Despite the prime minister taking a slightly tougher line on Israel, the UK continues to supply weapons, avoid sanctions.
London, United Kingdom – Halimo Hussain, 31, has voted for the Labour Party at every election since she was able to vote. But that stopped with the 2024 July election.
“I felt that it was impossible to support the Labour Party while they were actively funding and supporting genocide … and endorsing collective punishment [of Palestinians in Gaza] was unconscionable,” Hussain, a British Muslim and a diversity and inclusion officer from Tottenham in north London, told Al Jazeera.
She explained that in the run-up to the election, her efforts were focused on independent candidates who were pro-Palestinian.
Nearly four months after the election, Hussain’s views on Labour have not changed despite the party taking a different stance on the war in power than the previous Conservative government.
“I think they’ve semi-acknowledged that war crimes are taking place but yet are attempting to go through legal loopholes to keep funding and supporting Israel in its genocidal assault on Gaza, and that to me is insane,” she said, referring to Britain suspending 30 arms export licences to Israel in early September.
Hussain is not alone.
Four months ago, the Labour Party under Keir Starmer won the general election in a landslide vote. But despite the win, the party lost support from what has traditionally been a key support base for Labour: British Muslims upset over the party’s stance on the Gaza war.
Shortly after the October 7 Hamas attack last year, Starmer told LBC radio that due to the attack, Israel had the right to defend itself and the “right” to cut water and power in the enclave, in line with “international law”.
But his comments sparked outrage within the party and its members, with some councillors resigning. He later clarified his comments and said he did not suggest that withholding essential resources was appropriate.
