Yesterday, LFI chair Jon Pearce secured an adjournment debate in Parliament to mark the first anniversary of Hamas’ barbaric attacks into Israel on October 7th.
A number of Labour MPs attended the emotional debate and reiterated their calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the 101 remaining hostages.
Jon started his speech by describing the October 7th attacks as a “pogrom”, and the “worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history and the bloodiest day in the history of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
MP for Chipping Barnet, Dan Tomlinson, contributed to the debate and condemned Hamas and it’s “evil actions” on October 7th.
During the debate, Sharon Hodgson MP and Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP spoke about Emily Damari, a 28 year old British citizen who has been held hostage by Hamas for a year. Emily was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on the morning of October 7. Last week Emily’s mother, Mandy, met with the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and other MPs urging them to do everything in their power to get Emily released.
Luke Akehurst, MP for North Durham, spoke movingly about the nature of the people who live on the Kibbutzim and the Moshavim near the Gaza border. He said that these were “idealistic communities founded on a co-operative ethos, the residents of which practised what they preached about co-existence and peace”.
He added that he “could not stop thinking about the horrors that were visited on them that day” and thank Jon for “giving us the opportunity to honour the memory of the people who suffered on that day.”
Responding for the government, FCDO minister Stephen Doughty said that “we remember all those killed at the hands of Hamas in that barbaric attack, their families and their loved ones, and condemn those responsible. Without doubt, it was the bloodiest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust, a day we should never have seen, and would rather we never needed to mark. Distressingly, for some families, the nightmare persists, as their loved ones continue to be held by Hamas. Let me be clear: that is utterly unacceptable. They must be released immediately.”
He added that “the United Kingdom remains firmly committed to Israel’s defence and security” and stated that the government will “continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring that about and secure the release of hostages in co-ordination with our partners. We all want to see them brought home.”
