THE Communist Party of Britain have welcomed the ongoing mass protests against the moral bankruptcy of politicians, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who refuse to condemn Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

The party’s executive committee also welcomed the initiative of the South African government in referring Israel to the International Court of Justice at The Hague and called for the intensification of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.
  
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s criminal regime should be condemned and confronted as much of the world once confronted South African apartheid,” general secretary Robert Griffiths told the committee at the weekend. 

He listed some of history’s most infamous massacres of innocent civilians, from Drogheda, Glencoe, Wounded Knee and Jallianwala Bhag (Amritsar) to Guernica, Oradour, Lidice, My Lai and Sharpeville.

“Count up the dead bodies, multiply that number by four and you have the scale of the mass murder of defenceless women, men and children in Gaza since October 7,” he said.

“But instead of condemnation, the Israeli regime is supported, armed and financed by the US, Britain and other Western states and corporations. 

“We send warships to the Middle East not to rescue the Palestinian people from slaughter, disease and starvation, but to ensure safe passage for Israel's shipping trade.”

Mr Griffiths also warned of the growing danger of a wider conflagration.

He said: “With logistical and surveillance support from British military bases in Cyprus, US and Israeli bombing of targets in Lebanon, Syria and Iran threatens to spread bloodshed across the region.”

The committee called for the biggest possible turnout for the national Palestine solidarity demonstration in London next Saturday, January 13, and urged support a fortnight later for the TUC “right to strike” demonstration in Cheltenham and the Latin America Solidarity conference in London.

The new committee elected its senior officers for the next two years including Ruth Styles (chair), Tony Conway and Helen O’Connor (vice-chairs), Robert Griffiths (general secretary) and Kevan Nelson (international secretary).

The Communist Party’s political committee will comprise the chair, general secretary, international secretary, Young Communist League general secretary Georgina Andrews, CP central organiser Judith Cazorla, Morning Star editor Ben Chacko, Lorraine Douglas, Alex Gordon, Johnnie Hunter, Liz Payne and women’s organiser Carol Stavris.