- Oct 20, 2022
- 6,243
I would suggest that the lack of support for the Palestinians arises not out of a fear of contradicting Israel but of Islamophobic attitudes towards Muslim/Palestinians, that to me is becoming increasingly clear in recent days with attitudes towards the protestors and the rhetoric from our political leaders - the ‘fear of being accused of being anti-semitic’ is largely a cover for a deeper antipathy towards islam imo and an excuse not to speak out in defence of Palestinians (including the many thousands of British citizens being demonised for marching for peace) . But that’s arguable and only one view based on personal subjective experience and it does not detract from the reality that people who do criticise Israel have been accused of anti-semitism by some people - I say just look below the surface of who is doing the accusing and ask what their agenda is towards Islam.That may be the case Harry but let's take the moral high ground. I am hating the current position this government (total government as all main parties) are supporting Israel in everything they do... Too many are frightened of the anti-Semitic card but f***ing hell we can't sit by and allow slaughter.
As far as British support for Israel, while it may not be entirely unequivocal, it is a hard tradition to break - Britain historically has backed the State ideology of Zionism from its conception and sees Israel as a political and strategic ally in the Middle East - Israel has support from the UK because that is our policy and it always has been. Britain has a history too of using Israel to do its dirty work, notably in recent history, attacking Egypt over its nationalisation of the main Suez Canal international shipping company, in 1956. Since that fiasco, we have become a US junior partner, following the US in our foreign policy decisions - the US’s reliance on Middle Eastern oil has made that even more problematic,
We helped arm Israel to the teeth in the 60s which propped up Israel in the 1967 6 Day War (followed by the Occupation of Gaza and the West Bank/Golan Heights) - The illegal Occupation by Israel of the Palestinian territories was made possible because of our supply of tanks. Like the US, the survival of Israel is fundamental to our policy in the Middle East. That relationship of unequivocal support became complicated and more circumspect when we and the US sought normalisation relationships with Arab States over oil interests - it is those relationships with the Arab world that are at threat now while our UK government stands on the sidelines, implicitly supporting what is in my mind, no doubt, genocide of the Palestinian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with a view to further annexation and one state solution.
The only hope of the Palestinian people is our reliance on the Middle East for oil - we already have an embargo on oil/gas imports from Russia - a war in the ME could have devastating effects on the global oil trade and send fuel prices rocketing - there will come a point where antagonism of the Arab world by this genocidal war will force the US/UK in voting for a ceasefire to protect our oil interests.
To see how history is repeating itself, in Gaza as it was in Occupied Lebanon in 1982, this makes for essential reading:
Sabra and Shatila massacre - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Thatcher, denounced Israel’s acquiescence to the attack on Lebanese Palestinian refugee camps by Christian Phalangist militiamen in the Sabra and Shatila massacre, as barbaric - An attack Ariel Sharon the Defence Minister (later Prime Minister) claimed was justified to out PLO members.
“Once Palestinian and Lebanese civilians were sealed inside the camp, over the course of three days, 16 - 18 September 1982, thousands of Palestinian refugees and Lebanese civilians were violently raped, mutilated and tortured. Up to 3,500 were savagely slaughtered under the oversight of the Israeli occupation forces. “
Israel’s war in Gaza revives Sabra and Shatila massacre memories in Lebanon
Survivors of the 1982 massacre by an Israel-backed militia in Lebanon say what Gaza is going through is even worse.
www.aljazeera.com
Last edited: