UK chefs call on government to suspend arms to Israel
Over 1,000 UK chefs, food writers, restaurateurs, stylists, and other food industry specialists have signed an open letter to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, demanding that the UK government suspends arms sales to Israel and pressure it into ending the blockade on Gaza.
The letter says that as members of the UK food industry, they feel a duty to speak up against Israel's "deliberate and systematic" campaign to use starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinians.
This comes as Gaza’s government media office said at least 58 people have died due to malnutrition in the Gaza, while 300 miscarriages have been documented during the 80 days of Israeli blockade.
The food industry experts say that using starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited under Article 54 of the Geneva Conventions and is also defined as a war crime under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
"Food is both our livelihood and our language. We cannot stand by while Israel prevents essential supplies of food, medicine, fuel, and other aid from reaching those in need," the letter reads.
It further states that they will "not be complicit through silence," outlining that the UK must recognise the State of Palestine, joining 147 UN member states—including Spain, Ireland, and Norway—in affirming Palestinians’ right to statehood and peace.
Chefs demand urgent aid to Gaza
Signatories of the letter include prominent chef and food writer Sami Tamimi, Palestinian chef and author Fadi Kattan, who owns a restaurant in London’s Notting Hill, and Jake Norman, the executive sous chef at Ottolenghi restaurants.
Other key signatories include Omani chef Dina Macki, British Bake-Off winner Nadiya Hussain, and Imad al-Arnab, the founder and chef at central London’s Imad’s Syrian Kitchen restaurant.
Earlier this week, the UN warned that 14,000 babies could die within 48 hours as a result of Israel’s over 10-week blockade and obstruction of vital aid.
The World Health Organization has also stated that three-quarters of Gaza’s population face "emergency" or "catastrophic" levels of food insecurity, with around 71,000 children under the age of five expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in the coming months.
Yotam Ottolenghi, a British-Israeli chef, restaurateur, and chef, also weighed in on Israel’s restrictions on food entering Gaza.
In a statement posted on his Instagram account on Thursday, he wrote: "As someone whose life and work have been shaped by food, by the way it brings people together, by its ability to nourish and heal, I am heartbroken by what is happening in Gaza right now".
"The use of food, or withholding it, as a tool in conflict is something I cannot stay quiet about. No person, no child, should go hungry as a result of war…I speak as someone with deep ties to the region, with family in Israel, and with a profound belief in the humanity of all people, Palestinians and Israelis alike," he continued.
The post garnered some praise as well as criticism, with some pro-Palestine activists noting that he should have been more explicit in his condemnation of Israel’s actions.
"Watching people in the food industry who have never spoken up about Gaza before sharing a f*****g Ottolenghi post on the issue is as unsurprised as it is infuriating. How hard is it to centre Palestinian voices?" one person wrote on X.
"With respect to your latest post: It’s not a war. It’s genocide," another wrote on his Instagram.
Some decried his statement "too little too late," while others noted that he appeared to have disabled the comments under his statement.
"Re: your next post where you conveniently disabled the "comments"… it’s a genocide not a conflict. Not just by your government, but the vast majority of your people who support it," one person commented.
However, others praised his statement, writing: "Yotam, thank you for your recent post about the horrors being committed in Palestine".
The owner of Beyond Grain Bakery, weighed in on the post, writing: "I know you turned off comments on your post about Gaza, most likely to avoid arguing but I had to comment and say THANK YOU. I also am Jewish and stand vehemently against the Israeli government’s genocide against the Palestinian people. Anti-semitism must not be conflated with anti-Israel. In fact, my Judaism has taught me to never oppress another group of people ever, anywhere".
The New Arab reached out to Ottolenghi for comment, but did not receive a comment by the time of publication.