Lib Dems with an eye on recruitment may have spotted an interesting new job ad in circulation: Public Affairs, Communications and Administration Officer for the Lib Dem Friends of Palestine. So, who are the Lib Dem Friends of Palestine (LDFP), what do we do, and in what ways could Lib Dems help make a difference now for Palestinians and a political crisis that has threatened global stability for so many decades?
LDFP was founded some 20 years ago for all party members interested in supporting justice for Palestine. We believe that the Palestinian people have the right to live in an independent state of Palestine, just as the Israeli people have the right to live in the independent state of Israel, based on the 1967 borders. To achieve that, Israel must end its illegal occupation of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza. We call on all party members to support this aim, both in principle and by the actions we take, and we actively lobby for it within Parliament and in the wider political sphere.
The principles behind this position align with the core values of the Liberal Democrat Party, namely liberty, equality, democracy, community, human rights and internationalism. We believe support for the aspirations – and rights – of the Palestinians is a very natural fit and sits well with our work with our liberal allies worldwide in calling for justice and peace for the Palestinian people.
We also recognise Britain’s special historic relationship with, and assurances given, to Palestine and the Palestinians. We believe this gives our country a particular responsibility to recognise a Palestinian state, to stand by the rights of its people and strive for a peaceful solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
In recent years LDFP have played our part in drafting and supporting Conference motions on Palestine and, of the three main parties, there is no doubt the Lib Dems have the best policies on recognition, banning arms sales, and banning trade with illegal settlements. We are also the most consistent in calling for serious pressure to be put on the Israeli government, including sanctioning several ministers and settler leaders. We are absolutely behind the Party in supporting the ICC, the ICJ advisory opinion on genocide in Gaza, and protecting UNWRA.
We hold very successful, well-attended fringe events, receptions and stalls at national Party conferences and have started to exhibit at regional conferences. You will find our members at Peace marches and vigils up and down the country.
LDFP campaigned long and hard for the new ceasefire in Gaza and hope that it lasts. We know the path ahead is rocky for Gaza, and for the West Bank where the occupying Israeli forces are escalating the violence, perhaps encouraged by the new Trump administration taking office. Nonetheless, with wider international pressure on Israel there is an opportunity for a fair and just long term peace settlement based upon two states. Our Parliamentarians will need to continue to play their role as the conscience of this nation in pressing the Starmer government to play a leading role in securing that objective.
We deplore racism of any kind, and we categorically reject all forms of violence against civilians no matter who the perpetrators or the victims may be. We also strongly reject the conflation of antisemitism with criticism of Israeli government policies, not least when they are explicitly racist and genocidal. We support and are proud to work alongside those in the Jewish community in the UK such as Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Yachad and NA’AMOD, who yearn for peace and see Israeli government policies as a major threat to the human rights of both peoples.
We also strongly applaud those media and civil rights organisations in Israel who stand up for Palestinian rights. Newspaper Haaretz, B’Tselem (human rights), Breaking the Silence (ex IDF personnel), The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) are among many to be commended. Sadly there is no political party currently in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) we can commend as neither of the two Israeli groups represented in Liberal International appear to share Lib Dem values.
LDFP is an Affiliate Organisation of the Party. We publish up to date information about Palestine on our website, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram and X. We plan to have a stand at the Spring Conference Exhibition and to hold a fringe meeting. Do consider joining the LDFP at this important time. And if our job advertisement has caught your eye, consider taking up the challenge!
* Anne-Marie Simpson is Chair of LDFP, and an active member in Didcot and Wantage constituency.
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12 Comments
I applaud the initiative, but I’m not sure that, in your place, I would choose to be on X anymore given the broader political context. In light what Elon Musk has turned into, and his role in facilitating Donald Trump’s assault on the US constitutional order, it’s perhaps an uncomfortable platform for any group dedicated to social justice – not least because of Trump’s Gaza announcement overnight.
Let’s put it another way, if you were starting out from scratch, would you choose to engage via a platform whose owner has done a Nazi salute in public, is openly endorsing Alternative für Deutschland, and who thinks Nigel Farage is insufficiently right wing because of a disagreement over Tommy Robinson? I’m not sure ex-Twitter’s residual risk is worth the moral compromise.
@alasdair brookes Like most other Party organisations and parliamentarians we also have a Bluesky account and are hoping that Bluesky will develop sufficient traction that it eventually eclipses X. Mark Pack, Party President, has helpfully provided a list of Party related Bluesky accounts to encourage people in that direction. https://bsky.app/profile/markpackuk.bsky.social/post/3lf2var2vy22l
Mark 2, 1vrs 5-17; Matthew 9 vrs 10-12 and Luke 5 vrs 29-32.
To put it another way we have to march to the sound of gunfire. I see no moral difficulty.
I agree with Alastair. X should be avoided. We cannot be seen giving support to a Nazi who is destroying the US governmental system.
I would also advocate leaving Facebook. Zuckerberg has abandoned any pretence of fact checking.
Thanks Anne-Marie.
Great that LDFP are recruiting a member of staff. Terrible that it’s needed.
Given Trump’s latest endorsement of the war crime of ethnic cleansing in Gaza (with hints of more to come re: East Jerusalem and the West Bank shortly), we Liberal Democrats really need to be holding the Government’s feet to the fire and getting them to comply with the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
The government must not be allowed to get away with providing cover to a government whose ministers make open statements of support for genocide in occupied Palestine.
Is it Lib Dem policy for the UK to recognise the State of Palestine?
@Peter Martin: yes, and it has been for some time now. Immediate recognition of the State of Palestine.
@Peter Martin
What do you mean (i.e. what would comrpise in your view) a state of Palestine?
Immediate recognition of the State of Palestine is indeed Party Policy – reaffirmed by Layla’s most recent motion passed at last year’s autumn conference https://www.libdems.org.uk/conference/motions/autumn-2024/f32
As for every progressive organisation, it is a judgment call as to when you stick with X in the short term just to maintain profile and when you breathe a sigh of relief and say the time is right to close the X account. Let’s all make use of Bluesky to promote LDFP posts and help get LDFP over the line as soon as we can.
@Mick Taylor: “X should be avoided. We cannot be seen giving support to a Nazi who is destroying the US governmental system.” Agreed.
Reddit has temporarily banned one of its communities – and removed another – after X owner Elon Musk claimed comments made by the site’s users about his employees were breaking the law.
Musk has previously criticised legal action being taken against people for making comments online.
In 2024, he responded to a video of a person purportedly being arrested for offensive comments online by asking “is this Britain or the Soviet Union?”.
Imran Ahmed, head of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) said there was “rich irony” in Musk’s comments.
“It is always one rule for Elon, another rule for everyone else,” he said.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrlep5xpmzo?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=Early%20Edition:%206%20February%202025&utm_term=editorial_EarlyEdition_active