Last week at the Sheffield City Council meeting Councillors debated the awful situation in Gaza.
During the Public Questions section at the beginning campaigners made it very clear they wanted the Council to act.
Complicity with War Crimes
Annie O’Gara said “In the last council meeting, a Green Counsellor listed UK support for Israel’s genocide, including exporting more arms to Israel since coming to power than the Tories did in the previous three years, refuelling Israeli jets, exporting parts for F-35 bombers, and deploying RAF flights on reconnaissance missions, benefiting
Israel. The leader said that he rejected in the strongest possible terms what his fellow counsellor had said. My original question asked what was inaccurate in the points made. The leader has not answered, instead asserting that he himself does not support arms sales and military support being provided to the IDF. This wasn’t the question. Councillors’ personal opinions matter far less than their political policies and actions. The leader then hid behind David Lammy, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, citing a judgment of June 2025, which did not simply uphold the government’s decision-making in arms sales, but actually said it is not for a domestic court to decide whether the decision of the executive on that issue is in accordance with international law. This foreign secretary is compromised. His own officials stated that Labour’s ministers exhibit “not just moral failure but conduct that crosses the threshold into complicity with war crimes where armaments are concerned. The question. Are the leaders slippery evasions of straight questions acceptable?”
Paul Hunt supports the Government actions
Paul Hunt replied
Thank you very much for your question. One of the downsides of the supplementary questions approach is that not everyone in the room here will be aware of the earlier part of our exchange, some of which you shared. So look, for the benefit of everyone, let me say very clearly that the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza are intolerable and indefensible. I do not support arms sales from the UK to the Israeli government. Nor do I want to see military support being provided to the IDF for the war in Gaza, which is what Counsellor Dimond referred to in the last full council meeting. On August 11th, I wrote to the Foreign Secretary and called for a full ban on arms sales to the Israeli government. The response that I received from the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office sets out the UK government’s position and actions on the matter, and I think in the spirit of sharing the information that was in my original answer. Let me just read the relevant paragraph, which says to recap the UK government has stopped
exports to the Israeli Defence Forces that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The UK government has successfully implemented the suspension decision and continues to refuse all relevant license applications. It refused more license applications for Israel in 2024 than in 2020 to 2023 combined. The UK government has suspended direct exports of F-35 parts for use by Israel, and it categorically does not export any bombs or ammunition which could be used in Gaza and the West Bank. Furthermore, in an interview with the BBC on 21st of July, the Foreign Secretary outlined that RAF flights over Gaza, which were referred to previously, have not led to the sharing of any military intelligence with the IATF.
My position on this is clear. I do not support arms sales or military support being provided to the Israeli government for the actions that they are taking in Gaza,
which are intolerable and indefensible. That is what was referred to at the last
full council meeting. I support the government’s actions that I’ve just read out and the steps that they have taken. Thank you.
Annie replied, “The Gaza Tribunal, beginning tomorrow, will reveal that the Counsellor’s original statements were absolutely accurate.”
Sheffield is a cog in the arms industry machine
Paul Wimpeney also challenged the Council. He said “Where Palestine is concerned, the sight of politicians simultaneously ringing their hands in concern and washing them, denying responsibility is symptomatic of the moral and political paralysis gripping the West. The mantra appears to be make strong sounding statements that require no action on our part. Recently, the council leader called on the government to instigate a complete and immediate stop to all armed sales to Israel because of the clear risk the weapons will be used in violations of international humanitarian law. Also urging sanctions on all who are credibly accused of committing or facilitating war crimes. On the surface, these are strong words. So, what’s the problem? Well, Sheffield is a cog in the arms industry machine. The council puts money into the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority and Banks with Barclays, both investors in armaments enabling those war crimes. It’s easy to call on others nationally to act, but this must be backed up locally in Sheffield, where we live. Tell Barclays you will close your account as soon as possible. Tell the South Yorkshire Pension Authority that you oppose its investments in arms. Declare your opposition to local involvement in the arms trade. Denouncing businesses that profit from the economy of genocide or face the charge of gesture politics and hypocrisy.
I deplore the fact that I see not a single point addressing what action this council will take.
Hilary Smith read a statement. “Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur writes, and I quote, “Israel is responsible for one of the cruellest genocides in modern history.” Unquote. I welcome today’s motion on Palestine, but I deplore the fact that I see not a single point addressing what action this council will take regarding its own complicity with apartheid and genocide. The motion claims to be standing in solidarity with the communities and campaigning groups in Sheffield, some of whom are sat here in the chamber today. Yet this council has spent 23 months either rejecting or avoiding our calls for action. Each one of you on this council carries a moral responsibility to act in the face of genocide and the crime of apartheid. I remind you all that there is no legal bar to declaring Sheffield an apartheid free zone, as the chief executive made clear at a strategy and resources committee some months ago. And there is no legal bar to you writing to all Sheffield businesses and civic institutions, reminding them of their responsibility to prevent genocide and to renounce all ties which support Israeli apartheid. Francesca Albanese from the United Nation calls on all corporate entities, including councils, to quote, I quote, promptly cease all business activities and terminate relationships directly linked with contributing to and causing human rights violations and international crimes against the Palestinian people. in accordance with the international corporate responsibilities and the law of self-determination. Thank you.
During the debate Green Cllr Christine Kubo fought back her emotions as she spoke about the genocide.
This might be too late for the people of Gaza.
It’s over nearly two years. In these two years, over 63,000 Palestinians at least have been killed. 160,000 injured. And that’s over 50,000 children killed or injured. And it’s still happening.
What are we going to do about it? There’s a lot of talk about belief, evidence and proof before we use the word genocide. A few days ago, the International Association of Genocide Scholars declared that it is genocide and that the conduct of the Israeli government meets the legal definition as laid out in the UN Convention on Genocide. Israel has systematically attacked the facilities needed for survival, the health care, the education, and the aid services. It’s demolished housing. It’s destroyed agricultural land and the means to survive. It’s assassinated healthcare workers and journalists. There’s arbitrary detention. There’s deprivation of food and water and medicine. What more do we need to see? But the ICJ has not yet made a determination in the International Court of Justice. And apparently, we have to wait for a determination from this court before our government can do anything. The court has given Israel until January 26 to present its defences. This might be too late for the people of Gaza. How much more evidence do we need? As people have said, Sheffield stood firmly against apartheid in South Africa. Let’s continue this proud tradition and stand up for Gaza.
Despite this undeniable genocide, our government continues to arm Israel
Cllr Alexi Dimond said “It may have taken 22 months of mass killings, deliberate starvation, and the murder of tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people, over 30% of them children. But I hope that this motion signals that all members of this council are finally waking up to what Israeli leaders have been making explicit since the start of this genocide, if regrettably not the Labour government’s direct role in it. As I pointed out at full council back in November 23, the Israeli government has been crystal clear about its genocidal intent. Then Defence Minister Yoav Gallant promised that Gaza won’t return to what it was before. We will eliminate everything. No one here and no one in the Labour government can pretend that they didn’t know what Israel was going to do in Gaza and what they have done for the last two years. But that didn’t stop Starmer from saying Israel had the right to withhold food, energy, and water. I’m sure Netanyahu and the Labour Friends of Israel continue to thank him for this. Israel’s crimes over the last two years include murdering nearly 2,000 medical workers, kidnapping and torturing medical workers, murdering over 200 journalists, by far the highest recorded number in any conflict in history and often along with their families, murdering nearly 400 aid workers, killing 1,400 people queuing for aid, deliberately starving a captive population of what was 2.4 million people, half of them children again, but may now be as low as 1.7 million. Despite this undeniable genocide, our government continues to arm Israel and support them, and as we have heard, is even reportedly considering a new £2 billion contract with Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit. Enough is enough. The genocide must end, as must Israel’s occupation and apartheid system and our government’s historic and current support for it. Please support our amendment to strengthen this motion so that this council takes genuinely meaningful actions. People of conscience in Sheffield who stand for universal human rights …He was then cut short by the Lord Mayor as time had run out.”
Do we stand with international law, human rights, and justice? Or do we allow complicity and silence to make us bystanders to genocide?
Green Cllr Maroof Raouf also spoke in favour of the amendment. He said
This motion is important, but our amendments make it honest and uncompromising. We cannot hide behind cautious language when international experts and human rights organisations have already said it. Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide. That is the reality, and this Council must say it clearly. Call it what it is, genocide. Conditions have worsened due to Israel’s acts of terror, mass starvation, and relentless bombing of schools, hospitals, and aid centres. Are you not outraged that the leader of the Red Army publicly stated Israel had the right to cut off water to Gaza? That is political cover for collective punishment and incitement to genocide. We should all condemn that without hesitation.
This government ain’t never been neutral. It is actively complicit through arm sales, intelligence sharing, diplomatic protection, and its refusal to hold the Israelis accountable. It enables these crimes, and this is not an isolated failure. It is part of a shameful record from the Red Army. The invasion of Iraq, the occupation of Afghanistan and now political cover for Israel’s assault on Gaza, while continuing military cooperation with India and ignoring Kashmiri self-determination. Colleagues, this is about moral clarity. Do we stand with international law, human rights, and justice? Or do we allow complicity and silence to make us bystanders to genocide? I urge you to support this motion. Support these amendments. Colleagues, speak with courage and truth. Stand with the oppressed, not with the oppressor.
Read more about the debate here.
Discover more from Tell the Truth Sheffield
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
