Obviously executions by the Saudis and the Iranians of minors doesn’t elicit such a condemnation from Ms. Champion. The fact is that a sizable number of Europeans are frantically passionate about the Palestinians, both from the left and from the right.
The government must set up a “watchlist” of Israelis who have committed war crimes by detaining and interrogating Palestinian children, a Labour MP has claimed. Sarah Champion said the Israeli Defence Forces were guilty of “mass intimidation and collective punishment” of Palestinians in order to protect Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
Leading a debate on the issue in Westminster Hall on Wednesday, the Rotherham MP called for a list of “all known war crime suspects” who attempt to enter Britain.
Ms Champion said: “The issue of transferring detainees en masse from occupied territory is a standalone issue because it is a war crime. It requires decisive action in accordance with our international legal obligations.”
She described instances of Palestinian minors being detained with plastic hand ties, blindfolds, and hoods while being arrested at night and forced to sign documents in Hebrew. Ms Champion said there had been “atrocities on both sides” and called for the investigation of what she said were war crimes that could destabilise the international order.
Conservative MPs Andrew Percy and John Howell led the response to Ms Champion’s claims. Mr Howell said investigations by Israeli officers were often conducted in Arabic, with an appeals process, and that minors brought before courts were represented by lawyers of their choosing.
The allegations against Israel were “an unfair selection”, Mr Howell said. “We should be drawing our attention to the Saudi execution of minors.”
