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A NEW political network is to be launched in order to “stop the silencing” of the Palestinian cause within Labour.
A new organisation, Labour & Palestine, will be unveiled next Tuesday at Labour’s annual conference.
The movement is intended to temper fears from Palestinians and Palestine solidarity campaigners that the cause of the state has been “pushed under a bus” by the British labour movement.
The fear relates to the summer’s recent anti-semitism furore within Labour’s ranks.
Controversially, the party’s governing national executive committee (NEC) adopted the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism, which many campaigners fear can be used to silence criticism of Israel.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign chairman Hugh Lanning told LabourList that the intention is to establish an “informal network” for Labour members who support Palestine and want to advance the cause within the party’s ranks.
He said: “Any ethical foreign policy for Labour must have securing freedom, justice and equality for the people of Palestine as a priority issue otherwise it will not be truly ethical. It cannot have a blind spot at its heart.”
Speakers at the event will include shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, newly elected Labour NEC member Huda Elmi and various speakers from the trade union movement, Young Labour and Jewish Voice for Labour.