Emily Thornberry has clashed with the director of UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) over Israel’s adherence to humanitarian law during the war in Gaza during a Foreign Affairs Select Committee session.
Giving evidence in Westminster on Tuesday, Natasha Hausdorff had claimed Britain and the United States “have consistently said they do not have concerns about Israel’s approach to humanitarian law” until the current government made a “political” decision to suspend 30 UK export licenses last year.
Responding, Thornberry looked outraged as she said:”Oh no, no, no, nah, nah, nah” before adding “that is an extraordinary allegation.”
Looking surprised at the chair’s intervention, Hausdorff next said:”May I finish the answer?”
Thornberry then responded:”Be careful what you are saying!”
Natasha Hausdorf
Hausdorff then claimed:”I have come here in good faith to answer your questions, and from the moment I have walked in the room I have been barracked and told to be quiet. I will answer this one with your permission?”
“Please answer this question accurately and with care,” responded Thornberry.
Hausdorff then replied:”Yes, the UK and the US have consistently said that so far as targeting proportionately – which is what your question pertains to – there aren’t concerns.”
She then accepted “there have been other concerns raised on the basis of incorrect information, if we have time to discuss, detention and aid we certainly can.”
Thornberry raised the possibility that the government had responded to genuine concerns about the use of UK supplied exports by Israel in possible breaches of international humanitarean law.
But the barrister said this was something for the committee to possibly look into on another occasion.
Hausdorff also said the UK’s concerns regarding international law had “nothing to do with the arms that have been embargoed”, and accused the government of making a “political” decision that was “deeply deeply troubling” when it announced its partial arms suspension last September.
Later the UKLFI director accused the UK government of adopting policies which had only served to “encourage Hamas”.
Chair Thornberry then appeared to mutter:””Delusional, delusional.”
Earlier in the session Thornberry had repeatedly asked Hausdorff what a positive future would look like for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The lawyer was also allowed a lengthy period of time to offer her explanation to the committee on why she believes Israel has sovereignty over the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contrast to the United Nations, International Court of Justice, the UK government and others.
Thornberry asked:”It’s not the Israeli government’s position that Israel’s border goes from the river to the sea?”
Hausdorff said it was the case that Israel “does not need to state that”.
Asked if she would address the question of what would represent a positive vision of a future Gaza, Hausdorff said she relished a “start-up culture in the West Bank.
She also called for the defeat of Hamas in Gaza and an end to “indoctrination and incentivisation to terror”.
At one point Thornberry told the lawyer to remain “calm” as she gave her answers, and also claimed:”The public will have heard your answers.”
There was a further clash of opinion as Hausdorff was asked about allegations around the Israeli blockages of aid into Gaza.
The lawyer said that if it was the case that Gazans were “facing food insecurity” it was because Hamas was stealing the supplies, and she insisted ample supplies of aid had in fact been provided by Israel to the Strip.
Later Abtisam Mohamed, the Labour MP recently denied entry to Israel, and who sits on the committee asked a question on whether Hausdorff believed Palestinians have a right to their own state.
She suggested that “according to international law” Palestinians were not offered this right.
Labour MP Alex Ballinger also clashed with the UKLFI director over her claim that the IDF observes the highest standards of adherence to humanitarian law as an army.
He said: “I take your claim that the [Israeli army] has the highest standards of international humanitarian law for any army in history as outrageous,” he said. “Having served in the British military myself, I think that is a particularly staggering claim.”
But Hausdorff responded by telling the committee that senior British military officials had also made the same claim.
Ahead of her appearance the committee questioned the Israeli MK Shelly Tal Meron, of the centrist Yesh Atid opposition party.
She said:”The international community and of course, the American involvement, is creating a change. We saw that president Trump was very involved, even before he came into office, with the release of the hostages and it did help us with releasing some of them.”
Speaking via video link the MK added:”That is my request to the UK Government, to be very much involved when it comes to our hostages, of speaking of this issue and using your platforms to discuss the hostages because everybody’s speaking about what’s happening in Gaza – and I can understand the concerns that everybody has – but we need you to speak about the hostages and we need you to pressure Hamas and Qatar and the mediators and the international community to get involved in ending this.”
Commentator and journalist Jonathan Sacerdot, who has repeatedly spoken up in support of Israel during the war in Gaza, also addressed the session.
Asked by Thornberry for his vision of positive change in Gaza over the next decade, he replied:”Demilitarisation, deradicalisation, de-jihadism, educating [Palestinians] towards living peacefully with your neighbours.”
