Call for Mandla Mandela’s Entry into the UK in Support of Palestinian Solidarity

18 October 2024

We stand in unequivocal solidarity with Mandla Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela, and denounce the UK government’s decision to impose last-minute visa restrictions that prevent him from embarking on a crucial Palestinian solidarity tour. This action not only undermines the principles of free expression but also reveals a disheartening alignment of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government with pro-Israel lobby pressures, disregarding the cries for justice from oppressed Palestinian voices.

The UK government’s refusal to address the ongoing atrocities committed against the Palestinian people, including its continued arms sales to Israel, exposes an alarming complacency in the face of genocide. Starmer’s silence in the House of Commons only reinforces this complicity. Ignoring the growing chorus of British citizens, trade unions, and global activists calling for an end to occupation and violence against Palestinians is a betrayal of the values that Britain has long championed.

Here in Britain, we remember the pivotal role played by our people in the global struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Their courage in standing against oppression must serve as a reminder to Starmer’s government: the freedom of all people, including Palestinians, is non-negotiable. Nelson Mandela’s words still echo: “Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinian people.”

We urge the UK government to honour its international legal obligations and to join the global movement for justice by allowing Mandla Mandela to enter Britain, amplifying the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel. With over 42,000 civilians, including women and children, killed in this ongoing conflict, is this too much to ask? The time for moral action is now.