Today, there is to be a protest march in London to remember the beginning of the Gaza war on this date in 2023. It is also Vladimir Putin's birthday, but, of course, that isn't relevant here. As we know, the march is not to remember the victims of the murderous Hamas attack on Israel, but to commemorate the fact that the Palestinian people of Gaza have endured a protracted Israeli onslaught for three long years. Of course, this march will be highly offensive and painful for Britain's Jewish community. As the BBC said on Friday:
"The Metropolitan Police is calling on the organisers of a pro-Palestinian student march planned to take place on the third anniversary of the 7 October attacks on Israel to move the event. Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman...said that while the march did not meet the strict legal threshold at which police could request the home secretary to ban a protest, many Londoners would be marking "a day of mourning" with vigils to remember those who died."
The police and press do not seem to have located the march organisers for comment, but, speaking from experience, I know what the predictable reply will be. It will be that far more Palestinians have suffered and died from the Israeli retaliation and are suffering now. This march, it will be said, is to express solidarity with them and demand an arms boycott of the evil Zionist war machine. And, of course, accusations of antisemitism will be perfunctorily denied.
In other words, if anyone is hurt or offended, that's just too bad. What about the grieving Palestinians, etc, etc?
I have to strike a personal note here. Back on October 13, 2023, I set out my theory that Hamas had launched the October 7th attacks as a deliberate provocation to Israel, knowing full well that there would be a massive Israeli retaliation. Quoting myself, I wrote:
Nothing that has happened since has caused me to think that I was mistaken. Over the past three years, international condemnation has grown to epic proportions - as have Palestinian casualties. That, I believe, was one strategic aim of Hamas that has been achieved. There have been massive anti-Israel demonstrations and high-level political moves to ban weapons supplies to Israel. There has been a growth in antisemitism that has had lethal consequences. Islamophobia has also grown, with frequent attacks upon mosques and individual Muslims. Even Ed Sheeran's concert tour of the USA has been a casualty of this unrest. Today's march in London is only the tip of the iceberg of the social division caused by the war. Hamas strategists must be very pleased.
Personally, I support the right of today's demonstrators to march, but am in agreement with the view that it should not have been held today. Intentionally or not, it treats the Israeli victims of 7/10/23 as irrelevant - which they are not. To me, it is totally understandable that Israel retaliated to the attacks of that day. Any state would take action following such vile atrocities, but the pro-Palestinian lobby (PPL) never acknowledge this. I must repeat a previous point that, had the Israelis fired only one answering shell into Gaza in response, killing one dog in a back yard, today's demonstrators would have been marching in remembrance of a family pet, slaughtered by wicked Zionists.
And therein we see the nature of the issue. For the PPL, Israel is a genocidal state that must be eliminated. For Benjamin Netanyahu and his ilk, Palestinians are not worthy of humane treatment.
I do not delude myself that I can change this state of affairs. What I can do is speak out for what is right and against what I see as wrong in this horrible situation - on both sides, and hope that I am not alone in trying to do so. I realise that most Palestinians and an equal proportion of Israelis will see this as a luxury they cannot afford, but some objective analysis is needed. Without it, attitudes will continue to harden, antisemitism and Islamophobia will grow, Hamas strategic aims will be fulfilled, and other major issues will be sidelined. And let's be quite clear about this: Hamas started this present war, and the ultimate responsibility for it lies with them.
Now, who would want that?
Happy birthday, Mr President!
Oh, is this not relevant?
