Quaker MPs reject calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
Catherine West, Ruth Cadbury and Thangam Debbonaire all abstained from the SNP amendment to the king’s speech that called for an immediate ceasefire.
Three Quaker MPs have rejected Friends’ calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.Earlier this month, Britain Yearly Meeting joined American Friends Service Committee, Canadian Friends Service Committee, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and the Quaker United Nations Office, in saying ‘we insist that a ceasefire must be realized along with the return of all hostages’.
But Catherine West (Hornsey & Wood Green, and shadow foreign minister for Asia & the Pacific), Ruth Cadbury (Brentford & Isleworth), and Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West, and shadow secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport) all abstained from the SNP amendment to the king’s speech that called for an immediate ceasefire. This was in line with the Labour whip.
Fifty-six Labour MPs did oppose the party leadership, including ten frontbenchers.
A four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on Friday 24 November ahead of the release of hostages.
In a long statement on her website Ruth Cadbury wrote: ‘I share the overwhelming concern of constituents who have written to me in the last week, that the violence must stop. Most have asked me to call for a ceasefire, however the challenges of achieving a formal ceasefire are significant and I believe we have a duty to find a credible and sustainable approach. Both parties to the conflict have to agree to, and stick to, a ceasefire, which both Israel or Hamas have made clear they are not prepared to do. I worry that a ceasefire at this moment in time without the release of hostages by Hamas risks freezing the conflict in its current state, which would be disastrous for both Israelis and Palestinian civilians.’
Thangam Debbonaire also issued a statement after the vote: ‘I voted for an end to the violence in Israel and Palestine, and for humanitarian pauses as a necessary step towards an enduring cessation of fighting as soon as possible.’
Describing the ‘horrifying’ situation, she wrote: ‘I believe that as a prospective party of government, Labour’s responsibility is to find and chart a viable diplomatic path all the way to a lasting peace. A ceasefire is on that path but is not yet possible. This is why we pushed successfully for humanitarian pauses in hostilities – not as a goal, but as an achievable first step to provide urgently needed help. Pauses of a few hours are clearly nothing like enough. I am continuing to push for a full and immediate pause in fighting across the whole of Gaza to get more food, fuel, water and medical supplies in.’
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