UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK Lawyers for Israel faced backlash for implying Gaza’s war-induced food shortage could reduce obesity, with rights groups calling the remarks dangerous.
As reported by The Guardian, the UK-based Israel advocacy group has been condemned for suggesting that the war in Gaza could lower obesity rates, potentially improving life expectancy.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign condemned comments by UK Lawyers for Israel as “sickening” amid warnings of a looming famine in Gaza.
Who made controversial remarks about the Gaza war and obesity?
In response to a proposal scheduled for debate at the Co-operative Group’s AGM, Jonathan Turner, CEO of UKLFI, expressed his views against the motion. The motion called for a halt to the sale of Israeli products.
Turner called on the Co-operative to withdraw the motion, pointing out its misleading reference to an estimated death toll of 186,000. In a letter to the Co-operative Group’s secretary, he stated that citing the figure from the Lancet letter released last year was “totally false and misleading,” as it included indirect casualties in the projections.
He states,
“The [Lancet] letter also ignored factors that may increase average life expectancy in Gaza, bearing in mind that one of the biggest health issues in Gaza before the current war was obesity.”
What did Ben Jamal say about UK Lawyers for Israel’s Gaza comments?
Ben Jamal, the director of the PSC, stated,
“As children in the Gaza Strip face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death, the suggestion by the head of UK Lawyers for Israel that they might benefit from weight loss is utterly sickening. These repulsive comments illustrate exactly what it means to be ‘for Israel’ and how low its apologists are prepared to sink in their attempts to justify genocide in Gaza.”
What did Chris Doyle say about UK Lawyers for Israel’s Gaza comments?
Chris Doyle, the head of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), dismissed the remarks as “atrocious views.”
He added,
“How very kind of Israel to put 2.3 million Palestinians on an enforced diet to improve their obesity levels.”
What did Turner say about the Lancet’s Gaza death toll projection?
Mr Turner stated,
“We first pointed out that the letter published in the Lancet on 20 July 2024, to which the motion referred, did not claim that 186,000 Gazans had died in the current war. It did, however, claim – without foundation – that 186,000 Gaza would be likely to die eventually as a result of the war.”
He added,
“So we pointed out, secondly, that this claim was based on entirely unfounded speculation, which also ignored factors that might result in lengthening the lives of Gazans, given the public health situation existing in Gaza before the war, including the extent of obesity. These factors include the possible reduction in the availability of confectionery and cigarettes. In the context in which they were made, our statements were accurate and objective.”
What led to the removal of Palestinian art at Chelsea hospital?
UKLFI’s complaint led to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London removing Palestinian children’s artwork, claiming it made Jewish patients feel harassed and victimized.
The Lawyers for Israel have warned the government of legal action over its decision to suspend around 30 licenses for arms exports to Israel.
What did the death toll and life expectancy data reveal about the Gaza conflict?
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 52,000 people have been killed since Israel initiated its offensive following the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023.
A study published in The Lancet reported that Gaza’s life expectancy declined by 34.9 years within the first year of the conflict, nearly cutting the pre-war figure of 75.5 years in half.