The recent announcement by the Prime Minister to deploy additional Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter jets and refuelling aircraft to the Middle East stands in direct contradiction to the UK’s stated aim of “de-escalation”.
Commenting on this news, Mustafa Al Dabbagh, Assistant Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said:
“Sir Keir Starmer seems to have a troubling understanding of what de-escalation truly means. Aligning Britain with a war agenda driven by Netanyahu’s Government, which unilaterally initiates new wars while deflecting from the devastation in Gaza, is not a path to peace. It is a reckless step towards deeper conflict. The British public did not vote for this.
“There remain serious and unanswered questions around the UK’s role: from military intelligence shared via RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, to arms sales, and the revelation that the Ministry of Defence is currently training Israeli military personnel on British soil. These actions point towards Britain’s growing complicity in violations of international law and reported war crimes.
“We urge the Labour government to reflect. The mistake of following the US into the 2003 Iraq War led to untold suffering and long-lasting mistrust. Keir Starmer must not repeat the grave errors of Tony Blair. The electorate will not forgive another government that ignores public will in favour of war.”
[ENDS]
Notes to editors:
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