Inaction Isn’t Working: Oxfam calls for more Government action in Gaza

Red Lines Coalition stages a protest in Liverpool parodying a classic Conservative attack ad

Today (Sunday 28 September), at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Oxfam as part of a coalition of charities, staged a protest in the Boxpark area of Liverpool with a bespoke message demanding urgent action to end the atrocities in Gaza, and to stop the genocide.

The new advert is an Oxfam take on the classic ‘Labour isn’t Working’ attack ad created for the Conservative Party by Saatchi & Saatchi in 1978. The original ad featured a long line of people queuing for the unemployment office. The new ad, called ‘Inaction isn’t working’, changes the line of people into a protest march holding up placards that call for multiple changes in Gaza.

The creative also includes a series of letters (see below) from people across the UK sent to Oxfam showing solidarity with the people in Gaza, all of whom are demanding more action. Over the course of its ‘Red Line for Gaza’ campaign, in partnership with other major UK charities including Save The Children, Greenpeace, Action Aid, and War Child, the charity has had over 1 million calls for action from the British public.

While Oxfam welcomes the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine – a vital first step towards acknowledging the Palestinian people’s fundamental right to survive and to be treated with dignity – the charity warned that recognition will mean little if it is not matched by urgent, concrete action on the ground, and the UK Government must go beyond symbolism to deliver real change.

“Recognition without action is empty,” said Oxfam spokesperson, Rhaea Russell-Cartwright, .

“The UK cannot recognise Palestinian statehood and then simply walk away from the horrors happening on the ground in Gaza. The people of Gaza are enduring daily nightmares no human being should ever have to face. This crisis will scar not just this generation but generations to come.”

Oxfam is calling on the UK Government to:

• Secure an immediate ceasefire
• Ensure the rapid resumption of aid and life-saving supplies from organisations such as Oxfam
• End the occupation, lift the blockade and ban illegal settlement product
• Publish a clear, time-bound roadmap to peace and full Palestinian sovereignty

Rhaea continues:

Recognition of Palestinian statehood must be tied to a credible peace process that delivers justice, equality, accountability, and lasting security for all parties. Only then will Palestinians have a genuine chance to rebuild, heal, and live in dignity.”

Oxfam and its partners stand ready to provide vital humanitarian assistance, but aid has been obstructed. Without these concrete steps, the UK’s recognition of Palestine risks being an empty gesture rather than a turning point.

ENDS

Notes to editor

Photos and footage available on request