ANAS Sarwar has said that the UK Government doesn’t have the influence over Israel that people think they do and that Benjamin Netanyahu will not listen to Keir Starmer.
The Scottish Labour leader was speaking at an Unspun event held by The Herald at the Edinburgh Fringe when he was asked if he believed the UK Prime Minister had “done enough” to stop Israel's bombardment on Gaza.
Although Sarwar failed to answer if he believed Starmer had done enough, he did say the Prime Minister had caused “a lot of upset” following an interview on LBC in the wake of the October 7 attacks by Hamas, where he said Israel had the “right to defend herself” by withholding power and water from Palestinian civilians.
Sawar said that he believes cutting off food and water is a clear breach of international law and that Netanyahu is “clearly in breach” of international law and agrees with the International Court of Justice that Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza.
He added that Netanyahu is not a “fair actor for peace” and is motivated more by “staying in power and staying out of jail” rather than in the best interests of his people and the Middle East.
When pressed if he thought that Starmer was doing enough to stop Netanyahu, Sarwar said he didn’t believe the Israeli prime minister would listen to his UK counterpart.
“One is, I think there are probably more people that think they have influence to stop Benjamin Netanyahu, or even the UK has more influence in stopping Benjamin Netanyahu than we do,” Sarwar said.
“I don’t think he [Netanyahu] will listen to the Prime Minister of the UK.”
When asked if he thinks Starmer has no influence over the Israeli Prime Minister, Sarwar said, he believes the Labour leader has influence over the US president Donald Trump, who ultimately is the only person who could stop Netanyahu.
“I think Trump is ultimately the only one who can exert influence over Benjamin Netanyahu,” Sarwar said.
When asked if he thought Starmer had enough influence on Trump, Sarwar didn’t answer and said: “Let's be honest, the globe has utterly failed the people of Palestine.”
“The world has failed.
“We often talk about the international community as if somehow there is a group of people out there that can automatically do something or resolve something. The international community, if any such thing exists, has clearly failed and that means we have a population that's been collectively punished.
“People are being literally starved to death and also it is looking like the peace process is further away than it has ever been.”
Sarwar went on to say that although he believes the UK Government have made the right steps recently in saying that they would recognise the state of Palestine, Labour have to be doing “much more to hold the Israeli government to account”.
He also called on the Labour Government to do more to provide evidence that there is no “hint” of components supplied by the UK that are being used by Israeli forces in Gaza.
“I think every single form of pressure that can be put on Benjamin Netanyahu has to be applied if we are to see a peaceful resolution.
“Palestinian statehood is welcomed. I want the state of Palestine to be recognised.
“My one frustration with the debate about Palestinian statehood. Palestinian statehood is not going to stop the war in itself.
“The most urgent pressing thing we need right now is for the war to stop.
“Bombs to stop dropping, bullets to stop firing, people to get the food and supplies, medicine they need, and a pathway to that piece of freedom.”
