Palestine Becomes a Domestic Electoral Issue in Britain

Aimee Shalan, incoming director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), says the conflict in Gaza has moved from street protests to the ballot box. She notes that the 2024 general election and the 2026 local elections saw “major breakthroughs” for pro-Palestinian candidates, marking the first time the issue has been prominent both nationally and locally.

The Guardian

Since October 2023 the PSC has organized 36 national demonstrations, some drawing hundreds of thousands of participants. Membership has more than doubled, rising from 7,800 at the start of 2023 to nearly 17,000, while newsletter subscribers have grown from 70,000 to about 300,000. The organization now coordinates a network of over 100 local branches that run campaigns in workplaces, universities and councils; 34 councils in England and Wales have pledged to divest pension funds from companies accused of complicity in Israel’s actions.

The Guardian

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced Labour sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, describing the move as a “definitive change” in the party’s Middle-East policy. The Trades Union Congress has also backed the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) campaign, supporting workplace actions and corporate divestments.

The Guardian

Some politicians and campaign groups have accused pro-Palestinian protests of fostering antisemitism, labeling certain demonstrations as “hate marches.”

The Guardian

• “We’re seeing for the first time in British history Palestine become a domestic issue, electorally, at the national level and at the local level.” — Aimee Shalan

The Guardian

• “There’s a very short time before the next election and we need to have a very robust movement that ensures that we don’t sleepwalk into what appears to be a really deeply authoritarian future,” — Aimee Shalan

The Guardian