Corbyn has been a vocal supporter for Palestinian rights, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and condemning Israel’s war and the UK’s complicity [GETTY]
British MP Jeremy Corbyn has called for an independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israel’s war on Gaza, similar to the Chilcot inquiry published over Britain’s involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the former Labour leader highlighted Britain’s “highly influential role” in Israel’s war through the sale of weapons, providing intelligence and the use of British bases in Cyprus.
“For months, our concerns have been met with silence or, at best, obfuscation. That is not good enough,” Jeremy Corbyn told The New Arab, adding that their “primary function as MPs is to hold the UK government to account”.
“The public deserve to know the full scale of this government’s complicity in one of the worst crimes against humanity in a generation. That is why I am calling for an independent inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth.”
The MP highlighted objections to the continued sale of F-35 components to Israel, and calls for transparency surrounding the role of British military bases and the government’s unknown definition of genocide.
Corbyn added that “requests have been met with evasion, obstruction and silence, leaving the public in the dark over the ways in which the responsibilities of government have been discharged”.
“History is repeating itself,” Corbyn wrote in his letter on Tuesday in reference to the Chilcot report. “Many people believe that the Government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law.”
“These charges will not go away until there is a comprehensive inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth.
The Chilcot inquiry, published in 2016, found failings within the UK government in the decision to go to war with Iraq, criticising then Prime Minister Tony Blair over his decision to invade Iraq without consulting his cabinet and sending reassurances to then US President George W Bush before the invasion began.
The report was published after several delays and the government’s attempts to block it.
Corbyn has long been vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, and over the course of Israel’s war on Gaza has attended almost every pro-Palestine march in London and spoke at events.
The MP, alongside four other pro-Palestine independents, formed the Independent Alliance calling for a total arms embargo on Israel, an end to Israeli settlements and the immediate recognition of the State of Palestine, alongside other policies.
Since October 2023, Britain’s role in supporting Israel, particularly through arms supplies, has come under increased scrutiny.
The government suspended 30 of its 350 arms export licenses to Israel because there was a “clear risk” the equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law — a suspension many believed fell short of the mark.
