Celebrities urge Labour’s Starmer to label Gaza actions genocide; PSC hosts rally ahead of conference

A video released by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign ahead of the Labour Party conference features Steve Coogan, Paloma Faith and Maxine Peake among a slate of celebrities urging Sir Keir Starmer to condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. In the clip, Coogan is heard saying, “Keir Starmer says it’s not genocide, it is genocide.”

The campaign also features Paul Weller, Khalid Abdalla, Alex Lawther, Nadine Shah, Bilal Hasna, Brian Eno and Stephen Kapos, and calls for sanctions now as it interweaves footage from the Israel-Gaza war with the voices of well-known figures. The effort arrives as the international community grapples over whether the conflict constitutes genocide in legal terms and as Labour prepares for a party conference in Liverpool.

The dispute over whether Israel’s actions amount to genocide has been amplified in recent weeks by statements from the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which has described the matter in stark terms, and by criticism from human rights groups and governments. Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the genocide label, saying the UN findings rest on falsehoods. The conflict has produced a heavy casualty toll in Gaza; the Hamas-run health ministry says more than 65,000 people have died since the war began in October 2023 following Hamas’s attack that killed about 1,200 people and left 251 hostage-takers. The UN inquiry cites evidence that could meet the legal definition of genocide, while Israel contends its actions are a response to security threats and do not aim to destroy the Palestinian people as a group.

Earlier this month, the UK government said it did not consider Israel’s actions genocide. A Foreign Office assessment, communicated in a letter from Foreign Secretary David Lammy, concluded that Israel was not acting with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. Previous Labour statements also indicated that it regarded the question as one for the courts rather than a determination by a national government. The PSC’s video notes that public opinion and political motions at Labour’s annual conference reflect growing pressure over how the government and party address the Gaza crisis.

The PSC plans to lead a national demonstration at the Labour conference in Liverpool on Saturday. Ben Jamal, the campaign’s director, said the Labour Party’s stance amounts to a failure to call the Gaza situation genocide and a failure to take meaningful action to end Britain’s complicity. “Almost two years into Israel’s genocide in Gaza, it is a mark of enduring shame that Keir Starmer’s Labour Party still refuses to call it what it is — a genocide — and take meaningful action to end Britain’s complicity,” Jamal said. Abdalla characterized the debate around genocide as a moral and legal obligation, saying the government must fulfill its obligations under international law and stand in solidarity with Palestinians.

Abdalla added that Gaza poses a defining test for Britain’s political leadership, arguing that refraining from employing the term genocide avoids legal consequences and moral accountability. The note that “the crime of crimes” requires collective action has been echoed by other supporters in the video, who say public pressure and legislative motions at Labour’s conference reflect a broader demand for Britain to reassess its stance on arms sales and diplomacy regarding the region. The campaign points to ongoing demonstrations and petitions as evidence of mounting public pressure on the government and Labour to adopt a more assertive position.

Last Sunday, Keir Starmer publicly recognised a Palestinian state, a move that coincided with similar recognitions by Canada, Australia and Portugal, and a day before statements from France and Belgium. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the move as “absurd” and accused the UK of “rewarding” Hamas. The degree to which political leaders will align on this issue at the Labour conference remains a focal point for both voters and lawmakers as the debate over Gaza’s future continues to unfold.

The Labour leadership has said it will continue evaluating policies in light of international law and humanitarian concerns, while the PSC says it will push for sanctions and a reassessment of arms sales. The conference in Liverpool is set to feature a range of motions on Palestine, with organizers and supporters arguing that government and party leaders should take a stronger stance against what they call a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.