The most worrying thing about this picture (today, London)?
Not the people dressed as - and celebrating - Hamas terrorists.
Not the absence of @metpoliceuk.
It’s the hundreds, if not thousands, of fellow marchers who saw them, knew and understood - but said and did nothing.
I asked the UN: “Why did you name the Islamic Republic of Iran as Chair of the UN Human Rights Council Social Forum, starting on Nov. 2nd? How can you elevate a regime that beats, blinds, tortures & rapes women who demand their rights? Where is the logic? Where is the morality?”
Last night, too many jumped to conclusions around the tragic loss of life at Al Ahli hospital.
Getting this wrong would put even more lives at risk.
Wait for the facts, report them clearly and accurately.
Cool heads must prevail.
Dear friends and former colleagues @BBCNews,
If this doesn’t describe an act of pure terror by terrorists what does? The guidelines that I followed for years are no longer fit for purpose, and sadly have the effect of sanitising
Just to be clear .
I was asked about exit from gaza I said they should check if Rafah is possibly open .
And that I’m not aware if its still open .
The IDF is not in charge of that crossing .
This email to parents, from the Head of London’s Jewish Free School - especially the bit about kids not having to wear the blazer, so as not to be attacked or suffer hate on the streets because it might mark them out as going to a Jewish school - breaks my heart.
I was called today by an Israeli journalist who asked how I felt, now, about a Muslim being the Mayor.
I sent him this from @SadiqKhan@MayorofLondon⬇️
I didn’t vote for him. I won’t vote for him next year.
But this is the right response, in the right terms, at the right time.
This. I think that people get mixed up between reasons and excuses.
There are plenty of reasons why a person may choose to murder/torture/kidnap/rape civilians - they can include growing up in a terrible situation, living in a place like Gaza which has no hope and inhuman conditions - which are caused in part by Israel but also by Hamas. It would be odd to ignore those reasons. But they only go so far.
I often act in inquests about people who have taken their own lives in prisons. There will inevitably be medical records which tell their story and often they lived sad and sometimes horrific lives. And they committed terrible crimes. It can’t be a coincidence.
But there has to be a point - and there is a point - where background factors are no more than that. People have agency - they are not the unthinking products of their environment.
So while there may be relevant reasons which led a person to do terrible, inhuman things, such as massacre hundreds of young people attending a music festival, or going door to door in a kibbutz to mow down families, we do not treat those reasons as excusing their conduct. And we don’t expect, if we do those things ourselves, to be excused. They are *crimes*. We call it *terrorism* for a reason - it is done to create terror and carnage. That is the purpose.
Human rights laws and ideas are not the ultimate answer to any question, and certainly not to one of the most complex and entrenched conflicts in the world. But I like to think they do clarify some of the lines which cannot be crossed, whatever the reason, whether it’s extreme religious ideology or a misguided attempt at retribution. And that includes all sides.
That doesn’t mean we should ignore background factors, but they must be put in their proper place, which is background not justification.
Murder - torture - kidnap - rape - these are never excusable and should never be excused.
I just passed two cars in West London driving with Palestinian flags flying from each window, bouncing up and down in their cars, seemingly celebrating like they were having a party.
Make no mistake, this is a dangerous and terrifying time for all Jews around the world.
War has been launched against Israel today by the Palestinians from Gaza. I’m sitting now in a bomb shelter in Jerusalem, where I’ve come to visit for the High Holidays. Over 5,000 rockets were fired into Israel already this morning.
And this part is unprecedented: Palestinian terrorists from Gaza also infiltrated into Israeli towns and reportedly slaughtered civilians and abducted hostages.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad, funded by the Islamic Republic of Iran, know that the world will do nothing — until Israel responds by targeting the terrorists and their infrastructure.
Then the U.N. Human Rights Council will spring into action, and accuse Israel of war crimes and racism. This incentivizes the terrorists, granting them a global propaganda victory.
It’s what they’ve done repeatedly, like after the last war in May 2021. The UNHRC created a permanent commission of inquiry to target Israel. They made Navi Pillay the chair, after she already declared Israel to be a racist and inhuman war criminal.
Sadly, Pillay is being cheered on by some in the West. On October 21st, at Fordham University in New York, she will receive an “Outstanding Achievement Award” from the American Branch of the International Law Association. Shame on you, @ABILA_official.
Hamas are not “fighters”.
Hamas are not “militants”.
Hamas are terrorists.
There is no other word to describe the brutality of firing rockets or terrorist attacks targeting civilians.
We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with @JustEatPLC and @HellmannsUk.
We have joined forces to tackle #plasticwaste in takeaways, replacing single-use plastic #sachets with Notpla sachets made from seaweed in many restaurants across London.
#notpla#passonplastic
At CBI #racetonetzero hearing about role of business in tackling the climate emergency. @KwasiKwarteng set out how govt needs to win over consumers but equally business can "show leadership, drive debate, socialise ideas."