Netanyahu may have said: how would you feel, were you lectured by countries without an independent judiciary, let alone the free press, minority rights and fair elections that we have in Israel?
On the evidence of yesterday’s Commons statement, Labour backbench opinion is broadly pro-Palestinian – so pressure on the party leadership’s line is likely to intensify during the weeks ahead.
Hamas’ supporters or the authorities? Sunak needs to show that offenders will be prosecuted – and, if the situation deteriorates, to push for march bans, shuffle his Cabinet and show an all-party front with Starmer.
Politicians urge zero tolerance – but there’s a gap between law and enforcement. If the Met can arrest 155 anti-lockdown protestors, why can’t it do the same to pro-Hamas ringleaders?
During the half century since the Yom Kippur war took place, conflict abroad has increasingly meant consequences here.
His three big preoccupations are a bit remote from the public. But his new approach has one unmissable virtue to it – namely, that he really believes in it.
The effect of the train strikes on attendance, the trauma of recent years, and the change in the nature of the Tory Conference itself leave the question hanging.
Voters clearly want it – and the recent past suggests he’s a more credible agent of it than Sir Keir.
Tensions between the rights of Party members and the essentials of Parliamentary democracy can’t be smoothed away altogether. The question is how best to manage them.
Cameron had a “long-term economic plan”. Yesterday, Sunak spoke of “long-term decisions” – the opening shot in his campaign to frame the next election as Change v Sir Keir Starmer.
In one sense, the timing of Sunak’s change of gear is good, in the sense that it’s never wrong to make the right argument. In another, it’s terrible, because he’s doing so very late in the day.
The demographic tide can’t be turned back, but its advance can be slowed – by the self-reinforcing triangle of stronger families, better schools, good jobs, and the stronger society that these help to build.
The logic of the choice remains as Ken Clarke put it – Rwanda or nothing. Sir Keir has swallowed much in his pursuit of power, but Rwanda is a mouthful too much for him, or at least for his party. So he’s trying to bluff his way out of the problem.