Let's Challenge Genocide Denier David Lammy

Maybe it's a case he who pays the piper calls the tune?

Photo by Arun Pushpam Raj on Unsplash

The below is a letter written to David Lammy. If you would like to send a copy, you can do so here. Enjoy.

Dear Foreign Secretary Rt Hon David Lammy MP,

I write to lodge my strong objection against your recent remarks in Parliament on 28 October 2024, where you stated that using the term “genocide” in reference to Gaza, undermines the seriousness of those terms despite the fact that the International Court of Justice (“ICJ”) ruled that it was a ‘plausible’ genocide, raises profound concerns about your suitability for your role as UK Foreign Secretary and your commitment to UK State interests and UK Sovereignty.

I refer you to Conservative MP Nick Timothy’s question, where he asked you the following question: 

“Today, as on other recent occasions, we have heard Labour Members suggest that Israel is somehow conducting a war of annihilation, extermination and genocide. Although we all accept that there is obviously much suffering in Gaza, this terminology is completely inappropriate and inaccurate, and it is repeated by the protesters and lawbreakers who are intimidating British Jews, as we saw again this weekend. Will the Foreign Secretary take this opportunity to say that there is not a genocide occurring in the middle east?” You replied to say “These are legal terms, and they must be determined by international courts. I agree with the hon. Gentleman that those terms were largely used when millions of people lost their lives in crises such as Rwanda and the Holocaust of the second world war. The way that people are now using those terms undermines their seriousness.”

I remind you here that the ICJ ruled in its Judgment on 26th January 2024 stated that there is sufficient evidence to state that Israel is committing a ‘plausible’ genocide. The ICJ rulings are binding upon the UK. Yet, you stated in Parliament that the term ‘genocide’ being used in respect of Gaza ‘undermines their seriousness. 

Your response is deeply troubling, especially given the Conservative Friends of Israel’s (‘CFI’) recently boasted that 80% of Conservative MPs are members whilst lacking transparency about their membership. Notably, Alan Duncan has identified Nick Timothy as being closely aligned with CFI lobbying. 

After agreeing to Mr. Timothy's request for you, as Foreign Secretary, to undermine the UK's own declaration on the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ and the UK State's commitment to the rulings of the court, you then continued to misinform the House. Your statements about the Rwandan genocide were wrong and do not match the UK's official position that the victims of that genocide ran into the hundreds of thousands and not 'millions'. You also omitted that of the five genocides officially recognised by the UK, three fall under a million victims and two less than 10,000 victims. These are the Srebrenica genocide (8,000 victims) and the Yazidi genocide committed by Daesh (5,000 victims). 

Despite acknowledging that the term genocide was not for you to define, you attempted to define it anyway under a new and entirely subjective benchmark, determined by number of victims. Genocide is a legal term defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention which is not defined by the number of its victims but by its methodology and refers to acts committed to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. It has always been and remains the position of the UK State that genocide is determined by competent courts and not by government. The ICJ is a competent court with compulsory jurisdiction and has ruled that Israel is committing plausible genocide in Gaza.

It is profoundly concerning that as a UK Foreign Secretary and a Parliamentary Supporter of Labour Friend of Israel, your comments rather than undermined the term 'genocide', in fact undermined the UK State's own position on genocide and threatened UK sovereignty in favour of a foreign state, Israel. Despite the ICJ-ruled plausible genocide, you have consistently refused to accept the ICJ's determination as the events of 28th October further testify to. What legal standing do you have to qualify what is deemed to be a ‘genocide’? 

Your comments are in direct contradiction to the UK's position on the determinations of genocide being for competent courts. As such, your refusal to accept the ICJ's ruling on genocide, and your attempts to redefine the term for the benefit of Israel as the sole and only beneficiary of such a redefining, stands in contradiction to your role in the British government and is an attack on UK Sovereignty. As the UK Foreign Secretary, aside from the damage your statements have caused the UK, your statements have only benefited a foreign state, Israel – this cannot be understated. 

You are reminded that British law, interests and positions of the UK and as British people, we are not subservient to any state and simply by being declared an 'ally' of the UK, does not mean that UK ministers become subservient to the interests of that ally, nor should they undermine UK law, UK sovereignty, nor put UK national interests and official UK state positions into jeopardy. This is what your comments have done.

It seems that your affiliation with the Labour Friends of Israel group, and the substantial funds and/or benefits - received or anticipated - from pro-Israeli lobbyists, has deeply affected your ability to act in the interests of UK State interests and the British people. 

It is of note that Labour Friends of Israel has also chosen to avoid transparency by removing the list of its Parliamentary Supporters and Officers from its website. This obscuring of who are Labour Friends of Israel MPs from the Labour Friends of Israel website was done prior to the general election which was won by your government. As is the nature with political lobbying, it is unlikely that the British people will ever be aware of the full nature and value of the benefits received from the Labour Friends of Israel group.

As a British citizen, I demand that you retract your statement with immediate effect and:

• Accept its fallacy;

• Accept the UK State's position that only competent courts can define genocide, not governments; and

• Accept the ICJ's binding ruling that Israel is committing a ‘plausible genocide’ in Gaza

Should you fail to do so, we the British citizens will understand that to mean that you have prioritised your affiliation with Labour Friends of Israel and the funds and benefits - whether received or anticipated - from pro-Israeli lobbyists, over the UK national interests and further your duty to the UK Constitution and the people of the UK. Further, your stance would confirm that you have abused your position as a UK-elected MP and have used your position to actively participate in the erosion of UK Sovereignty and capitulated to the interests of a foreign state over those of the United Kingdom.

We await your urgent retraction.

Yours sincerely,