‘Words must be matched by action’
The Trades Union Congress has today called on the government to immediately recognise Palestine and suspend the UK’s trade deal with Israel.
The union body has said that given Israel’s ongoing violations of international law, it is “plain wrong” that Israeli goods are being imported to the UK with reduced tariffs.
In May, the government suspended trade talks to upgrade its free trade agreement with Israel.
However, the current UK-Israel trade deal, which was agreed in 2022, remains in place. UK imports from Israel were £2.5 billion in the four quarters to the end of 2024, exports to Israel were worth £3.2 billion in the same period.
The deal itself says that “the observance of human rights and democracy… form the very basis” of the agreement.
The TUC is also calling for banning imported illegal settlement goods, an end to arms sales to Israel and sanctions on individuals committing war crimes.
In a statement, the TUC said: “More than 21 months of strikes on Gaza and its people has caused untold devastation, bloodshed and suffering. Now respected international agencies are warning that Israel’s blockade of aid is causing mass starvation.
“This timeline of horrors is happening in plain sight – and the violence shows no sign of abating. Despite growing international condemnation, current measures are clearly not working.”
The TUC added: “Words must be matched with action. That’s why we are calling for the UK and its international partners to use every diplomatic, political, and economic tool available to help deliver an immediate and permanent ceasefire, end the illegal occupation and start a meaningful political peace process that respects the right to self-determination.”
The statement said this must include the recognition of Palestine as a state, “Not in a year’s time or two years’ time – but now.”
The UN conference on Gaza will take place in New York on Monday and Tuesday next week.
Prime minister Emmanuel Macron declared that he will recognise Palestine as a state last night. Prime minister Keir Starmer will speak with Macron and the German chancellor Friedrich Merz today following Macron’s announcement.
Ahead of the meeting, Starmer made a statement in which he said “the suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible”.
Labour figures have told the FT today that they believe Foreign Secretary David Lammy wants to recognise Palestine, but the blockage is Starmer.
At least 125 MPs have today signed a mass cross-party letter calling on the prime minister to recognise Palestine.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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