Two Oxford City Council members, Cllr Shaista Aziz and Cllr Amar Latif, have resigned from the Labour Party in protest over Sir Keir Starmer's response to the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
In an interview with LBC, Sir Keir said that Israel ‘does have that right’ to cut off water and electricity supplies to Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack on 7 October.
Cllr Aziz and Cllr Latif said they were ‘deeply disappointed and alarmed’ by the Labour leader’s comments which they said seemed to ‘condone the use of collective punishment’.
Condemning the ‘horrific killings and atrocities inflicted on Israelis and Palestinians’, the two Oxford councillors said they had sought clarification from the Labour leadership.
13.10.23
— Shaista Aziz ?? (@shaistaAziz) October 13, 2023
Statement of resignation from the Labour Party from Cllr Shaista Aziz, Cllr Amar Latif, Oxford City Council.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Israel and Palestine and call for and end to violence and the humanitarian crisis. pic.twitter.com/2L7a5ovDIJ
‘Unfortunately, as no clarification has been forthcoming, we have made a conscious decision to immediately resign the whip and leave the Labour Party,’ they said in a joint statement.
Council leader Cllr Susan Brown told the BBC she was ‘saddened’ by the decision and said that the council ‘stands in solidarity with the innocent civilians of Palestine and Israel’.
