One thing Israel has achieved with its war on Palestine seems yet again to have turned much of popular opinion against it. This takes some effort. Of course in the minds of Israel’s hard right government this antipathy is merely rooted in anti-Semitism and woe betide anyone who emits the slightest whiff of a trope on that front. That goes for the UN as well, which clearly sends most of its time concocting specious resolutions against Israel’s historic treatment of Palestinians. That treatment seems to hold Biblical injunctions in contempt, like ’an eye for an eye.’ As we are witnessing now it’s more like ten eyes for an eye—Palestinian lives aren’t as valuable as Israeli lives. What we are seeing now is genocidal—and indeed that it is the express intent of some in the Israeli government. Netanyahu himself has echoed this intent with references to the annihilation of ’enemy’ people. This is no more helpful than Hamas’s desire to eradicate the state of Israel.
Against this background of ancient hatreds, over which the UK has some historic responsibility but no current influence we see turmoil in the Labour Party, as our dear craven leader parrots whatever the Atlantic relationship demands. Labour’s Muslim support seems to be crumbling, with scores of resignations, including many councillors. Does this bother Starmer? It seems not. The resignees are merely demonstrating their fickleness and lack of political acumen. In the leadership cabal’s reckoning, the Party can take this hit if it proves that Starmer is Sir Tough Guy where it matters—which is in the ‘centre ground’ seats where the next election will be won or lost. These seats don’t tend to have many Muslim voters. And now of course there are the Red Wall seats to be retaken, including my old Morley seat which Ed Balls carelessly lost even before the phrase ’Red Wall’ was invented. That seat was 97% ethnically white, with a leaning to the right (as evidenced by its loss to the Tories and occasional BNP inroads). This current episode in Starmer’s journey to No. 10 will be seen as little more than a blip. A blip that fortuitously self-excludes another load of closet Corbyn supporters. For those of us who remain, Starmer’s greatest ally in maintaining a begrudging loyalty to the party will be the likes of Suella Braverman who is doing all in her power to fulfil Theresa May’s fears about the Tories being seen as the ’nasty party.’ The danger we have relying on Braverman to do the job for Starmer is that he may feel inclined to emulate her authoritarian traits. There’s an abundance of evidence to show that that is no remote possibility. Gawd help us.
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