Petition calling for permanent ceasefire in Gaza set for Black Country council

Earlier this year, a motion was approved by Walsall Council to call on the government for an immediate return of Israeli and Palestinian hostages, an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, a re-evaluation of arms sales to Israel and for the UK Government to recognise a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders.

But Friends of the Walsall Kobar Friendship Association, a group which has partnered with the Palestinian village in the West Bank, has launched a petition urging the council to do more.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Michael Foster said while the earlier motion was welcomed, the ‘very well supported’ petition goes one step further.

He said: “The motion they passed called for an immediate ceasefire, but it didn’t go as far as saying the ceasefire should be permanent.

“It also called on the government to reconsider arms sales to Israel, but in the petition we’ve called for a total suspension, not just a reconsideration.

“The earlier motion called for the recognition of the Palestinian state pre-1967 borders, but we’re going further.

“We want them to call for the recognition of the Palestinian state pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and the return of all the stolen land.”

Israel continues to face international condemnation over its military campaign in Gaza which has devastated the region’s infrastructure, crippled its healthcare system, and forced the displacement of most of its 2.3 million residents.

Since October 7 2023, the war on Gaza has seen a death toll of nearly 63,000 Palestinians, with children making up over a third of the Palestinian death toll. In Israel, the death toll is at 1,139.

Just this week Israel’s security cabinet voted unanimously to escalate the war, including a ‘forceful operation’ to ‘capture’ Gaza.

Michael said: “This week was the anniversary of VE day, and Britain sacrificed so much to defeat an expansive genocidal threat for freedom. We said ‘never again’.

“The UK government now needs to live up to that and mean ‘never again’ for everybody.

“The ICJ found a plausable case for genocide, an arrest warrant was issued for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, and doctors and surgeons come back to this country say children are being deliberatley targeted.

“Despite this being a live-streamed genocide, the UK government still supports Israel. Not just in a diplomatic way but also in the supply of what is needed to carry out this onslaught.”

The petition will be heard and discussed at a Walsall Council scrutiny meeting taking place at 6pm on Monday, May 12.