Andy Burnham apologizes: What is our stance?

A post by the One Democratic State Initiative

Andy Burnham, who is likely to become the UK’s next prime minister, apologized for “people feeling that the Labor party didn’t get Israel’s military action in Gaza right” and for “the response too often not being good enough”. What has he said, and what can we do?

“Unbearable suffering in Gaza … a scar on our collective conscience … I condemn … I feel passionately about Gaza … I have been appalled.” One’s feelings do not affect the reality on the ground. They do not stand in the way of the settler colonization and ethnic razing of Palestine. The question is not “how does he feel” but “what policies will he enact?”

“Too little aid getting in … we’ve got to put pressure on the Israeli government … we need to do better … we must strengthen our approach … I will work to stop the suffering … I will always take a fair and balanced approach.” Although these words are clearer than the mere expressions of feelings, they still do not answer the question: What policies will he enact?

“I fully support the restrictions on arms licenses to make sure that no British bombs or bullets can be used by the IDF in Gaza or in the West Bank.” This means that Britain will keep supplying the colony with parts for its F-35 program —arguably the colony’s most important weapon— since they are neither “bombs” nor “bullets” and are used neither in Gaza nor in the West Bank. The UK must stop all weapons exports to the colony.

“Measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements.” Banning trades in goods means other kinds of support, such as trade in services or cultural cooperation, may remain. Also, the expression “illegal settlements” refers to the settlements in the West Bank, ignoring the fact that all of the colony is a structure designed to colonize all of Palestine, and as much more as possible. In practice, these settlements mainly operate under a customs union with Israel. The UK cannot force the colony to indicate which goods originate from the West Bank and which originate from the rest of occupied Palestine, nor can it forbid it from transferring goods sent to it to its settlements in the West Bank. The UK must stop all exchange with the colony.

“There’s increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed.” Crimes have clearly been committed. The Balfour declaration and the existence of a Zionist state itself is a crime. The UK must acknowledge its historical and ongoing responsibility in the settler colonization of Palestine over more than 100 years.

“There must be accountability for the depth of the suffering the people of Gaza have experienced. Ultimately, however, it must be for the international courts to determine, rather than politicians.” “International” courts are not objective, moral arbiters. They are the product of the balance of power between colonial forces. The idea that politicians have nothing to do with it is a decision to shy away from responsibility. It also well-known that “international” courts have failed to stop genocide time and time again or merely to prosecute criminals responsible for the deaths of millions, like Tony Blair. The UK must play an active role in the prosecution of criminals, as well as in the decolonization and democratization of the world system.

“I will do everything I can to keep the prospect of a two-state solution alive, because this is the only way to lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.” The settler state is the problem. “Two states”, one of which is the settler state, is not a solution; it is a variant of the problem. Just like it (claims to) stands with democracy at home, the UK must stand with democracy between the river and the sea.

Many have criticized Burnham’s apology as being an electoral move rather than a change of heart. This said, regardless of his sincerity or lack thereof, political decisions are the result of the balance of power. Instead of assessing Burnham’s sincerity, citizens in the UK must propose a specific vision for their government: Acknowledge its complicity in settler colonialism and stop all kinds of exchange with the colony until it is dismantled and replaced with a democratic state. Then, they must organize to impose it. The same applies to the citizens of all the imperial powers that support the colony.