Please find below a timeline of Barry’s actions and advocacy on the tragedy unfolding in Gaza:
In response to the Rafa offensive, Barry stated:
“It is clear from the reports we are getting that Israel’s evacuation order for 1.4 million people to move from eastern Rafah to the so-called “expanded humanitarian area” of Al Mawasi is both impractical and inhumane. Humanitarian aid agencies have stated that they will be unable to reach people there, and we already know that Al Mawasi has been targeted twice by the IDF, undermining people’s confidence that they would be safe in moving there.
Barry signed the Early Day Motion 177 calling for an end to arms sales to Israel, and has advocated for it on the mainstream media. Before the Rafah offensive began Barry went on Times Radio to argue for the end of arms sales to Israel. He even managed to get Tory MP Richard Graham to admit that if the Rafah offensive were to go ahead, the UK would have to rethink arms sales to Israel.
You can also read the letter that Barry co-signed with Zarah Sultana here.
On the 22nd of May 2024 Barry signed a joint letter to the foreign secretary calling on the Government to condemn any threats and attempts to undermine the independence and impartiality of the International Criminal Court in its investigations into crimes in Gaza. You can read this letter here.
In April, Barry asked the secretary of state to explain why the party of Churchill had become the Party of appeasement.
Following this statement, Barry met with several constituents in Parliament who spoke powerfully about their concerns about what is happening in Gaza at the Ceasefire Lobby Day. https://x.com/BarryGardiner/status/1783134539247661365
After Iran’s unjustifiable attack on Israel in early April, Barry asked the Prime Minister what action the UK will take if Israel seeks to escalate the conflict further.
On the 19th of February 2024 Barry asked the Minister of State for the Home Department that, “whatever one believes about the actions of Israeli government, racism and anti-Jewish hatred must not be allowed to hide being any political mask”.
This came after a student outside of JFS was attacked outside of the school, the perpetrators goaded the student about the situation crisis in Gaza.
Barry has consistently taken every opportunity he has had to vote for a ceasefire. Below are the media appearances in February 2024 where Barry outlined why we must not let parliament chaos distract us from a ceasefire.
In November 2023 the SNP introduced a motion to call for a ceasefire. Barry was proud to be one of the 51 Labour MPs to vote for this ammenment. Below is his appearance on the Today programme where he argued why voting for this motion was so important.
On the 3rd of November 2023 Barry told Politics Joe that Keir Starmer must take “moral leadership” and call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
In an interview with ITV News, Barry responded to Sir Keir Starmer’s speech where the party leader said a ceasefire would only freeze the situation. On the contrary Barry pointed out that any ceasefire depends on what is negotiated and will only happen through pressure by the international community.
Barry has also been consistently opposed to the Government's anti-BDS legislation. In July 2023 he made it clear to the House that it would have prevented protests of Apartheid South Africa.