BRITAIN’S suspension of trade talks with Israel was dismissed as “smoke and mirrors” at the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union’s annual conference yesterday.

Delegate Sasha Sadjady received a standing ovation as she moved to “pursue at pace … all avenues for potential legal action” against the government over its continued support for the Israeli government.

Britain suspended trade deal talks, sanctioned West Bank settlers and summoned Israel’s ambassador on Tuesday following the government’s decision to escalate its military campaign.

Speaking to MPs, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the level of suffering in Gaza, especially among innocent children, was “intolerable” while Israel’s decision to let in only token amounts of aid was “utterly inadequate.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy added that the situation in Gaza was “abominable,” condemning as “monstrous” Israel’s hard-line Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s suggestions that Gaza should be cleansed of its civilian population.

Ms Sadjady, a delegate from HM Revenue & Customs East Midlands branch, told the debate in Brighton: “The PM’s comments yesterday — empty gestures — there are no deals to cancel.

“It’s smoke and mirrors while arms and trade continues unhindered.

“We don’t want symbolic delays, we want real sanctions, we want real disengagement and we want an end to arms and trade with Israel.

“We want Israel isolated, diplomatically, economically and culturally just as we did with South African apartheid.”

She became tearful as she told of having a two-year-old child while Gazan children continue to face horrors at the hands of Israeli forces since October 7 2023.