‘FREE, free Palestine! Israel is a terror state!’ chanted over 3,000 protesters at a rally and vigil outside the Israeli embassy on Tuesday evening.
The call came when over 600 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, including many children as a result of continuing Israeli airstrikes that began a fortnight ago and are now joined by artillery and tank bombardments on the densely-populated Gaza Strip.
Speakers called for a trade and military boycott of Israel and for people to put pressure in Cameron and opposition Labour leader Miliband to stop supporting Israel.
One of the angry protesters was Baseem Farajallah from Gaza, who is living and working in Hammersmith, west London. He told News Line: ‘I feel full of anger at the Arab world and the West.
‘I accuse the Egyptian regime headed by al Sisi. He is as responsible as (Israeli prime minister Binyamin) Netanyahu for this massacre. I do, as well, believe that General Mohammed Dahlan is supporting the Israelis in this.
‘After all this conspiracy, we believe that those mentioned above will not manage to break Gaza. The reason for this is that the Gazan community is one unit. It is united behind the resistance against the criminal state of Israel.
‘This bombardment has to end. Yesterday, they were bombing the north of Gaza with gas! They are using illegal weapons and the world knows they are. We need to build the understanding, we need the sympathy.
‘Cameron says he supports human rights, yet he gives unlimited support to Israel. How can a man leading a modern world country support Israel while he is seeing the killing of children in Gaza.
‘Thirty per cent of the casualties are kids. Eighty per cent are civilians. Palestinians must have a new intifada as soon as possible everywhere in Palestine. The unions throughout the world should take action and impose a boycott on Israel.’
Walid Smith, a student from Leighton, east London, said: ‘I’m here in solidarity with the Palestinians, especially the people of Gaza. Gaza is like a small prison. Unlike the Israeli side who have apps to tell them when there’s a rocket, Gazans are warned with a small bomb, then a large bomb strikes.
‘The Israelis tell them to run away. But there’s nowhere for them to run away to. They have tunnels to get aid from Egypt but Egyptian leader al Sisi has blocked the tunnels and he’s not allowing any aid to get through.
‘The trade unions in Britain should take action, everyone should take action, it’s a human issue. A trade union boycott of Israel is a good idea. It’s bad that our government supports Israel.’
Omar Yassine, a young Lebanese man studying in London, added: ‘Something should be done. They should stop increasing the settlements. they should be increasing the land to the Palestinians, under Palestinians’ control.
‘Israel should be tried for its war crimes. We are not against Jews, it’s the Zionists who believe they should expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. The Palestinians have every right to their own land. You don’t forget about a people because they are under occupation.
‘I feel there should be a boycott of Israel. There needs to be a counter-attack to push back the Zionist influence in Western countries. Everyone should take action – free Palestine!’
Lena, a nurse from Hackney, said: ‘I’m here because I don’t like the violence against Palestinians. I’m not happy that the (UK) government is supporting Israel. I’d like everybody to take action over the Israeli bombing of Gaza and the killing of innocent civilians. There should be a boycott of Israel.’
Her friend, Jamila Zebiri, a charity worker from Hackney, added: ‘There should be a cultural, trade and academic boycott of Israel. I would agree with a trade union boycott of Israel. What upsets me is Israel is flouting international law and human rights, and the UK government is doing nothing to sanction Israel.
‘David Cameron calls for sanctions on Russia over Ukraine but not Israel which is killing civilians. The more no-one does anything to stop the Israelis, the more confident they get.’
Christine Voulyani, a student from Greece, told News Line: ‘What’s happening in Palestine makes me angry. It’s totally unjust and so violent.
‘I’m mad with all the big countries, like the USA and UK, who give their support to Israel. It’s not only a case for Palestinians but something that concerns all the workers, all the human beings all over the world.
‘And the unions should take an initiative, take action all over the world. The trade unions should organise big demonstrations and boycott Israeli goods and services. In Greece there is the most violent attack on the social life from the capitalists.
‘It’s time for the workers in Greece to have a general strike against the bankers and their government. The Palestinians need another Intifada. I agree there should be one Palestine, there is not a two-state solution.’
A Bangladeshi student from east London, Arman Shahriar, said: ‘I’m here against the Israeli atrocity in Gaza. It’s injustice, it’s genocide. Israelis are killing innocent people. They are saying they are fighting Hamas but they are killing innocent civilians.
‘I watched TV last night and the Israeli president was on but he would not agree to end the war. He was silent when asked about it. We have to demonstrate and put pressure on our MPs to stop the government supporting Israel.
‘The trade unions are not doing anything, they should be organising demonstrations, putting pressure on world leaders like Obama and Cameron. Israeli civilians haven’t died but hundreds of Palestinian civilians have been killed.
‘The Israelis are saying they are telling people to go to the safety of a hospital. But they have bombed hospitals. There should be a trade union boycott of all Israeli goods and services.’
