies are unacceptable, and to impose a total arms ban on Israel. It is time for peace, but real peace, not the solution by conquest which is the Israelis real goal but which it is impossible for them to achieve. They are not simply war criminals; they are fools.”
Regarding the al-Aqsa Flood – I dare say those who committed war crimes on October 7th should be held to account. You mentioned babies Hamas Allegedly killed – SORRY but I EXPECT BETTER from my MP: With power comes a responsibility to be reasonably well informed: the story has been debunked – records show that only one Israeli baby was killed on October 7th – that death is now acknowledged to have occurred during a crossfire incident – again you are far too dependent on Israeli propaganda for your information. As a presumably educated person, you should be well aware of the long and sordid history of “ATROCITY PROPAGANDA ” (If not please look it up).
Similarly, no substantial evidence has ever been produced to substantiate Israeli claims of rape or burnings (in the case of burnings there is substantial evidence that these happened as a result of Israeli “Hellfire” missiles attack launched in panic against vehicles and individuals fleeing or being abducted toward Gaza).
For more information about events on October 7th Please read the following article by Max Blumenthal – a Jewish American Journalist who has covered the Israel Palestine conflict for decades, He speaks Hebrew and has lived in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories:
As for Ghazi Ahmed saying: “The existence of Israel is what causes all that pain, blood and tears.” Those of us who have studied the history, and who have insight into how badly the Palestinians have been treated first by the British (under the mandate) then by the Zionists, could not possibly deny that Israel has caused them a great deal of “pain, blood and tears”.
Sorry, but it seems to me you are only interested in adumbrating a list of wrongs on the part of Hamas, but none of the arguably much more egregious wrongs committed by successive Israeli governments, who have over the decades have killed far more civilians than Hamas (or all the historic Palestinian resistance groups put together).
Nick Horsefield. An Eastbourne Constituent
🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸
https://thegrayzone.com/2023/10/27/israels-military-shelled-burning-tanks-helicopters/