[News] how comfortable are you with UK airforce defending Israel?

[Curious Orange]

Fine by me, shooting down missiles loosely targeted at Israel and heading towards civilian population is the right thing to do. That of course has nothing to do with what Israel is doing and/or any of the other key actors.

Quite, defending Israel's airspace is quite different from being involved in an assault on one of their neighbours territories. I have no problem with the former, but would take an extremely dim view of the latter.

 

[aftershavedave]

"Of course you were talking about me - You don’t speak for British Jews nor do I and you don’t speak for me so please don’t presume what I think"
Seriously I couldn't give a f*** what you think, it's 1000% not about you, as unhappy that you'll be to read that. Take a rest

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

...

 

[Weststander]

I agree completely, but my question is: why are we involved?

We have the technology, Israel (beyond Netanyahu) are long term allies, Iran are foes and we didn't want to see Iran murder further people.

On the subject of why? ... Putin luvvies in the UK (traitors) ask why are Germany/France/UK/Italy helping Ukraine?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

...

 

[aftershavedave]

and there we go, destroyed in an hour. My question, if anyone is interested anymore is: when did this become Govt policy? nothing more, nothing less

 

[Audax]

It's a difficult one.

I'm more than happy for us to help defend Israel's civilians. In particular from a massive over-reaction from Iran.

On the other hand ... the whole situation over there is stupid. Israel's government and military are far too heavy-handed and have a tendency to treat any non-Israeli as a suspect terrorist. Which inflames the whole situation. I have a lot of sympathy for civilian Palestinians and feel they also have a right to be defended from massive military over-reactions.

But also ... the approach of Hamas, especially that attack last year, cannot be defended. That sort of activity is not going to get them what they want.

Both sides have shown a complete lack of ability to flex, lack of empathy, lack of ability to see how their approaches to dealing with it all simply won't result in a "victory" for either side.

So IMO ... we should not help defend Israel from the side-effects of how they've handled things. But defending them from Iran ... I can live with that. For now. But if Israel responds in-kind and further escalates the situation, that might change.

 

[mikeyjh]

I am not in the slightest bit comfortable about the UK 'defending' Israel - They're on the offense and should be left to fight their own battles.

 

[aftershavedave]

I am not in the slightest bit comfortable about the UK 'defending' Israel - They're on the offense and should be left to fight their own battles.

well this is my view, thank you for a simple response mikey. can't personally see why we are involved

 

[Bozza]

"The BBC understands that British military jets did not shoot down any Iranian ballistic missiles fired overnight. Nor did the Royal Navy Destroyer, HMS Duncan, fire any of her Sea Viper missiles.

The UK Defence Secretary, John Healey, earlier said that UK forces “played their part” to prevent escalation in last night’s mass Iranian ballistic missile strike on Israel.

But so far the Ministry of Defence has given no further detail of how they were involved."

At least five killed in central Beirut strike, as Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah

Three explosions were heard in the city's southern suburbs while a fourth hit a building close to central Beirut.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Weststander]

I am not in the slightest bit comfortable about the UK 'defending' Israel - They're on the offense and should be left to fight their own battles.

Iran (Hezbollah) have been launching 1,000's of miles into Israel for years from Lebanon.

 

[aftershavedave]

British forces were involved in thwarting Iran’s missile attack against Israel, the UK’s defence secretary has suggested.
In a carefully worded statement on Tuesday night, John Healey said: “British forces have this evening played their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.”
The statement did not go into military details on how British forces may have helped combat the barrage of 180 ballistic missiles launched by Iran in an attack that caused limited damage.

Hey, it is what it says (from the grauniad)

 

[Surf's Up]

Whether the UK gets involved has everything to do with the war. You can not separate ‘our part’ in it - we are up to our necks in it already - Israel has only pushed Hamas and Hezbollah to the brink because Israel, the US and the UK are strong allies and because we have very strong strategic interests in making sure Israel isn’t destroyed by Iran-backed forces in the region.

The US will not refuse to back Israel, (it would be a political suicide for any president that does) and we would not do it here.

It is in no one’s interest in the West that Israel should fall to the Axis of Resistance any more than it is in any of our interests that Israel leads the West into a confrontation with Iran and maybe Russia, because Israel has a far right leader who is trying to save his political skin by putting Israel on a war footing with every Country in the ‘axis of evil’ (Netanyahu’s expression).



You responded to this completely uncalled for and unprovoked ad hominem post by THPP


With …


Of course you were talking about me - You don’t speak for British Jews nor do I and you don’t speak for me so please don’t presume what I think.

(And don’t tell me to ‘chill’ - I am quite chilled thanks and don’t try and gaslight me by saying posts aren’t about me when they use my name )

Why? is it simply a question of money and the power positions of Jews in both countries? Genuine question.

 

[GT49er]

Cos it's a very separate conversation, nothing to do with the war, it's our part of it I'm interested in. It doesn't sit easy with me

Nor me neither.

 

[1066familyman]

I can indeed understand Jewish Brits taking a very supportive view, and why not. But when did it become Govt policy?

Let's flip the question a bit.

When did it ever become UK Govt (Labour or Conservative) policy NOT to support Israel?

I'm surprised you're surprised tbh.

 

[Guinness Boy]

and there we go, destroyed in an hour. My question, if anyone is interested anymore is: when did this become Govt policy? nothing more, nothing less

Since at least April when Iran last launched missiles at Israel and we were "involved". They said on the Today programme this morning that our involvement back then was agreed by Sunak and Starmer has retained the policy.

The "why" is because we're a strategic ally. Geopolitically we are dealing with basket case states (Lebanon and Syria) in the immediate vicinity while Egypt is no longer (currently) a sworn enemy of Israel.

 

[borat]

We are supporting it as we have a large Zionist influence in UK politics, we see Israel as strategically important and maybe more significantly we are also the US's political lapdog

For those that dont have TikTok brain (decreasing attention span happening to to all of us including me) and want to understand US support and therefore our role support for Israel - this long explainer details how US became an unconditional supporter, supplier of Israel.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I would add that Israel absolutely needs to be defended.

It's their attacking I have a problem with. There we are both involved and not involved as I understand it. Starmer has limited arms sales and banned some types but not stopped it. I'm a LOT more uncomfortable with that.

 

[1066familyman]

well this is my view, thank you for a simple response mikey. can't personally see why we are involved

Sorry to labour the point, but, you really can't see why we're involved? Seriously?

That's about as naive as some other poster's suggestion that, if only Hamas would return the hostages, and them and Hezbollah accept a two state solution, then the UN could then sort it all out! Lol.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

and there we go, destroyed in an hour. My question, if anyone is interested anymore is: when did this become Govt policy? nothing more, nothing less

I think its simply the way the world is, we have our allies and we help to defend them. Much of the history of the world is defined by alliances between nations. Israel is our ally because Palestine used to be our colony, because of 1945, because of residual hatred for what the Nazis did, because we include Israel within our greater western alliance, because ultimately we do what the USA wants us to do.

What is frustrating, is that we don't agree with how our ally is acting, there is huge public unease with what Israel is doing, but when push comes to shove the government supports them. Britain is particularly loyal to its allies, when the US invaded Iraq there were most in NATO who actively disagreed and refused to participate, not us.

I guess we take the view that however shitty Israel is, it would be worse if we didn't help and they were wiped out, then there would be a big powerful Islamic group in the ME and we wouldn't like that. I think many, like me, take the view that the only reason we seem to be in conflict with the muslim world is precisely because of our support for Israel, and without that animosity there would be no need for conflict between Islam and the west.