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Labour’s shadow cabinet honours victims of Hamas atrocities

Starmer, Reeves, Lammy and Cooper pledged solidarity to Israel at LFI event at Liverpool conference

October 12, 2023 09:18
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3 min read

Most of the shadow cabinet attended a vigil held to honour the victims of the Hamas atrocities in Israel, where they heard impassioned pledges of solidarity from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper.

The event, held on Tuesday evening by Labour Friends of Israel at the party’s Liverpool conference, began with Hebrew prayers for the dead led by LFI chair Adrian Cohen, and ended with a rendition of the Israeli national anthem, the Hatikvah.

Although it took place in one of the conference centre’s largest halls, the event was packed with more than 1,000 people, with long queues to get in. On display inside was a table draped with Israel’s flag and adorned with candles to remember the dead.

Starmer reiterated parts of his keynote conference speech earlier in the day, when he was given two successive standing ovations a few moments apart after voicing support for Israel and his continued determination to “rip out antisemitism” by the roots.