Union firebrand Mick Lynch sparked outrage last night after appearing to compare Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to slavery.
The RMT general secretary faced calls to withdraw the crass remark after he claimed David Lammy’s partial suspension of arms licences for Israel was like slavery only being partially abolished.
His comments at a pro-Palestine rally came after the Labour cabinet minister suspended 30 out of 350 British arms export licences to Israel – covering parts for fighter jets, helicopters and drones – over fears the military kit could be used to break international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict.
Mr Lammy’s move angered Israel as well as many in Parliament including some of his fellow Labour MPs and came after attempts by the US to reconsider – yet for many on the Left it did not go far enough.
Union firebrand Mick Lynch sparked outrage after appearing to compare Israel ‘s treatment of Palestinians to slavery
The RMT general secretary faced calls to withdraw the crass remark after he claimed David Lammy’s (pictured) partial suspension of arms licences for Israel was like slavery only being partially abolished
Speaking at the fringe meeting at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton on Tuesday, Mr Lynch said: ‘I saw David Lammy making this major intervention last week. Some licences will not be renewed or will be revoked. Some licences, what was it? Thirty out of 350 or something of that number?
‘This is like somebody standing up in front of you in the 1840s and saying, ‘”I’m going to abolish some slavery, I’m going to liberate some people, I’m going to do this measure, but it’s only going to apply in this very small way”.’
He added: ‘We’ve got to make sure that if we’re going to run a campaign, Labour is feeling the heat, it’s feeling the heat from this movement, and doing the stuff that I think instinctively many of the people in the leadership of the Labour Party would want to do.
‘So we’ve got to make them comfortable… that support for the Palestinian people is a mainstream idea, just as people all over this movement were happy to identify with the anti-Apartheid campaign in the 70s and 80s.’
Last night Labour peer Lord Mann, the Government’s anti-Semitism tsar, said: ‘Not a very clever analogy to make, either in substance or in language. I suggest he rows back and withdraws it.’
Tory MP Greg Smith said: ‘The Left are obsessed with bashing Israel, trying to deny our ally from being able to defend themselves.
‘It’s utterly bizarre in the first place that there are anti-Israel fringe meetings at a trade union conference.
‘Then the comments made trying to compare a democracy trying to defend themselves with slavery are off the charts bonkers.’
On the final day of the TUC conference, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK described Britain as the ‘epicentre’ of global solidarity for the cause
Pro-Palestine protesters march on the Israeli embassy in London to demand a ceasefire in the war in Gaza earlier this month
Shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell said: ‘When David Lammy announced the arms embargo, I warned that this attempt to satisfy certain wings of the Labour movement while not offending Israel would fail. Mick Lynch’s remarks at the TUC conference, condemning the government for not going further, are a case in point.
‘However, the comparison Lynch draws with slavery is also deeply offensive to an ally of the UK. Labour must distance themselves from Lynch’s extraordinary comments immediately.’
On the final day of the TUC conference, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK described Britain as the ‘epicentre’ of global solidarity for the cause.
Husam Zomlot, who received a standing ovation from union delegates, said: ‘While we welcome the decision by the UK Government to suspend some arms licenses to Israel, it is simply unconscionable, unconscionable that the UK should continue to deliver any arms to Israel, given what it is clear to everyone, including, according to UK lawyers, to be a grave violation of international law.’
It was claimed yesterday [wed] that Mr Lammy had been asked by his American counterpart what the UK would need from Israel to reconsider restricting weapons sales.
The Foreign Secretary told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a phone call in August that Britain wanted a ceasefire in Gaza and access by human rights groups to Palestinians in Israeli prison, the Politico website reported.
A spokesman for Mr Lammy, in Ukraine yesterday, did not respond to requests for comment.
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