SOCIALISTS cannot “stand idly by” and let Israel annex the West Bank like it annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Hugh Lanning told activists at the weekend.

A meeting hosted jointly by Labour left festival groups Arise and Labour & Palestine called for action to prevent the annexation or to ensure Israel faces serious consequences if it goes ahead.

Unite’s Adrian Weir, who is a London representative on Labour’s national policy forum, said Labour members have until tomorrow to make submissions on the issue on the forum’s website.