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01-11-2023
LONDON: A British MP for the ruling Conservative Party has been sacked from his role as a ministerial aide after calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war.
Paul Bristow, an aide to the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, had written a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week urging him to change his position on the conflict and back a “permanent” end to the hostilities.
The British government says it supports “humanitarian pauses” but not a ceasefire.
In his letter, Bristow said a full ceasefire would save lives and allow humanitarian aid to “reach the people who need it the most”.
In a statement on Monday, a Downing Street spokesperson said the decision to remove Bristow from his position came in response to comments deemed “not consistent with the principles of collective responsibility”.
Bristow, who represents Peterborough in parliament and co-chairs the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, expressed understanding about Sunak’s decision.
“It is with regret I leave a job I enjoyed but I can now talk openly about an issue so many of my constituents care deeply about,” he told media.
“I believe I can do this better from the backbenches rather than as part of the government payroll.”
Israel in recent days has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless bombardment since a surprise attack by Hamas, the group running the enclave, inside Israel on October 7.
Officials in Gaza say more than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s air attacks, while in Israel the death toll has topped 1,400, according to Israeli authorities.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak landed in Tel Aviv on 19 October to “express solidarity with the Israeli people” as non-stop Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip destroyed residential buildings and killed more than 3,400 Palestinians.
“I am proud to stand here with you in Israel’s darkest hour,” Sunak said in a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We will stand with you in solidarity. We will stand with you and your people. And we also want you to win.”
Britain has stood shoulder to shoulder with Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israeli soil that killed more than 1,400 people. Hamas also took at least 199 people captive.
The trip came as the mounting death toll triggered protests across the Middle East, with fears the Israel-Palestine conflict may escalate into a wider regional war.
Sunak’s office told the Reuters news agency he would be “sharing his condolences” for the loss of life in both Israel and Gaza, warning against further escalation. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
