Lisa Nandy under fire over support for Palestine Solidarity Campaign pledges
The commitments include a promise to oppose any peace plan not including Palestinians' right "to self determination and to return to their homes."
A Labour leadership candidate backed by the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) has come under criticism for endorsing pledges put forward by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
The group, which describes itself as “the biggest organisation in the UK dedicated to securing Palestinian human rights,” is in favour of Palestinian refugees’ right of return.
Lisa Nandy – who earned the Jewish Labour Movement nomination after a strong performance at hustings last week – backed three pledges put forward by the PSC.
The commitments, unveiled last Thursday, include a promise to oppose any middle-east peace plan not comprising Palestinians’ right “to self determination and to return to their homes.”
Nandy took to social media on Saturday afternoon to back the pledges, writing on Twitter: “I have and always will support Palestinian rights.”
“That’s why I oppose Trump’s ‘plan’, have campaigned against British business profiting from the OPTs [occupied Palestinian territories] and support any embargo on arms deals which violates human rights. I’m happy to back these @PSCupdates commitments,” she wrote.
“We cannot allow the continued selling of arms to Israel, the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, the blockade of Gaza and for Palestinian refugees to be denied their rights. I am committed to ensuring that Palestinian rights are protected and international law is respected,” she said in a statement.
Nandy, who described herself as a “Zionist” last week, sparked concern among some in the community over her support for the organisation.
Stephane Savary, a national vice chair of the party’s Jewish affiliate, accused Nandy of “playing both sides” in a tweet on Monday.
Meanwhile Labour Friends of Israel tweeted on Sunday that a Palestinian right of return would mean “the end of Israel as a Jewish state, so is incompatible with support for two states for two peoples.”
“The obsessive demonisation of Israel does absolutely nothing to support peace,” the parliamentary group said.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign was approached for comment.
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