DayofPal– Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has cleared a significant hurdle in his campaign to launch a formal investigation into the United Kingdom’s complicity the Israeli “genocide in Gaza.”
On Wednesday, Corbyn was granted permission by Parliament to introduce a bill that would establish a full public inquiry into the UK’s military and political ties to Israel.
The inquiry, he said, would be modeled on the landmark Chilcot Inquiry, which examined Britain’s role in the Iraq War.
“The public deserves to know the full extent of the UK’s complicity in these atrocities,” Corbyn told MPs during remarks in the House of Commons.
“We cannot allow our role in the suffering of Palestinians to go unexamined.”
The motion was introduced by the newly formed Independent Alliance, a bloc led by Corbyn and composed of pro-Palestinian MPs elected during the last general election.
In a notable development, the motion passed without opposition from any sitting MP, allowing the bill to advance to a second reading.
If passed, the proposed legislation would establish an independent inquiry into UK arms sales to Israel, as well as the use of RAF Akrotiri, a British airbase in Cyprus, for potential military coordination linked to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Corbyn has proposed July 4 as the date for the bill’s second reading, setting the stage for a potentially contentious debate on the UK’s foreign policy and defence commitments in the Middle East.
The bill represents a historic political moment. It is the first time that the UK Parliament has formally considered launching an investigation into the country’s role in the Gaza war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the onset of the war in October 2023.
While the bill faces considerable legislative hurdles ahead, its introduction underscores growing pressure within Westminster to confront Britain’s accountability in international war.
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