Labour MP provokes disgust with ‘blood on his hands’ jibe at Sunak over Gaza
Tahir Ali, the MP for Birmingham Hall Green, was branded a 'complete disgrace' after claiming the PM has 'the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands' in a PMQs rant
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A Labour MP has been branded a “complete disgrace” after suggesting Rishi Sunak has “the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands” over his response to Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.
Tahir Ali, the MP for Birmingham, Hall Green, rose in the Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions and claimed in relation to the “genocide” case against Israel in the International Court of Justice “the scale of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza have been revealed to the world thanks to South Africa’s case.”
The MP, who has previously falsely accused Israel of bombing a hospital in Gaza, failed to issue any condemnation of the terror group Hamas, but also backed calls for “an ending of UK’s arms trade with Israel.”
His remarks were seized upon by the prime minister, who was loudly cheered by his backbenchers, as he said: “That’s the face of the changed Labour Party.”
???? NEW: Labour MP Tahir Ali accuses Rishi Sunak of having "the blood of innocent people on his hands" over Gaza
Sunak responds: "That's the face of the changed Labour Party." #PMQs pic.twitter.com/nkEd9Pmce4
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) January 24, 2024
Sunak had come under pressure only minutes earlier as Labour leader Keir Starmer goaded him saying: “The difference is I’ve changed my party – he is bullied by his.”
Labour sources confirmed to Jewish News that the party’s whips were considering whether to take action against the MP, after PMQs on Wednesday.
Other MPs also told Jewish News they were “livid” with Ali’s “blood on his hands” jibe.
One said: “So many politicians have received death threats, both to themselves and to their families, over a war taken place in the Middle East that they have now actual power to stop.
“It only serves to inflame the situation more when you have an elected MP making the ‘blood on your hands’ claim in the Commons.”
Another Labour source described Ali’s comments as “a complete disgrace.”
They added: “The people with blood ob their hands are the brutal rapist terrorists of Hamas.”
In April 2020, Ali wa also criticised as “totally irresponsible” by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson for “endangering lives” by attending a large funeral and ignoring coronavirus lockdown measures.
Ali, who was elected to represent Birmingham Hall Green in December 2019, issued an apology over the funeral.
Speaking at PMQs Ali said: “Recently released documents reveal that the Foreign Office had serious concerns about Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law and its ongoing assault on Gaza.
“This assessment was hidden from Parliament while the Prime Minister boldly stated his confidence in Israel’s respect for international law.
“Since then, the scale of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza have been revealed to the world thanks to South Africa’s case to the ICJ.
“Therefore, is it now not the time for the Prime Minister to admit that he has the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands and for him to commit to demanding an immediate ceasefire and an ending of UK’s arms trade with Israel?”
Also at PMQS,Stephen Flynn, leader of the SNP in Westminster, told MPs: “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect the Prime Minister of the UK to tell the people that shooting an unarmed man walking under a white flag is a war crime.”
Last October Ali joined with other hard-left MPs, including Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn, in accusing Israel of being responsible for the bombing of a hospital in Gaza City. It later emerged the incident, which killed hundreds, was the result of a missile misfired by a Palestinian terror group.
Ali had also previously failed to back the IHRA definition of antisemitism – one of the few MPs not to do so. He eventually signed the definition in front of Labour whips.
He later apologised on Wednesday for his “language” during PMQs.
Ali tweeted:”This is obviously a deeply emotive issue. While I do not resile from my strongly held views on the situation in the Middle East I would like to apologise for the way in which I described the Prime Minister in my question.
“We all have a responsibility to be respectful in the language that we use, even when discussing difficult and, at times, sensitive issues.”
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