Open letter to my MP

I am writing to you to express concern regarding Britain's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Today's decision by the Israeli government to designate the Gaza Strip as a 'hostile entity' and the support for this designation from the US Secretary of State, is a step very much in the wrong direction. I hope that as my representative to Parliament you will step up and do what is right.

In Palestine as a whole the Israeli occupation attacks/prevents/undermines normal life for everyone, all the time (I have seen this in the West Bank with my own eyes). I Gaza the situation is worse than the West Bank. According to Jeff Halper (Israeli Citizen and founder of the Israeli Campaign Against House Demolition: ICAHD) "The very legal framework invoked by Israel to carry out this illegal and immoral act – declaring Gaza a “hostile entity” within a “conflict short of war” – has absolutely no standing in international law. The collective punishment of an entire civilian population, by contrast, is explicitly prohibited."

The UK has for to long now fallen into line behind the US and Israel on this topic. It is surely time to learn from actually research of what is going on, on the ground in the West Bank and Gaza and coming to our own conclusion promoting a peaceful and just resolution to this conflict which is in everyone's best interest. Please use your position of authority to speak out against this absurd policy, and in support of international law.

Yours sincerely,

Phil Leech