I noticed the following contribution to a debate in Parliament yesterday, via TheyWorkForYou.com. Stephen Williams, MP for Bristol West delivered the following petition:
[The Petition d]eclares that despite ongoing human rights violations and the UK government's own export guidelines, the UK has consistently licensed exports to Israel for military equipment, thus providing material support for Israeli aggression, and sending a message of approval for its actions; further declares that the Israelis have declared Gaza a "hostile entity" within a "conflict short of war" and that the collective punishment of a civilian population is prohibited in international law.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to seek to end the siege on the Palestinians and to support Palestinian democracy by stopping arming Israel; reconsidering the UK's policy of refusing to provide aid to the Palestinian Authority following Hamas' election victory in January 2006 and pressing Israel to release all elected Palestinian parliamentarians, as well as other political prisoners; to censure the decision by the Israel cabinet to impose sanctions on supplies of electricity, fuel, and other basic goods and services to the civilian population of Gaza, to cease colluding with this act of State Terrorism against innocent people; and to work towards a just solution based on international law and an end to Israeli occupation.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
I happen to disagree with the underlying assumption that the Israelis are displaying aggression, rather than simply doing what any other sensible nation state would do when facing a bona fide terrorist threat from a neighbouring area.
I do find it odd, though, that as a resident of Bristol West I haven't heard about this petition before. At the Bristol Lib Dem's website, you can find news about all their petitions covering such diverse subjects as Climate Change, Homophobic Bullying, Knife Crime, Banksy, Buses, Cancer, the IMF and so on. And there's also the online poll at the Bristol West Lib Dem's site about state funding of political parties, now closed with 10 votes.
I wonder how many signatures Stephen got for his petition? I believe I shall ask.
