More than 100 British celebrities have urged Labour leader Keir Starmer to take a stand against the ongoing atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza, the Guardian reported on Sunday.
Artists for Palestine UK coordinated the joint letter, which urged Starmer, as a former human rights lawyer, to demonstrate [the UK’s] commitment to human rights and international law by suspending arms sales to Israel if he wins the general election.
Among the musicians, actors, writers, and filmmakers, signatories included comedian Steve Coogan, actor and rapper Riz Ahmed, actresses Miriam Margolyes, Juliet Stevenson, Dame Harriet Walter, Lena Headey and Maxine Peake, singer Paloma Faith, director Mike Leigh, and author Michael Rosen.
As a former human rights lawyer, you have a unique opportunity to bring about meaningful change by ending UK complicity in war crimes in Gaza, the letter read. The UK must no longer remain complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people.
It comes as UK government ministers announce that they have found no reason to suspend weapons exports to Israel after reviewing the most recent three-month period of the Gaza war.
The letter adds to the pressure already exerted on the Labour leader by London mayor Sadiq Khan, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, and over 50 Labour MPs who have urged that the UK government stop supplying Israel with weapons.
The letter highlighted that over 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered by Israel since Oct. 7.
A Labour spokesperson told the Guardian: Labour has repeatedly called on the government to publish at least a summary of the legal advice around arms sales, given our serious concerns over the horrifying scenes in Gaza.
We have been clear that the government must uphold both our domestic and international legal obligations when it comes to arms exports.
If Labour wins the election, we will assess the most up-to-date legal advice and we will act on what it says.
