Lindsey German on an indefatigable Palestine movement, resisting racism and hope for a left alternative

I was outside Downing Street on Friday night banging pots and pans in protest at the starvation of the people of Gaza. It was one of the most powerful demos I have been on there: the noise, the numbers, and the absolute rage at what our government is doing in supporting Israel, all gave it a sense of purpose and determination which was very moving. Thousands of pots and pans were left at the gates of the prime minister’s residence. These scenes were repeated in towns and cities up and down the country.

Israel’s 21-month bombardment, ethnic cleansing, targeting of civilians and denial of food and necessities of life is building an ever-greater opposition movement and widespread solidarity with the Palestinian people. The pressure on Starmer’s government is acute. MPs – including many Labour ones – are calling for him to recognise a Palestinian state, as French president Emmanuel Macron has done. The fact that he is refusing to take even this minimal step shows that his statements and handwringing about the suffering in Gaza are performative only.

The Israelis have announced a ‘tactical pause’ are now carrying out a few airdrops of food – why, when trucks are being refused entry into Gaza which could alleviate the suffering much more quickly and efficiently? The only reason is that this too is an empty gesture, covering the genocidal government’s back while it continues to commit war crimes against Palestinians. Starmer supports similar gestures while ignoring doing anything that could begin to end the misery of Gazans.

It’s not just his feelings as a human being but his political instincts that are wanting. When the likes of establishment celebrities such as Michael Caine and Bob Geldof react angrily to the dying children, it should be a sign to politicians that opinion over this is at boiling point across society. That’s why the atmosphere at the demo was so charged. Whatever the government does now it will not be enough and Starmer and his government will not be forgiven.

Recognising a Palestinian state is itself only a gesture – it would make no immediate difference on the ground. More importantly, the plan for two states is in reality dead. The contrast between bombed-out Gaza, and the West bank under increasing threat from both the IDF and the settlers, and the apartheid state of Israel could not be stronger. Only one democratic and secular state can provide a future for all those who want to live together in peace, whether Muslims, Christians or Jews.

But the fact that Starmer refuses to make this step tells you how in hock he is to Trump and how frightened he is of upsetting Israel, and the various Zionist bodies which are defending Netanyahu. So he describes the starvation in Gaza as ‘indefensible’ but continues to defend the people carrying it out. He refuses to impose any sanctions, to stop selling arms, to stop British military collaboration with Israel, to expel the Israeli ambassador, or to break cultural ties with Israel. These are the very minimum we should expect.

Foreign secretary David Lammy was asked by a Tory MP, Kit Malthouse, whether he feared ending up in the Hague because of support for Israel. It’s a good question – and Lammy looks worried. We need to turn the screws on these pathetic ministers. The pots and pans demos should become like the clap for carers during the pandemic. We can get out onto our streets and neighbourhoods every week and bring the movement to new layers of people horrified by the scenes they see every day in Gaza. Solidarity needs to grow on an even bigger scale, and our MPs need to know the strength of feeling about government complicity.

The racist swamp fuelling fascism

Donald Trump arrived in Scotland telling European governments to close their borders. His new term has stoked racism and Islamophobia on a giant scale and no doubt Keir Starmer will do nothing to challenge this when they meet. As fascists orchestrated attacks on hotels containing asylum seekers in Essex, Starmer said not a word of criticism about their treatment of vulnerable people, but only in defence of the police (who themselves afforded the protesters rights not given to those over Palestine). His ministers said they understood local feelings.

Really? How do we understand people who demonstrate outside a hotel where traumatised people who are totally innocent and have every right to be here are being intimidated in the name of opposing violence against women and girls? A Guardian article suggests that large numbers of those arrested in the far-right riots last year had been reported for domestic abuse, so obviously their concern doesn’t run very deep.

Some of those going on these demos do not see themselves as far-right but just concerned about this issue. The fascists are using them to build a much greater base. The key for the left is to separate the fascists from their ‘soft’ support and so isolate and stop them from building into a mass force. The political environment favours them, with the ‘stop the boats’ rhetoric, the casual everyday Islamophobia, and Labour’s scapegoating of migrants. So it’s doubly important that we fight against them as fascists but also against the ideology which is allowing them to grow.

On the road

The new left party is here! Or not quite. But the announcement by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana that one is being set up is very welcome and, as I argued a couple of weeks ago, not before time. The response has been huge with 500,000 signing up to get more details. It will clearly be a significant party (even if the numbers joining and paying money will be a bit less). If the press and politicians haven’t really acknowledged this fact, this shows how out of touch they are. It will obviously take votes from Labour and from the Greens but also needs to have a serious orientation on winning those tempted by the politics of Reform.

I’ll write more on this in the coming weeks but want to stress a couple of points. It has great potential to succeed and is desperately needed. But it can’t be Momentum mark 2, which failed to support Corbynism, nor can it be Labour mark 2. It can’t be a top-down project decided by an appointed few but has to reflect a serious left politics which understands the reasons why the state and the establishment were able to destroy Corbyn’s leadership. It also must be based on struggle and activity, and see its elected representatives as amplifying that struggle, not substituting for it.

But it is a big step forward, reflecting both the urgent needs of politics in Britain and the depth of anger with Labourism and the right. So we’re on the road.

This week: I will be at the court hearing on Thursday for Alex Kenny and Sophie Bolt, charged following the 18 January protest over Gaza. Join us to show solidarity if you can. There will also be more protests and meetings over Gaza so keep an eye on the Stop the War website. I have been watching The Assassin (Prime) which is entertaining despite the title, and hope to catch up with The Narrow Road to the Deep North (BBC iPlayer). I thought the book was very good.