A woman has called out her MP over lack of opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Chesham resident Atiqa, who wants to withhold her surname, spoke to the Free Press about her “disappointment” with her Parliamentary representative Sarah Green.
The 36-year-old said she was left disappointed over Ms Green’s lack of a statement on the tragic escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has claimed thousands of civilian lives in Gaza and Israel since terrorist group Hamas launched rockets on October 7.
Atiqa said: “It’s been quite shocking for someone like myself who has been brought up in the UK and being told about human rights, freedom of speech, impartiality and avoiding bias and it seems all those things have been thrown out of the window and that they don’t matter with Palestinians.
“Media reports refer to Israelis were 'killed', while Palestinians 'died' as if they have died from natural causes and were not blown up.”
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She decided to reach out to Ms Green because “Palestinian voices were not being heard and there’s not enough condemnation over the killing of Palestinian men, women and children.”
“People are wondering why UK is not calling for a ceasefire, why politicians are supporting this war that’s going to contribute to death on both sides. It doesn’t affect the politicians lives per se, their children are not being bombarded. It’s not good enough to say a year later, it’s not good enough. The local leaders need to say it’s not okay now,” she added.
Sarah Green provided a statement after the Free Press reached out to her.
She wrote on Thursday, October 26: “I was horrified to wake up on October 7 to the awful terrorist attacks in Israel, which must be condemned, and I have been utterly dismayed to see the scenes of violence over the past two and a half weeks.
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“These terrible events have understandably seen strong emotional responses in our community. The pain and anguish comes across loud and clear in the correspondence I have received, in the meetings I have held and at the events I have attended.
“We now have a devastating situation in Gaza - with a humanitarian crisis emerging for its 2.2 million residents, and with over 200 Israelis held hostage. It is vital that essential supplies like food, water and medicine get to innocent Palestinian civilians in line with international law, and also that the hostages are released.
“Whilst I support Israel’s right to protect its citizens and target Hamas in line with international law, it is vital that innocent Palestinian civilians do not pay the price for the atrocities of Hamas. Likewise, the world has a duty to prevent more needless civilian deaths.
“Liberal Democrats are calling on the UK Government to lead efforts to push for a humanitarian ceasefire as a pause in hostilities, which will facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza and provide an opportunity to realise the release of the hostages.
“The people of Israel and Palestine have a right to live free from fear. The UK must redouble efforts to bring about a lasting peace and a two state solution.”
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