The Oxford Students Liberal Association (OSLA) and the Oxford Labour Club (OLC) have released a joint statement on the conflict in the Gaza Strip, calling for the UK to “be on the right side of history”. The statement was posted on the societies’ Instagram accounts earlier today.
In the statement, OSLA and OLC have called out the UK Government for being “increasingly complicit in the crimes against humanity being perpetuated in Gaza”. Whilst OSLA and OLC note their support for Israel’s “right to defend itself against terrorism”, they condemn Israel’s actions, stating that they do not support “the mass killing of civilians, the withholding of vital medical and food aid or the banning of foreign journalists”.
OSLA and OLC “wish to see an immediate bilateral ceasefire and a total withdrawal of the illegal settlements in the West Bank”. The statement calls on the UK government to: remove all outstanding arms licenses to Israel, sanction the Israeli state, and recognise an independent state of Palestine.
Gaza is currently enduring one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. In May, acting in his new role as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, former Hertford College Principal Tom Fletcher called upon the United Nations to act “decisively – to prevent genocide in Gaza”.
In a cross-party letter to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, several Members of Parliament also called upon the UK government last week to recognise Palestine as an independent state, following in the footsteps of France and Ireland.
The last time OSLA and OLC released a joint statement on the conflict in the Gaza Strip was in May 2024. The statement did not address the moral responsibility of the UK Government or its involvement in the conflict.
Cherwell understands that the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) was invited to sign the statement, but has not done so.
OUCA told Cherwell: “Due to the limited time available, it was not possible for OUCA to conduct the appropriate democratic consultation required for us to sign this statement.”
 and the Oxford Labour Club (OLC) have released a joint statement on the conflict in the Gaza Strip, calling for the UK to “be on the right side of history”.){kind=link}