Dollimore on Israel and Palestine Action
KENT BARKER
Does Hastings’ MP Helena Dollimore support arms sales to Israel? Our colleagues at the Hastings Online Times (HOT) allege that she does. In an article earlier this month under the headline ‘Hastings MP backs continued UK arms sales to Israel’ HOT cites a letter from the MP to a constituent in which she says the government suspended ‘around 30 arms export licences where there is a risk of these being used to breach international law in Gaza. There are exemptions from this that relate to the international supply chain for F-35 jets because any suspension could impact supplies for Ukraine, which we would not want to do.’ The emphasis was added by HOT. But does this mean she does actually ‘back’ continued arms sales?
HIP asked her directly: Could you say definitively if you do or do not back arms sales from the UK to Israel–and especially from the General Dynamics factory in the town? She replied: “The images we are seeing emerge from Gaza and the desperate pleas from aid agencies and the United Nations to avert disaster are horrifying. I have repeatedly raised this crisis in Parliament and with Ministers. I welcome the action that the British Government has taken so far to place pressure on Israel to end this horror. Our Government has suspended arm sales, sanctioned far-right Israeli ministers and settlers, suspended trade talks and provided ¼ of a £billion in humanitarian assistance.”
According to the government itself the ‘suspended arms sales’ amount to ‘30 licenses’ from a ‘total of 350’, so a very long way from a complete ban. It was notable that Ms Dollimore did not respond to our question about arms to Israel from the General Dynamics factory in Hastings.
HIP also asked the MP: ‘if you do or do not consider Israel’s actions in Gaza to be Genocide and/or War Crimes as has been alleged by UN representatives? Additionally do you support the call for a recognised Palestinian State?’ To which she replied: “I stood on a Labour manifesto that committed to recognising a Palestinian state as part of a lasting peace process and that remains the firm commitment of our Government.” The answer neatly side-stepped the question of Genocide.
Finally HIP asked: “With hindsight do you regret supporting the Bill to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, given the level of opposition to the move from so many people including a number of your constituents?” This received the longest section of her statement to us:
“Protest and free speech are an important part of our democracy and those freedoms will always be protected. But Palestine Action was proscribed based on strong independent advice from the security services to Ministers – and it is important to note that many of those crucial details cannot yet be publicly reported because of criminal proceedings. Its members have been charged with offences including violent disorder, grievous bodily harm with intent and aggravated burglary. For the Government to ignore all those security assessments, advice and recommendations would be irresponsible. Some of those holding placards in direct support of Palestine Action may not know the kind of organisation they have been promoting: its violence, intimidation, or future plans and aspirations. People are right to be calling for an end to this intolerable humanitarian situation, but we must not allow those urgent calls for peace in the Middle East to be diverted into a campaign to support one narrow group involved in violence here in the UK.”
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