The British Palestinian Committee writes in light of the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to convey the alarm and horror of British Palestinians - and the broader British public - at the government’s response to Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza and the urgent need for remedy.

As British Palestinians, we stand together, united by our shared history, by the spirit of our people, and by a commitment to universal principles of justice. Compelled by the urgency of the unfolding atrocities in our homeland, we write today to affirm our presence once again and reassert our common humanity, in the face of attempts to erase our existence and dehumanise our people as we face an ethnic cleansing on a scale not seen since the 1948 Nakba.

The British Palestinian Committee is alarmed by reports that the UK government is seeking to stop the International Court of Justice (ICJ) from issuing a legal opinion on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land which was requested by the UN General Assembly in a resolution passed in December 2022.

“The fight to defend fundamental Palestinian rights is a universal one, allied with all struggles for freedom, justice, and equality. The BPC has joined a broad civil society coalition, including more than 60 trade unions, charities, NGOs, faith, climate justice, human rights, and solidarity organisations, committed to defending the fundamental democratic rights threatened by this bill. Our local democracy, freedom of expression and the right of public bodies to freely decide how they invest their funds are all at stake. For breaches of Palestinian rights and the basic civil liberties that belong to all of us as British citizens, this bill should be clearly opposed at every stage.”

“To target a project of this nature - dehumanising children and smearing their artwork as offensive - is frankly appalling. While we understand that the hospital may have been put under a great deal of pressure, its capitulation and unwillingness to respond to constructive engagement with us on the issue has exacerbated the situation, lent credence to baseless claims, and ultimately failed all the children who were involved in the project. It also sets a dangerous precedent that could prevent similar projects in the future.”

“I have no doubt that Palestinian students and British Palestinians up and down the country will be left feeling utterly betrayed. What could have been an opportunity for the NUS to robustly assert both the importance of addressing antisemitism and the rights of the Palestinian people, as part of the same overarching commitment to antiracism, has been squandered.” Sara Husseini, BPC Director.

“As you will be aware, there have been further deeply worrying developments within the past 48 hours… Whatever position the UK government takes, these actions certainly do not reflect the ‘long-standing commitment to democratic values’ ascribed to the State of Israel in your letter dated December 6th 2021.”

“As Palestinians, we are deeply concerned about what this [new governing coalition] will mean for the millions of Palestinian women, men and children living under imposed Israeli rule, and the now even greater threat to their safety. As British citizens, we would like to hear how the British government intends to respond to the coalition's extremist positions, which stand at stark odds with the UK's stated positions, commitments, values, and international obligations.”

“In short, relocating the embassy - thereby endorsing Israel’s current actions - threatens to severely compromise the safety of Palestinians, the credibility of the UK on the international stage, and the prospects of any kind of just future in the region. We seriously hope you will reconsider this move, for the sake of all parties involved.”

"The fact that the decision to dismiss Ms. Dallali was leaked and published in the Jewish News and the Jewish Chronicle, and reportedly shared with the Government and the Leader of the Opposition, before she had even been notified, is wholly inappropriate and beggars belief."

“British Palestinians fear that the inquiry, including its terms of reference and broader political context, will result in a fundamentally flawed report which conflates antisemitism with criticism of the State of Israel.”

“An enhanced UK-Israel trade agreement would send precisely the wrong message to the Israeli government: that continued settlement expansion, annexation and apartheid is not only supported by the British government, but materially rewarded. “

“The UK has a commitment and duty to ensure that Palestinian human rights defenders - and human rights defenders around the world - are able to operate without fear of intimidation or reprisal.”

“Until the root causes of this injustice are addressed, we will continue to see regular escalations in violence that will take both Palestinian and Israeli lives, and there will be no achievement of a real and lasting peace.”