Parliament to Debate Israeli Influence in UK Politics After 116k Sign Petition

Parliament will debate the need for an inquiry into Israeli influence on UK politics next month, after more than 116,000 people signed a petition calling for a probe.

The 22 June debate, which will be broadcast on the UK Parliament YouTube channel, comes after the Labour government said it does not support a public inquiry.

The petition raises concerns “about reported Israeli state-linked and pro-Israel lobbying activity in UK politics. We believe it is important to determine the scope and impact of any such influence campaigns.”

It adds: “We feel that the horrific devastation in Gaza, the ongoing suppression of Palestinians in the West Bank, and the UK’s political response underline the urgent need to scrutinise how pro-Israel organisations, networks, and lobbying efforts may shape government decisions, party policy, and public debate.”

In a response on 17 April, the government said: “There is an existing framework for transparency around lobbying of the UK government and Parliament.”

Petition author Andy Kalil told the National that the government’s response was “a whole load of hot air and deflection”, adding that there is an “extreme conflict of interest between pro-Israel lobbying donations and the government’s positions on Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, and southern Lebanon”. 

Current and former members of the Labour cabinet have received over £300k in donations from pro-Israel groups and individuals since 2013, figures compiled by Declassified UK show. Prime minister Keir Starmer received a £50k donation from pro-Israel tycoon Trevor Chinn for his 2020 Labour leadership campaign.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has killed, at a conservative estimate, more than 73,000 people. The UK government has supported Israel’s military throughout, including by flying surveillance drones above Gaza.

In 2023 Starmer said that Israel had the right to deny water, food and electricity to the besieged enclave’s civilian population.