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.
Hard-nosed politicians and commanders, and their legal departments, might be able to mount coherent defences of the IDF. But that won’t necessarily help them in the propaganda battle.
But the Prime Minister also upheld with steely determination “Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international humanitarian law”.
The Prime Minister called for the immediate release of all hostages.
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.
He claims: “We are seeing Hamas telling Palestinians not to leave northern Gaza” despite warnings from Israel.
“Let’s just think of the humanity here, of 2.2 million people… who are suffering,” Scotland’s First Minister says.
“We should be concerned also about the rise in islamophobia,” says Shadow Foreign Secretary.
The Foreign Secretary says Israelis have “every right to protect themselves”, but must “do everything to minimise civilian casualties”.
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?
Each demands an unequivocal response from the United Kingdom and other Western nations committed to defending both our values and our security.
Doing what we’ve always done has proved catastrophic. Perpetuating cycles of violence-and-vengeance risks not only unhealable traumatisation of both Israelis and Palestinians, but destabilisation of the entire globe.
Also: Green MSP provokes outrage with pro-Hamas statement, putting even more pressure on Humza Yousaf ahead of the SNP conference this week.
But many London Jews find it is too soon to speak of the horrific events in Israel, and are filled with sombre forebodings.
Just before I penned this article, a father of two children who attend a Jewish school spoke to me about the agonising conversation he had been having with his wife about whether it was safe to send them in.