A previous demonstration in London demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza (Al Jazeera)

London -

In a stormy session, the British House of Commons approved, yesterday, Wednesday, a draft resolution submitted by the Labor Party calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, without voting on the resolution after both Conservative Party and Scottish National Party MPs withdrew due to disagreements over a measure. Voting process by the Chairman of the Council.

The Scottish National Party was the first to put the draft resolution to a vote, before - later - both the Labor and Conservative parties presented amendments to it, through which the workers demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire while acknowledging Israel’s right to resume fighting “in the event that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) commits Acts of violence against her,” according to the text of the resolution.

As for the Conservative Party, it withdrew an amendment it had submitted that only called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip.

Starmer's positions in support of the occupation policies against the people of Gaza were the subject of sharp criticism (Reuters)

Survival of rebellion

Parliament witnessed a sharp division over the vote on the three projects presented by the British parties, reflecting the intensity of the disagreement within the ranks of the political class regarding the political management of the position on the Israeli war on Gaza.

It appeared to be an early electoral campaign led by the competing parties from within Parliament to address a wide segment of their popular base, which considers dealing with the war on the Gaza Strip to be one of the basic determinants in deciding its electoral decision.

With the House of Commons adopting this resolution, Labor Party leader Keir Starmer - who is dissatisfied with explicitly calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza - has been spared a new wave of rebellion among his party cadres.

This comes after the Scottish National Council’s proposal last November of a similar resolution led to the resignation of 10 deputies within its ranks, and angered the Arab and Muslim communities, which are a traditional electoral reservoir for the party, after opinion polls showed a noticeable decline in their potential support for the Labor Party in the upcoming parliamentary elections. .

Starmer's positions in support of Israeli policies against the people of Gaza were the subject of sharp criticism for the party, while the amendment he presented is considered a way to the Scottish National draft resolution, which is described as advanced compared to the text of the Labor Party draft resolution, and an attempt to prevent the deepening of divisions in its ranks at a time when it is preparing to run in the elections. He aspires to top it.

Popular rejection

During the past weeks, with the escalation of rejection among the British public of the continued killings committed by the occupation army against civilians in Gaza, the positions of the party leader began to waver in an attempt to bridge the gap with the popular bases.

Starmer confirmed - in his speech to supporters of the Labor Party in Scotland last week - that he supports an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, after the party’s supporters in Scotland expressed their concern that his leadership’s position on the war would be reflected in the voters’ decision in the upcoming elections.

This comes at a time when the Scottish Nationalist (his political opponent) seems to be in complete agreement with his previous positions rejecting the continuation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Despite this shift in positions, British representatives accused Starmer of exploiting a humanitarian crisis as large as the one the people of Gaza are experiencing, in a political electoral game.

While others believed that supporting any decision to stop the fighting in Gaza would not lead to a quick turnaround in the crisis, but would place Parliament at the heart of international efforts to pressure an immediate end to this war.

The approach adopted by British political parties regarding dealing with the crisis in Gaza differed.

Sparring

In the text of the resolution that it put to a vote, the Scottish National accused Israel of practicing a policy of “collective punishment” against the Palestinians in Gaza, which made the rest of the British parties hesitate to support a resolution that carries a sharp tone of criticism of Israeli policies that might anger a wide segment of right-wing supporters.

As for the Conservative Party - which was strongly involved in the ongoing debate in Parliament - it decided at the last minute to withdraw an amendment that it had put to a vote earlier demanding only an immediate humanitarian truce in the Strip, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that adopting an immediate ceasefire without a clear plan for a political solution Permanent is not in everyone's interest.

In conjunction with the House of Commons discussing the ceasefire resolution, thousands demonstrated in front of Parliament in the capital, London, to demand that MPs take a serious and decisive stance to end support for the Israeli war on Gaza and put an end to the suffering of its residents.

At the end of a stormy night in the House of Commons, Starmer emerged as the biggest victor after he succeeded in quelling a rebellion that would have deepened divisions within his party, a few months before decisive parliamentary elections.

He also succeeded in blocking the Scottish National draft resolution, which had a higher ceiling, and explicitly called for an immediate ceasefire without playing with political language.

Source: Al Jazeera