SIR Keir Starmer will meet Muslim Labour MPs today amid pressure from more than 150 councillors to call for Israel to cave to Hamas terrorists with a ceasefire.
In an angry letter to the opposition chief, the dozens of councillors declared that they “can not sit idly by as Palestinian’s face collective punishment”.
AFPSir Keir Starmer is under pressure from Muslim Labour MPs and councillors to call for Israel to cave to Hamas terrorists and call a ceasefire[/caption]
They added that there’s a “strength of feeling throughout the nation and in our communities” that an immediate ceasefire must be called.
A handful of Muslim councillors have already resigned from Labour in protest at the party’s position on the war.
Sir Keir has repeatedly acknowledged Israel has a right to defend itself, including by waging a war until the baby-slaughtering terrorists running Gaza are wiped out.
Labour has also emphasised Israeli forces must act within the confines of international law.
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But Sir Keir sparked outrage in the Muslim community after telling LBC a fortnight ago that the Jewish state had a right to turn off water taps in Gaza to achieve its military aims.
The opposition chief later clarified his position, insisting Israel has to ensure civilians have access to water, food and fuel.
On Sunday Sir Keir visited a mosque in Wales in an effort to ease community tensions.
On X he painted the trip as huge success, saying: “I was grateful to hear from the Muslim community of the South Wales Islamic Centre.
“I repeated our calls for all hostages to be released, more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, for the water and power to be switched back on, and a renewed focus on the two state solution.”
But leaders at the mosque quickly hit back, saying the visit wasn’t all smooth sailing.
They claimed the Labour chief had “gravely misrepresented our congregants and the nature of the visit” in tweets he sent out afterwards, which it said “put [the centre] and the wider Muslim community into disrepute”.
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In their letter, the more than 150 Muslim councillors said: “Everyday we fail to call on the government and the international community to push for cessation of hostilities, Gazan children and hundreds of innocent men and women pay the price.
“As Labour councillors elected to serve our constituents, the message we have been hearing repeatedly over the past two weeks is simple, people just want an end to the bloodshed and the loss of innocent life.”
Hitting back at the letter, a shadow minister told The Sun: “Ceasefire calls are insane.
“How do you have a ceasefire with a terrorist organisation who is currently holding hostages and firing thousands of missiles at you?”
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