Labour delegates at the party’s annual conference in Brighton have voted overwhelmingly to recognise the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.
The motion which was passed opposed any proposed “solution” for Palestinians not based on international law, including their right “to return to their homes.” It also reaffirmed the party’s commitment to end all arms sales to Israel.
A Labour government must “adhere to an ethical foreign policy” on trade with Israel, including ending any trade in arms used to violate Palestinians’ human rights, the motion passed on Monday stated.
It also stated that Labour “has a special responsibility to redress … ongoing injustices” due to colonial Britain’s role in the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland.
Around 800,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their homes by Zionists when Israel was created in 1948. Millions of their descendants now live in exile, most in squalid conditions in refugee camps around the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party conference also condemned the British government for supporting Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen which has killed tens of thousands and led to a humanitarian crisis in the country. London has provided Riyadh with weapons and logistical support throughout the conflict.
Labour has pledged to embargo arms sales to Saudi Arabia if it is elected.
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