Gaza: Our open letter to Rishi Sunak calling for an immediate ceasefire

1st November 2023

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing as director of an independent homelessness charity to ask the UK government to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and to make you aware of the distress being felt in our community, which is made up of people experiencing homelessness and those who are ex-homeless. This distress is due to Israel’s ongoing siege and campaign in Gaza in the wake of Hamas's horrendous attacks.

Many of our community have ties with Palestine or Israel and we have Jews and Muslims in our immediate community. More broadly we have people in our community who have experienced violence and displacement in other global conflicts. I personally, as a British Jew, have relatives in Israel who have been profoundly impacted by this current conflict.

We come to you as a community with a wide variety of identities and experiences, united in our request that you call for an immediate ceasefire. On top of many years of occupation and violence, the current situation is intolerable, cruel and inexcusable. The death toll, accelerated displacement and destruction of people's homes are filling our community with deep grief and anger.

As a museum, we would remind all political parties of the need to learn lessons from history. Britain in particular, through its 1922 mandate for Palestine is uniquely tied to affairs of this region. It should be obvious from all the previous Israeli-Palestinian conflicts that fanning the flames of retaliation will not lead to long-lasting solutions. The only immediate short-term hope for a solution is a ceasefire, and for all parties to call for Israel to abide by international law.

We grieve for the victims of the attacks by Hamas and we also call for the release of hostages. However, none of this is or could ever be an excuse for the extreme violence that has been wrought on Palestinians.

We are ashamed that neither of our major political parties has taken the right action on the situation. Simply making requests for armed military personnel to protect civilians whilst engaging in ongoing bombardment and invasion is naïve. There is more than enough homelessness, trauma and violence in this world. We must do everything we can to prevent further pain of this kind. This especially applies to those in elected office. You have a particular responsibility in times of international crisis and this is currently a duty unfulfilled.

We therefore ask again that you call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Yours

Matthew Turtle

Director, Museum of Homelessness

This letter was sent to Rishi Sunak on 1st November and at the same time a similar version of this letter was sent to the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, asking that Labour call for an immediate ceasefire.