A total of 38 MPs and 36 activists and non-governmental organisations have presented diplomatic protest notes to the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and European Union about the increasing violence in Gaza. The notes were handed over to the respective missions in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (Dec 8).
The note to the US government was given to its Kuala Lumpur deputy chief of mission Manu Bhalla by Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar. Meanwhile, Balik Pulau MP Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik joined Syed Ibrahim to submit the note addressed to the EU’s head of delegation to Malaysia Michalis Rokas.
All three notes expressed deep concern over Israel’s continued bombardments in Gaza which have displaced 1.9 million Palestinians or about 80 per cent of Gaza’s entire population. The signatories were also dismayed that over 16,000 Palestinians, including more than 7,000 children, have died from the war. These numbers stand in stark contrast to the estimated 1,500 Israelis who have died, with 5,600 injured.
The protest note to the US expressed concern over Washington’s plan to provide USD14.5 billion in military aid for Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Palestine. In the protest note to the UK, the group described as “abhorrent” the British government’s continued direct and indirect military support to Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Palestine. The note also expressed deep concerns over reports that British nationals may be present as combatants alongside Israeli forces in Gaza.
The group demanded that the British government stop all direct and indirect military aid to Israel while applauding the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee for investigating the British government’s support for Israel. In the protest note to the EU, the group singled out European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, especially her unilateral declaration of “Europe stands with Israel” immediately following the Oct 7 attacks.
It also chastised Von der Leyen’s decision to hastily suspend funds to Palestine after Oct 7 only to reinstate them later after facing severe public backlash. All three notes demanded that the US, UK and EU support an immediate and lasting humanitarian ceasefire, especially in light of the United Nations Secretary-General’s invocation of Article 99 of the UN Charter. For the first time in a quarter of a century, Article 99 has been invoked in alarm at the global security threat posed by Israel’s destruction of Gaza.
