Once again, it is the behaviour of the Israeli Government and its armed forces, together with a hopelessly weak and inadequate response from Keir Starmer and his cabinet faithful, that has come riding to the assistance of the Greens, and maybe even the Lib Dems. Israel has brought back the death penalty. But only for Palestinians. To be handed down by military courts.
That’s the same military courts that have a conviction rate of more than 97% for Palestinians who are brought before them. There would be no appeal against sentencing. Some Knesset members wore little noose emblems to the vote, demonstrating their detachment from basic humanity. Then they broke open the sparkling wine after the vote went in their favour.
Some of the pro-Israel social media brains trust have loudly denounced criticism of an act that goes way beyond what happened in Apartheid South Africa, adding that the new law is “only for terrorists”. This display of stupidity misses the ability of the Israelis to beat confessions out of their detainees, and if those detainees die during interrogation, too bad, eh?
So, death penalty, but only for Palestinians. What should the response of the UK Government have been? What would a Government in touch with its people have done? What would a cabinet still clinging on to a little basic humanity have done? What would Nietzsche have done? Sadly, the Starmer gang does not operate on that lofty intellectual plane.
That, together with Labour having to field activists, leafletters and canvassers across a rather greater number of campaigns than they did in Gorton and Denton, and, indeed, without all those who have already said goodbye to the party after realising the cabal in charge of it worked to throw the 2019 elections, and lied to get Starmer the Top Job, will lose yet more votes.
What looks even worse to many voters is seeing the Israelis bomb, rocket, shell, incinerate and just execute civilians at will, while none of those in the Labour Friends of Israel group, in public at least, admit that enough is enough and they are quitting their affiliation. After all, the last one to do that was Rupa Huq, who was subsequently smeared with allegations of anti-Semitism.
False allegations, mind, but a reminder to those who accepted donations from steadfast supporters of Israel that it’s not free money. Anyone who thought there would never be a quid pro quo needs to give their head a wobble. The Greens, on the other hand, have unequivocally condemned Israel.
Their leader Zack Polanski put it directly: “This is Apartheid. It's morally disgusting - and comes at the same time as Israel is committing an ongoing genocide. To see the Labour Government defend Israel repeatedly will horrify the British public - it cannot go on like this”. The anti-Semitism smears are, as a result, being deployed against him and his party. But it isn’t working.
Nor will Labour’s local election campaign be working. And nor will the cadre of client journalists turn that around. The establishment keeps on giving Israel a free pass. The voters do not. Labour’s future looks grim. Deservedly so.
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