Labour’s Lisa Nandy Pressured By BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire To Clarify Party Stance On Israel Siege Legality

On BBC Sunday Victoria Derbyshire pressured MP Lisa Nandy to provide clarity on the party stance on the legality of Israel’s siege on Gaza in an awkward segment that saw the politician evade a clear answer.

Derbyshire started her questions referencing an LBC interview, earlier this month, in which Labour Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer seemed to imply that Israel had the “right” to restrict water and energy supplies to Gaza in the aftermath of terror attacks by Hamas.

On Friday past, nine days later, Starmer refuted any support for Israel’s decision to withhold humanitarian aid to Gaza. This reaction came after Muslim members voiced their objections and several Labour councillors stepped down.

On the BBC’s Sunday show, Derbyshire sought clarity from Nandy as to why it took nine days for Labour Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer to back down on his remarks. Nandy said: “He clarified this week that he was answering the prior question and proceeded to discuss international law’s significance. On October 7, during a vigil at the Labour Party conference for Israeli civilians affected by the tragic Hamas attack, I was alongside Keir. He stressed the necessity for international law to be observed and reiterated this sentiment frequently.”

However, Derbyshire pointed out the delay in Starmer’s clarification. She said: “It took him nine days to give the clarification you just mentioned. During this period, several members of the UK’s Muslim community expressed their displeasure with his statement and the Labour Party’s stance. Several Muslim councillors have stepped down, and the Labour Muslim Network is seeking an apology. Will they receive one?”

To this, Nandy said: “It’s not possible to apologise for a stance we never took. Keir’s stance, as well as that of David Lammy and myself, has been clear and unwavering.”

Derbyshire further probed: “Was he transparent during his conversation with LBC?”

Nandy acknowledged the long-standing issues faced by Palestinians in Gaza, and said: “We recognize that the problems in Gaza for Palestinians didn’t begin on October 7. They’ve been grappling with this crisis for over 15 years with little hope for peace.”

On being questioned about the feelings of alienation among some Muslim Labour supporters, Nandy said: “I genuinely understand the immense pain felt by many in the Muslim community upon hearing those remarks. I’m relieved that we’ve clarified our stance, and it remains consistent – be it from Keir, David Lammy, or myself.”

Derbyshire then pivoted her questioning. She asked: “Let’s see if you can be clear about Labour’s position then. Do you think Israel breached international law by cutting off water and power supplies?”

Nandy said: “Look, I think this is an extraordinarily complex and fast-moving situation.” Before she could elaborate further, Derbyshire interjected, asking for a direct answer.

Nandy replied, “Well, Israel has the right to self-defence and it has a duty to secure the release of its hostages.”
Not satisfied, Derbyshire reiterated her question on Israel’s potential breach of international humanitarian law, to which Nandy mentioned recent efforts to provide Gaza with limited supplies of water, medicine, and food. She expressed hope for scaling up these efforts, emphasising the potential role of the United States and other countries in ensuring not just aid delivery but also safe passage through Gaza.

However, Derbyshire persisted, asking again whether Israel had infringed upon international law.

Nandy said: “Look, I’m not going to sit in your studio and grandstand and tell you that I’m going to make big pronouncements about what Israel is and isn’t doing in what is a very complex, difficult situation.”