Petition urges UK government to launch inquiry into anti-Palestinian racism

A new parliamentary petition has been launched, urging the UK government to adopt a definition of anti-Palestinian racism and to investigate the impact of such racism on politics and the media. The petition aims to address the growing problem of anti-Palestinian racism within British society.

The petition, launched on Monday by Gary Spedding, an independent cross-party advisor on the Israel-Palestine issue, has already garnered over 1,500 signatures. Under UK parliamentary petition rules, the government will respond if a petition receives 10,000 signatures; if it reaches 100,000 signatures, Parliament will consider debating it.

The petition states: "Anti-Palestinian racism is, in the view of many, a serious and growing problem in the UK, which manifests itself at all levels of society and across multiple sectors. We believe that this hatred reinforces oppressive and discriminatory systems that dehumanise and demonise Palestinians, while also undermining community cohesion." Independent MP, Adnan Hussain, stated that calling on the government to recognise and clearly define anti-Palestinian racism is "welcome and necessary."

MP Hussain further emphasized: "The dehumanisation of the Palestinian people over decades has led to what we are witnessing now, which is genocide against them. Such catastrophic and grave crimes do not emerge from a vacuum. Therefore, every possible action must be taken to counter this status quo, including recognising the specific racism against the Palestinian people."

The petition advocates that the government adopt a definition "based on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination," a 1969 UN convention that commits member states to eliminating racial discrimination and promoting understanding among races. Dr. Zahira Jaser, an Italian-Palestinian scholar at the University of Sussex Business School, explained: "We can imagine three broad categories of anti-Palestinian racism: denial of Palestinian existence (e.g., ‘a land without a people’), denial of Palestinian suffering at the hands of Israelis (e.g., Palestinians die, rather than Palestinians are attacked and assassinated), and blanket antisemitic and terrorist slurs against any Palestinian or anyone who speaks up for Palestine."

Dr. Jaser added: "Racism in the form of smearing Palestinians and their supporters as antisemitic or terrorists is key to suppressing Palestinians and their grievances against Israel. As such, it interferes with free speech on campuses and across society, and it interferes with democratic processes." Spedding stated that "British politics is rife with anti-Palestinian racism," noting that "our political leaders regularly parrot language and rhetoric that reinforces the demonisation and dehumanisation of Palestinians."

Spedding also added that Palestinians are often "portrayed as irrational actors of violence who hate Jewish people because they are Jewish," and stated that anti-Palestinian racism obscures "critical conversations" about the injustices faced by Palestinians. He emphasized: "We urgently need a working definition of anti-Palestinian racism with clear examples, so that this hatred can be challenged."