Nick Clegg is a lead signatory for a letter in today’s Observer calling on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to abide by UN security council resolution 1860 and bring an end to the suffering of the people of Gaza. Here’s what it says:
One year on from Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli government continues to imprison 1.5 million Palestinians and prevent the rebuilding of its shattered infrastructure.
Israel’s blockade of Gaza, described by the UN fact-finding mission as “collective punishment”, stops reconstruction materials and humanitarian aid from reaching those who so desperately require it.
As a result of the blockade, many Palestinians, now suffering in the grip of winter, are forced to live in temporary shelters or partially destroyed homes. More than two-thirds of the population require United Nations aid merely to survive.
We call upon all parties to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza and specifically the British government and the international community to apply meaningful pressure upon Israel to abide by UN security council resolution 1860, to end this flagrant abuse of international law and lift the blockade. The confinement and punishment of an entire population is no way to bring about peace for all the people of the Middle East.
Nick Clegg MP, leader of the Liberal Democrats; Richard Burden MP, chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group; Ed Davey MP, shadow foreign secretary, Liberal Democrats; Michael Moore MP, shadow secretary of state for international development, Liberal Democrats; Tony Lloyd MP, chair of the parliamentary Labour party; Dr Brian Iddon MP, secretary of the Britain-Palestine APPG; Christine Russell MP, treasurer of the Britain-Palestine APPG; Martin Linton MP, chair of Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East; Jo Swinson MP, foreign affairs spokesperson, Liberal Democrats; Baroness Northover, spokesperson on international development, House of Lords, Liberal Democrats; John Austin MP, joint chair of the Council for Arab-British Understanding; Roger Berry MP; Clive Betts MP; Colin Breed MP, joint chair of the Council for Arab-British Understanding; Peter Bottomley MP; Alistair Carmichael MP; Michael Connarty MP; Neil Gerrard MP; David Lepper MP; Tom Levitt MP; Andy Love MP; Bob Marshall-Andrews MP; Andrew Slaughter MP; Dr Phyllis Starkey MP; Lord Steel; Sarah Teather MP; Derek Wyatt MP; Sir Robert Atkins MEP
You can read the letter at The Observer’s letters page here.
