UK petition urges expulsion of Israeli ambassador for ‘genocidal language’

A UK petition calls for the expulsion of Israel's ambassador to the UK for “advocating a genocidal act” in Gaza as Israel’s three-month offensive has killed at least 22,700 Palestinians in the besieged territory so far.

Britons’ demand for Tzipi Hotovely's dismissal came after she made a “clear call for genocide” of Palestinians on national British radio.

On a radio broadcast of LBC, she told host Iain Dale in no uncertain terms that Israel’s military must target civilian infrastructure in Gaza.

“Every school, every mosque, every second house, has an access to tunnels,” referring to the network of tunnels built under Gaza and used by the Hamas resistance movement.

“That’s an argument for destroying the whole of Gaza, every single building,” Dale said, prompting Hotovely to ask, “Do you have another solution, how to destroy the underground tunnel city?”

“The Ambassador is now using openly genocidal language and is advocating for a genocidal act to take place. The ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the West Bank continues,” the petition read.

Gaining significant traction, the call for the expulsion of Hotovely has amassed over 80,450 signatures within a single day. After gaining 100,000 signatures in the UK, the petition is ready for debate by lawmakers in the British parliament.

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Hotovely, who is notorious for her extremist views, unequivocally dismissed the idea of the so-called two-state solution, saying “absolutely no” to the prospect of a future Palestinian state.

In light of her recent remarks, a diverse range of voices are calling for accountability.

Afzal Khan, a Labour MP, wrote to British Foreign Secretary David Cameron to demand that Hotovely’s comments be met with “stern denunciation” from the government.

“The situation is unfathomable, and the words of the Israeli ambassador make clear that it is the intention of [Israel] to continue with its horrific bombardment and ground fighting until there is nothing and no one left in Gaza,” wrote Khan.

Journalist Hamza Ali Shah said the Israeli ambassador’s statement amounted to “a clear call for genocide.”

British journalist Robert Carter said Hotovely’s comments make her “a good pick for Israel’s envoy to the UK.”

“She always finds a way to properly sum up how evil Israel's colonialist project is and what Tel Aviv's true ambitions are—the total genocide and land theft of all Palestine,” he said.

Others, including Guardian columnist Owen Jones and research analyst Naks Bilal, said Hotovely should be expelled from her role.

“The Israeli ambassador has gone on national British radio and incited genocide,” said Jones. “This is an illegal act under the 1948 Genocide Convention. As such, the UK must expel Tzipi Hotovely immediately.”

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