A LABOUR minister has claimed that she does not know “what a genocidal attitude is” after being challenged on Israeli lawmakers' demands for all sources of water, food, and energy in north Gaza to be destroyed.
Speaking in the Lords on Monday, Jennifer Chapman was challenged on the UK Government’s response to and relationship with Israel amid escalating allegations that it is committing genocide in Gaza.
Last week, Israeli paper of record Haaretz reported that “eight members of the Knesset foreign affairs and defence committee called on the defence minister to order the destruction of all sources of water, food, and energy in northern Gaza”.
Shaista Gohir, a crossbench peer who works as the chief executive of Muslim Women's Network UK, told the Lords: “The Israeli parliament foreign and defence committee wrote to the defence minister demanding he orders Israeli forces in Gaza to destroy all energy sources and all water and food sources.
“Is the Government aware of this, and what is it doing specifically to challenge these genocidal attitudes?”
Responding, Chapman, who formerly worked as Keir Starmer’s political secretary and is now a Foreign Office minister, said she was “not sure what a genocidal attitude is”.
Chapman added: “I will look into that which [Gohir] has highlighted with me. I was not aware of that letter, but I will look into it.”
Elsewhere in the debate, the Labour Government was asked what meetings they had held with their Israeli counterparts to ensure land access routes into Gaza were opened.
Chapman confirmed that Anneliese Dodds, who is also a Foreign Office minister, had been in the region in December “having those conversations”.
She did not say with whom in the Israeli government Dodds had met. As The National has previously reported, the UK Government has refused to disclose any information about the meetings, leading SNP MP Chris Law to write to the Foreign Office requesting transparency.
Chapman was further challenged on the UK Government’s response to Israel by Bruce Grocott, a Labour party peer and grandee.
Grocott told the Lords: “There are many reports that have told us that schools have been attacked by the Israelis involving the killing of children, that hospitals have been attacked involving the killing of children, that areas designated as being safe by the Israelis have been attacked, resulting in the killing of children.
“Overall at least 11,000 children have been killed, including 710 babies under the age of 12 months.
“If any of these allegations are true, do they not clearly constitute a gross violation of international humanitarian law?”
Responding, Chapman said: “We are very clear that Israel has – and noble lords have heard me say this and others say this repeatedly – has a clear right to defend itself.
“There is no moral equivalence between the horrific attack that Israel was subject to.
“But that the defence that it has every right to undertake must be conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
