July 7 marks the completion of a full nine-month cycle of Israel’s inhuman war on Gaza and the delivery outcome is a change of opinion towards Palestine world over especially in Europe – the election results in the UK and France are clear evidence.
Unusually for the general elections in these countries, a foreign affairs issue significantly altered the results and an extra-parliamentary movement had a direct impact on voter behaviour.
In the election build-up in the UK, it was argued that anger at Labour from the Left would cost it seats in a number of constituencies where rival independent candidates prioritised Gaza as a campaign issue.
FRANCE’S STRONG MESSAGE
In France, the voters have sent a strong message to the far-right party by throwing their weight behind the Moderates and the Left. One notable difference with the former Macron government is that with a larger Left in the lower house, pressure on Israel to stop the war in Gaza is likely to increase.
In the UK, the manifestos of the Labor Party and the Conservative Party both included Israel and Gaza in different words. The Labor Manifesto calls for an immediate ceasefire, aid, a Palestinian state and security for Israel, while the Conservative Manifesto calls for Israel’s right to ‘self-defence’ and ultimately a two-state solution. Rishi Sunak and his Conservative was finally knocked out.
Despite the election victory, the shadow of Gaza looms large over Starmer’s Labor, a stark reminder of the conflict’s profound impact on the results. The infamous interview of Starmer on LBC, voicing support for Israel after the Hamas attacks on October 7 last year, is still fresh in people’s memories, notwithstanding his attempts to offer clarification, wherein he had said,“Israel ‘has the right’ to withhold power and water from Gaza.”
CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA
It was no wonder that one of the first acts of the newly minted Foreign Secretary David Lammy was to pronounce the new government’s support for the call for a ceasefire, given the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks held in Doha, even though there appears no policy departure.
The first weekend after the electoral win saw pro-Palestinian protests for a permanent ceasefire infuse new energy, putting the prime minister and his deputy in a tight spot.
In this election, Starmer’s Labor has lost several former strongholds to independent candidates advocating for a pro-Palestinian agenda, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the decades-long occupation of Palestine. In five constituencies, voters disenchanted with Starmer’s pro-Israel position on the Gaza conflict have chosen candidates focused primarily on this issue.
Cracks in Labor had appeared earlier. A ceasefire resolution was introduced in the UK parliament in November, just weeks after the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. At the time, the Labor Party asked its members not to vote on it. Several Labor MPs nevertheless voted in favor of the resolution, but most followed the party line.
MOST HIGH-PROFILE INDEPENDENT VICTOR
Jeremy Corbyn emerged as the most high-profile independent victor in the UK’s general election, delivering a stinging blow to Labour campaigning fervently against Israel’s war in Gaza and advocating for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Corbyn, who has held the Islington North seat since 1983, secured re-election with a robust 24,120 votes, the first time as an independent. Labour’s support in his constituency plummeted by 29.9 percentage points.
Corbyn triumphantly declared: “Palestine was on the ballot – and I promise to stay true to my word to stand up for the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination.”
Much of the history of Britain’s entanglement in the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation has been shaped by contradictory pledges, broken promises and perceptions of betrayal.
There is much to be said for talking about justice for the Palestinians, security for the Israelis, and peace for the region. But there is some danger in pretending that Britain’s ability to determine the course of events in the Middle East is greater than it truly is.
A NEW CHAPTER IN PROGRESS
‘The Muslim Vote’, a movement that emerged during this election to organise the Muslims, has impacted the electoral result. The Muslim Vote campaign called on voters to pick pro-Palestine candidates running as independents or from smaller parties like the left-wing Workers Party, which put up over 150 candidates. There were 230 more independent candidates than at the last election in 2019.
There were 19 Muslim members in the British Parliament dissolved this year, their number has increased to 23 in 2024. For the first time in the 300-year-old British parliamentary history, 23 Muslim candidates have succeeded in reaching Parliament. The Muslim population is increasing in Britain with each passing day, and the number of voters is also increasing.