Human rights experts agree that Israel has been committing genocide in occupied Gaza since October 2023. There are international arrest warrants out for top-level Israeli politicians. But Britain’s participation in the genocide continues, and the UK has even welcomed Israel’s army chief to the country. Now, foreign secretary David Lammy has visited Israel. And yet the British media didn’t bat an eyelid.
The Israeli ministry of foreign affairs shared a smiling picture of Lammy meeting his counterpart Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday 12 January in Jerusalem. The British foreign office released a statement on that day about meeting with political figures in the Middle East, but did not mention Israel. In fact, there appeared to be no mention of Lammy’s visit to Israel anywhere on the foreign office website. It’s almost as if it was something to be ashamed about…
Pleasure to host in Jerusalem my British counterpart David Lammy @DavidLammy. We discussed a wide range of issues, including Syria, Lebanon and the Iranian threat.
I emphasized Israel's intent on securing a hostage deal in Gaza. Israel is a pillar of strength and stability in… pic.twitter.com/73Ruq7UJBP— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) January 12, 2025
Occupied Jerusalem, a far-right ambassador, and a friendly invite
The British Embassy in Israel is in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem, on the other hand, is a source of great controversy. Because when the UN prepared for the creation of the state of Israel, while ignoring strong local opposition to the idea, it planned for the highly important city to come under international sovereignty and control. But as the Canary previously reported, Israel:
seized western Jerusalem in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. And it then occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 war. Around 423,000 Palestinians live in Jerusalem. Nearly two thirds of them live in the areas seized by Israel in 1967.
David Lammy was also apparently in the company of far-right ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, who has previously egged on the genocide in Gaza.
Welcome to Israel, Foreign Secretary @DavidLammy 🇬🇧🤝🏻🇮🇱
Looking forward to deepening the UK-Israel partnership and to advancing our shared priorities.
Wishing you a productive and meaningful visit! pic.twitter.com/HojTNIQz4I
— Tzipi Hotovely (@TzipiHotovely) January 12, 2025
Jewish News and other sources, meanwhile, reported that:
Lammy also invited Sa’ar to pay an official visit to the UK in the near future, according to Sa’ar’s office.
You may have thought some or all of this would be newsworthy back in Britain. But apparently not.
Media silence over David Lammy visit
At the time of writing, it seems that no mainstream British media outlet has reported on David Lammy’s visit to a country that human rights experts have accused of genocide and that international legal institutions are looking to charge with war crimes. The British government is denying genocide, while actively participating in it.
A number of British MPs have been calling out the UK’s shameful behaviour, as have independent media outlets like the Canary. But Israel’s genocide has exposed once and for all the moral vacuum in Britain’s establishment media. And it’s not only right-wing rags. It’s the supposedly impartial BBC too. None of them are truly holding the government to account for its shameful complicity and participation in genocide.
We need no less that a full-scale media revolution.
Featured image via screengrab
