Cambridge city councillors have backed calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and have agreed to consider joining a boycott of Barclays bank.
They unanimously passed a motion calling for a ceasefire and setting out some actions the authority can take itself.
Cllr Alice Gilderdale (Lab, East Chesterton), who proposed the move, said the council had waited “too long” in bringing a motion on the conflict and could not “continue to watch the horrors in Gaza without speaking out”.
The motion that earned cross-party support at last week’s full council meeting (May 23) called on the government to:
\- Press for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Israel and the rest of Palestine and to make every effort to resume the peace process;
\- Work to ensure that international humanitarian law is upheld and that civilians are protected in accordance with those laws;
\- Work to ensure that civilians have access to humanitarian support, including unfettered access of medical supplies, food, fuel and water; and
\- Immediately revoke all licences for arms exports to Israel and suspend arms sales to Israel.
The council will also “investigate the implications of stopping banking with Barclays - which is known for investing over £2billion in, and providing financial services to companies arming Israel worth £6.1billion - and instead banking with an ethical bank”.
And the council vowed to “continue to condemn all forms of Islamophobia and antisemitism”.
Cllr Gilderdale said she was “proud to live in Cambridge”, highlighting the campaigning that has been taking place in the city in support of Palestine, including referencing the students who had organised the Cambridge for Palestine encampment in the city centre.
She said: “As a key institution in Cambridge it is not enough for the city council to stand by while injustice is ongoing and we therefore must take action.
“Today we are reconfirming our strong call for an immediate ceasefire, a suspension of British arm sales Israel and for the council to stop banking with Barclays bank.
“If this motion passes today Cambridge will be the first local authority to publicly consider moving away from a banking relationship with Barclays, which has long been the target of a boycott campaign, initially from South African apartheid, to climate campaigns, and to the bank’s profiteering from Israel’s apartheid and occupation regime.
“I am therefore proud to be proposing this motion today, which will show Cambridge is on the right side of history. This is what makes Cambridge a special place.”
Cllr Elliot Tong (Green, Abbey) said the motion was “fantastic” and that Green Party councillors would support it.
He added: “I don’t think we can get complacent yet and we really need to work hard to challenge racism, discrimination against both Jewish people and Palestinians wherever we can.”
Cllr Anthony Martinelli (Lib Dem, Market) referenced the calls for a ceasefire and prohibition of arm sales to Israel that had been made by the national Liberal Democrat party.
He said he was glad these calls were “achieving wider agreement both national and within the international community”.
Cllr Martinelli said: “Ultimately of course within this chamber we do have to acknowledge that many of the issues raised are primarily for national if not international resolution and we would hope and expect elected councillors and activists to hold whoever is Prime Minister in July to account on this issue.”
