Uproar in Britain: "Shouldn't we also call for the disarmament of Israel?"

Uproar in the British Parliament: MP Tahir Ali called for military action against Israel and its disarmament, drawing a comparison to Hamas. Additional MPs called for a halt to arms sales to Israel. Conversely, some MPs criticized the timing of the sanctions, days before the elections in Israel, warning they would strengthen Netanyahu.

Uproar in the British Parliament: MP Tahir Ali (Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley) interrupted the speech of Liberal Democrat MP Richard Ford, who argued that disarming Hamas must be part of a long-term solution. Ali retorted: "Shouldn't we also call for the disarmament of Israel, given the atrocities committed?" and called for military action against Israel. Ford rejected the comparison between Hamas, designated a terrorist organization, and Israel. Labour MP Imran Hussain called for a halt to all arms sales to Israel and closing the loophole in the F-35 program, arguing that support for war crimes must be prevented. The debate took place against the backdrop of sanctions announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who harshly criticized Israel and accused the government of turning a blind eye to "ethnic cleansing" by settlers. However, several MPs, including Conservative Alicia Kearns and Jewish Labour MP Peter Prinsley, questioned the wisdom of announcing sanctions close to the elections in Israel (October 27), warning it would strengthen Netanyahu. Former minister Matthew Patrick raised the issue of disguised anti-Semitism as a moral concern, referencing the terrorist attack on the Park Chiton synagogue.