Lord Polak recalls Purim story as peers vote for genocide amendment - The Jewish Chronicle

The Conservative peer Lord Polak has referenced the festival of Purim during a House of Lords debate on the amendment to a Trade Bill aimed at putting pressure on China over the persecution of the Uyghur Muslims.

In a speech in support of the Genocide Amendment on Tuesday, the Conservative Friends of Israel group’s honorary president recalled how 2,000 years ago Esther’s “bravery” thwarted an “attempt to slaughter all the Jews” in the Persia.

Lord Polak added: “My Lords, it is in our DNA to call out injustice and fight for freedom. The Uyghurs are calling out for justice and fighting for freedom.

“Lord Alton has worked tirelessly to make sure we are seen to be doing the right thing, and my Lords, I am honoured and privileged to support him once again.”

The life peer had earlier told the Lords that “on Thursday night and Friday this week is the Jewish festival of Purim. A day of untold celebration where we read the book of Esther.

“In a nutshell, the Jewish were living in Persia. Esther becomes Queen .. and through her bravery is able to appeal to the King to save the Jewish people and thwart an attempt to slaughter all of the Jews.”

He added that he hoped Purim would be “celebrated in a socially distanced way throughout the Jewish world” this week.

Peers on Tuesday voted in favour of the revised Bill with a huge majority of 153.

The Bill has gone back and forth between Lords and MPs due to a row over the best way to tackle the issue.

Despite a rebellion among Tory MPs, the government got their backing to give select committees a greater role in examining allegations of genocide.

But Lord Alton wants claims looked at by people with judicial experience.

Speaking in a debate on the bill in the House of Lords, the crossbench - or independent - peer said: "We failed to predict genocide, we failed to prevent genocide, we failed to protect victims of genocide and we failed to prosecute perpetrators of genocide.

"The genocide amendment is a modest attempt to begin to address some of those failings."

But Trade Minister Lord Grimstone said the government's existing plan was a "reasonable, proportionate and substantive compromise" that would "ensure that the voice of parliament is to be heard".

Tory backbenchers have been pressing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take a tougher stance on human rights abuses.

Lord Alton had been expected to re-table his amendment as the bill returned to the House of Lords - in a process known as "ping-pong" - but he has instead put forward a new one.

His latest proposal would keep the select committee report on genocide as the first step, but it would then be referred to a panel of five MPs and Lords who had held "high judicial office" in the past - such as former High Court or Court of Appeal judges.

It will return to the Commons again next week for another vote.