The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
That tells me (a) they're scum, but I knew that already (b) that protests are still ongoing, but I knew that too after the Palestinian flag got booed and (c) one very plausible reason for Hamas attacking now is that Iran's government feels under pressure.
The last is not surprising. Its population are in revolt, its allies in Russia are at best failing to advance and at worst retreating, it has lost in Armenia (where there was another act of ethnic cleansing a couple of months ago that passed almost unremarked even on here apart from me and a couple of replies) their economy is struggling with high inflation and the Arabs are moving towards Israel and the West rather than Iran and a pan-Islamic alliance.
What happens if the ayatollahs' regime collapses is anyone's guess. It would be nice to think a democratic and stable government would emerge, but that's not the usual outcome. It could be a hardline military regime under the Revolutionary Guard which would be even worse.
In accordance with tradition, I forgot the clocks have apparently changed and got up rather early today. Anyway, time to peruse the F1 markets...
Edited extra bit: which is impossible because Ladbrokes don't them up yet.
Have they got a market on which mistake Ferrari will make this time to lose an unloseable first (as second is now called given Verstappen always wins)?
Whoever invented these time shifts obviously didn't have a toddler at the time.
Least bedtime should be easy enough with this change...
It's nice having an extra hour in bed but that is offset by having to stay up until 2am to put the clocks back.
Just put them back in the morning. Or before you go to bed.
Of course, that is the old way. These days half your clocks will reset themselves, so you almost have to wait until morning to see which clocks must be changed manually.
That tells me (a) they're scum, but I knew that already (b) that protests are still ongoing, but I knew that too after the Palestinian flag got booed and (c) one very plausible reason for Hamas attacking now is that Iran's government feels under pressure.
The last is not surprising. Its population are in revolt, its allies in Russia are at best failing to advance and at worst retreating, it has lost in Armenia (where there was another act of ethnic cleansing a couple of months ago that passed almost unremarked even on here apart from me and a couple of replies) their economy is struggling with high inflation and the Arabs are moving towards Israel and the West rather than Iran and a pan-Islamic alliance.
What happens if the ayatollahs' regime collapses is anyone's guess. It would be nice to think a democratic and stable government would emerge, but that's not the usual outcome. It could be a hardline military regime under the Revolutionary Guard which would be even worse.
Too much of the region still relies on Russia for its defences, and it’s slowly dawning on them that the Russians have somewhat overstretched themselves in their own back yard recently, and won’t be coming coming to help this time.
The Saudis, in particular, aren’t interested in any more protracted conflict in the region. They have their own “2030 Vision” plans, which involves a lot of building and international tourism on the Red Sea, turning the coastline into Dubai on steroids, and definitely doesn’t involve a war next door. Hence their plans to normalise relations with Israel, as many of their Gulf neighbours have done already. I suspect that MBS visiting Washington next week will be to try and further that agenda, MBS likely needs American support against many of his own elders.
Mr. Doethur, on Betfair, Leclerc's 16 to win. Fom pole.
To be fair, he's tended to go backwards from that position.
LOL 15/1 on the pole sitter winning - not after some horrible wet/dry qualifying that sees a lottery of a grid, but a totally normal dry session that sees the fastest lap of the weekend take the pole. That doesn’t say much about the Ferrari strategy team, does it?
Mr. Doethur, on Betfair, Leclerc's 16 to win. Fom pole.
To be fair, he's tended to go backwards from that position.
LOL 15/1 on the pole sitter winning - not after some horrible wet/dry qualifying that sees a lottery of a grid, but a totally normal dry session that sees the fastest lap of the weekend take the pole. That doesn’t say much about the Ferrari strategy team, does it?
It may not but I think it probably says more about the extraordinary dominance of Red Bull this season.
About the only way Verstappen isn't guaranteed a win is if somebody takes him out.
That tells me (a) they're scum, but I knew that already (b) that protests are still ongoing, but I knew that too after the Palestinian flag got booed and (c) one very plausible reason for Hamas attacking now is that Iran's government feels under pressure.
The last is not surprising. Its population are in revolt, its allies in Russia are at best failing to advance and at worst retreating, it has lost in Armenia (where there was another act of ethnic cleansing a couple of months ago that passed almost unremarked even on here apart from me and a couple of replies) their economy is struggling with high inflation and the Arabs are moving towards Israel and the West rather than Iran and a pan-Islamic alliance.
What happens if the ayatollahs' regime collapses is anyone's guess. It would be nice to think a democratic and stable government would emerge, but that's not the usual outcome. It could be a hardline military regime under the Revolutionary Guard which would be even worse.
Too much of the region still relies on Russia for its defences, and it’s slowly dawning on them that the Russians have somewhat overstretched themselves in their own back yard recently, and won’t be coming coming to help this time.
The Saudis, in particular, aren’t interested in any more protracted conflict in the region. They have their own “2030 Vision” plans, which involves a lot of building and international tourism on the Red Sea, turning the coastline into Dubai on steroids, and definitely doesn’t involve a war next door. Hence their plans to normalise relations with Israel, as many of their Gulf neighbours have done already. I suspect that MBS visiting Washington next week will be to try and further that agenda, MBS likely needs American support against many of his own elders.
Yemen is a fly in the ointment in that plan. How do you see it panning out ?
Whoever invented these time shifts obviously didn't have a toddler at the time.
Least bedtime should be easy enough with this change...
It's nice having an extra hour in bed but that is offset by having to stay up until 2am to put the clocks back.
Just put them back in the morning. Or before you go to bed.
Of course, that is the old way. These days half your clocks will reset themselves, so you almost have to wait until morning to see which clocks must be changed manually.
I have a 19th-century grandfather clock, apparently originally a wedding present to one set of great grandparents, which is impossible to set by turning the hands backwards. Consequently one has to wind the hands forwards through 11 hours-worth of chiming to reset it!
And good morning to everybody! Fine and bright so far here this morning after the rain of last night.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
There is no two state solution as Israel has strained every sinew to prevent WB+G from being a viable state - to the limited extent that it ever was. I highly doubt there is a one state solution either so they may have to try other numbers such as zero and three.
What Hamas wants is for them to be the focus of the Palestinian Question rather than Fatah so that resistance is framed as an Islamist rather than political/secular struggle.
From that point of view, the Special Military October has been a salutary success.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
Can we have the thread header for another thread later today? Vanilla won't let me read it, and I'm quite interested in what AlenBrookehas to say (I largely agreed with part 1, but thought his "what to do next" part should be the interesting bit).
Matthew Perry who played Chandler Bing in Friends has died. RIP, 54 😔
In a hot tub as well, apparently.
Sad. He never got to grips with his demons.
Which he detailed at length, candidly, in his book.
He was very pro vaccine which is leading the darker parts of X to link his death to the jab, sadly.
It doesn’t take much. There are those who link every death to the vax, even those who died from accidents or suicide, or weren’t vaxxed, or even before the vax even came along.
Today's Sunday Rawnsley, from a wet island. Last evening's rain was exceptionally heavy:
There’s been an eruption of sharp divisions [within Labour] often vehemently expressed about the posture the party should be taking towards the conflict.
Some of this inflammation of feeling is the result of a serious error made by Sir Keir. Even close allies will privately concede that he blundered in the interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC...“He made a terrible, terrible mistake and he took far too long to correct it,” says one Labour frontbencher. A different member of the shadow cabinet reports: “If you are an MP in a heavily Muslim constituency, you are under intense pressure at the moment.”
The Labour leader is backing the idea of “humanitarian pauses” to the conflict, a position which puts him in lockstep with Rishi Sunak who is trying to hug close to Joe Biden. You will not hear many voices saying that they are opposed to supplying humanitarian assistance to Gaza. But there’s also no pretending that this is going to address the fundamental forces generating the horrors of this crisis.
A member of the shadow cabinet who is close to the Labour leader observes that it is “easy for backbenchers and regional mayors” to make “not credible” demands for a ceasefire, but Sir Keir would look unserious as a candidate to be prime minister were he to follow suit.
“What the Labour party has to say has absolutely zero influence on events.” Labour people have every right, and many will feel a burning obligation, to express their views about this horrific conflict. At the same time, they would be best to remember that Labour won’t do itself, or anyone else, any favours if the party becomes devoured by bitter divisions over questions that it lacks the power to resolve.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
Yeah, the two minute hate has long overstayed it's welcome. There is nothing more worthwhile to be said on Israel and Palestine.
As ever been lots of hot air, virtue signalling and hand wringing , but they will move on as soon as something else pops up. I doubt many really actually care. Shooting and killing each other is endemic in Middle East and Africa and has been all my life.
Firstly as far as I can tell nobody here knows anything about Israel/Palestine, and secondly we can't comment on Israel's plan because nobody seems to know what it is, or even whether they have one.
It might not yet be a problem for us, but other species aren’t doing so well.
Highly pathogenic avian #influenza #H5N1 confirmed in mass mortality of elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in #Argentina. Over 1300 elephant seal pups found dead, representing 56-74% mortality, normally less than 1%. https://twitter.com/thijskuiken/status/1718127841370345675
Whoever invented these time shifts obviously didn't have a toddler at the time.
Least bedtime should be easy enough with this change...
Yeah. Makes zero difference.
Up at 4.45am instead of 5.45am.
Likewise with the dogs. I now have my face licked at 5am instead of 6am.
Conversely great for our teenage son. Dragging him up before midday is a constant challenge. Today, combined with a 3 hour difference from the last weeks in Georgia, he was up and at it by 8am.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
It might not yet be a problem for us, but other species aren’t doing so well.
Highly pathogenic avian #influenza #H5N1 confirmed in mass mortality of elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in #Argentina. Over 1300 elephant seal pups found dead, representing 56-74% mortality, normally less than 1%. https://twitter.com/thijskuiken/status/1718127841370345675
Hard to unpick whether there’s an increase in this type of crossover that we need to worry seriously about, or these things are just reported more since Covid. Or both.
Whoever invented these time shifts obviously didn't have a toddler at the time.
Least bedtime should be easy enough with this change...
Yeah. Makes zero difference.
Up at 4.45am instead of 5.45am.
Likewise with the dogs. I now have my face licked at 5am instead of 6am.
Conversely great for our teenage son. Dragging him up before midday is a constant challenge. Today, combined with a 3 hour difference from the last weeks in Georgia, he was up and at it by 8am.
Hope you got home ok following your, er, travails.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
The petition is not about what is happening in Israel or Gaza. It is about what is happening here - in Britain - to our fellow citizens.
I asked the then Chancellor back in 2018 why HMRC was refusing to hand over information to French authorities on Lycamobile. They’d cited legal grounds, the size of Lycamobile and… TORY DONATIONS.
Ostensibly, Wes Streeting is commenting on Lycamobile being found guilty in France. He is definitely not reminding people he exists should they want an alternative to Keir Starmer. And tbh his attack on Philip Hammond (in his embedded tweet) seemed a bit weak.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
The petition is not about what is happening in Israel or Gaza. It is about what is happening here - in Britain - to our fellow citizens.
Whoever invented these time shifts obviously didn't have a toddler at the time.
Least bedtime should be easy enough with this change...
Yeah. Makes zero difference.
Up at 4.45am instead of 5.45am.
Likewise with the dogs. I now have my face licked at 5am instead of 6am.
Conversely great for our teenage son. Dragging him up before midday is a constant challenge. Today, combined with a 3 hour difference from the last weeks in Georgia, he was up and at it by 8am.
Hope you got home ok following your, er, travails.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
The petition is not about what is happening in Israel or Gaza. It is about what is happening here - in Britain - to our fellow citizens.
I was responding to this line, from another poster: It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews.
And it is. But so is the reverse. Israel will win on the battlefield. It risks losing the battle for public opinion, and there are reports this is already being stirred up by Iran and other mischief-makers.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
There is no two state solution as Israel has strained every sinew to prevent WB+G from being a viable state - to the limited extent that it ever was. I highly doubt there is a one state solution either so they may have to try other numbers such as zero and three.
I think there is a one-state solution, but it involves either thorough-going Apartheid, complete genocide or ethnic cleansing of one side by the other, or both sides letting bygones be bygones and agreeing to live side-by-side in a tolerant, secular state. The last looks desirable but impossible. The other two look frighteningly, terrifyingly plausible.
It might not yet be a problem for us, but other species aren’t doing so well.
Highly pathogenic avian #influenza #H5N1 confirmed in mass mortality of elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in #Argentina. Over 1300 elephant seal pups found dead, representing 56-74% mortality, normally less than 1%. https://twitter.com/thijskuiken/status/1718127841370345675
Hard to unpick whether there’s an increase in this type of crossover that we need to worry seriously about, or these things are just reported more since Covid. Or both.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
The petition is not about what is happening in Israel or Gaza. It is about what is happening here - in Britain - to our fellow citizens.
I was responding to this line, from another poster: It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews.
And it is. But so is the reverse. Israel will win on the battlefield. It risks losing the battle for public opinion, and there are reports this is already being stirred up by Iran and other mischief-makers.
This interesting opinion piece is worth a read on the relationship between Zionism and antisemitism against the Jewish diaspora.
I think the question is whether you have your free hour the night before or in the morning. I prefer the latter, Mrs Stodge the former but chacun a son gout as someone once said.
On topic, it now seems if you support Hamas you support genocide of the Jews and if you support Israel you are supporting genocide of the Palestinians. That's about as polarised as it gets and the radicalisation of opinion is one of the key strategies of terrorist organisations.
How does it "end"? Unlike the Ukraine conflict where I could envisage a negotiated settlement one day, you can't negotiate with a group whose main objective is your extermination, not your subjugation, your extermination. Israel may well be able, at great cost, to suppress Hamas but the potential radicalisation of the next generation, the children forced to flee their homes for refugee camps or, worse, those see their family killed by Israeli bombs, means it's hard to see the conflict "end" in any meaningful sense.
I suppose change in Iran might blunt the impact of Hamas and Hezbollah - with terror, it's a case of following the money. Cut off the flow of funds and that goes a long way. However, change in Iran isn't likely to be easy or painless and we can only do so much to make it happen.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
What do you mean uninvolved? They are involved - involuntarily. Hamas are their neighbours. Using them as human shields. London’s Jews are not involved in any way - other than sharing a faith.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
What do you mean uninvolved? They are involved - involuntarily. Hamas are their neighbours. Using them as human shields. London’s Jews are not involved in any way - other than sharing a faith.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
No-one here said it is OK to attack or abuse British Jews.
I think the question is whether you have your free hour the night before or in the morning. I prefer the latter, Mrs Stodge the former but chacun a son gout as someone once said.
On topic, it now seems if you support Hamas you support genocide of the Jews and if you support Israel you are supporting genocide of the Palestinians. That's about as polarised as it gets and the radicalisation of opinion is one of the key strategies of terrorist organisations.
How does it "end"? Unlike the Ukraine conflict where I could envisage a negotiated settlement one day, you can't negotiate with a group whose main objective is your extermination, not your subjugation, your extermination. Israel may well be able, at great cost, to suppress Hamas but the potential radicalisation of the next generation, the children forced to flee their homes for refugee camps or, worse, those see their family killed by Israeli bombs, means it's hard to see the conflict "end" in any meaningful sense.
I suppose change in Iran might blunt the impact of Hamas and Hezbollah - with terror, it's a case of following the money. Cut off the flow of funds and that goes a long way. However, change in Iran isn't likely to be easy or painless and we can only do so much to make it happen.
In negotiation I try and put myself in the counterparty position to understand what they need. Israel needs to provide security to the world’s Jews who want sanctuary. It’s that simple. Persecuted for millennia, the idea of an “apartheid” state when everyone is literally trying to kill you doesn’t seem so awful.
So a secular state - the ‘why won’t Israel compromise’ proposal fails at the basic level. Unless it provides a sanctuary it isn’t going to be enough. Hard for the world to morally deny their case for sanctuary when so many people across the world still hate and persecute Jews.
Israel is armed to the teeth. They aren’t about to roll over. Especially when the people the progressives think we should support instead - the religious psychopaths in Iran as an example - are a strategic threat that the US will slap down.
So when people suggest a one state solution it will be one imposed by Israel and backed by the US. It may become a fortress state hated by chunks of the world, but if it provides that sanctuary I don’t think they will care.
Because if they do this they will be hated and persecuted and discriminated against. And the same if they roll over. So Israel has nothing to lose.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
The petition is not about what is happening in Israel or Gaza. It is about what is happening here - in Britain - to our fellow citizens.
I was responding to this line, from another poster: It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews.
And it is. But so is the reverse. Israel will win on the battlefield. It risks losing the battle for public opinion, and there are reports this is already being stirred up by Iran and other mischief-makers.
Israel isn't blaming innocent civilians though, they're caught up in the crossfire thanks to the actions of their own (Hamas) government. Israel is targeting Hamas, not civilians.
I think the question is whether you have your free hour the night before or in the morning. I prefer the latter, Mrs Stodge the former but chacun a son gout as someone once said.
On topic, it now seems if you support Hamas you support genocide of the Jews and if you support Israel you are supporting genocide of the Palestinians. That's about as polarised as it gets and the radicalisation of opinion is one of the key strategies of terrorist organisations.
How does it "end"? Unlike the Ukraine conflict where I could envisage a negotiated settlement one day, you can't negotiate with a group whose main objective is your extermination, not your subjugation, your extermination. Israel may well be able, at great cost, to suppress Hamas but the potential radicalisation of the next generation, the children forced to flee their homes for refugee camps or, worse, those see their family killed by Israeli bombs, means it's hard to see the conflict "end" in any meaningful sense.
I suppose change in Iran might blunt the impact of Hamas and Hezbollah - with terror, it's a case of following the money. Cut off the flow of funds and that goes a long way. However, change in Iran isn't likely to be easy or painless and we can only do so much to make it happen.
In negotiation I try and put myself in the counterparty position to understand what they need. Israel needs to provide security to the world’s Jews who want sanctuary. It’s that simple. Persecuted for millennia, the idea of an “apartheid” state when everyone is literally trying to kill you doesn’t seem so awful.
So a secular state - the ‘why won’t Israel compromise’ proposal fails at the basic level. Unless it provides a sanctuary it isn’t going to be enough. Hard for the world to morally deny their case for sanctuary when so many people across the world still hate and persecute Jews.
Israel is armed to the teeth. They aren’t about to roll over. Especially when the people the progressives think we should support instead - the religious psychopaths in Iran as an example - are a strategic threat that the US will slap down.
So when people suggest a one state solution it will be one imposed by Israel and backed by the US. It may become a fortress state hated by chunks of the world, but if it provides that sanctuary I don’t think they will care.
Because if they do this they will be hated and persecuted and discriminated against. And the same if they roll over. So Israel has nothing to lose.
One irony is there are those on the right of Israeli politics who might be at least ambivalent on antisemitic attacks in Britain, as supporting their contention that Jews can only be safe in Israel, what you call the sanctuary state.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
What do you mean uninvolved? They are involved - involuntarily. Hamas are their neighbours. Using them as human shields. London’s Jews are not involved in any way - other than sharing a faith.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
No-one here said it is OK to attack or abuse British Jews.
And yet here we are. Support for our fellow citizens is support for “Israeli genocide”. Whilst the Good People who support the poor oppressed Palestinians call for genocide and that’s ok.
What does Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea mean? Free of what specifically? It’s a call for genocide against Jews, and once again British Jews are in fear for their own safety with good reason, and we’re told that actually it might be their fault actually because they haven’t decried Israel actually.
It seems the Labour Party membership shares much in common with the British electorate: their support for Starmer is a mile wide and an inch deep.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Won’t benefit the Tories directly - nobody will switch from Lab to Con over an issue where the Con position is the same as Lab.
We could see people switching to various scab parties as a protest. Though as that provide succour to the Tories whose position is the same that may give some pause for thought.
Ultimately it’s a question of do you want to be inside the tent influencing the direction of piss or do you want to take the personal moral high ground and blame everyone else when you enable the thing you claim to be against.
"Keir Starmer you can't hide. You're supporting genocide"
True dat
Was in London last night and walking through Leicester Square some protestors had put the Socialist Workers 'Free Palestine' placard on Indiana Jones' statue
It seems the Labour Party membership shares much in common with the British electorate: their support for Starmer is a mile wide and an inch deep.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Won’t benefit the Tories directly - nobody will switch from Lab to Con over an issue where the Con position is the same as Lab.
We could see people switching to various scab parties as a protest. Though as that provide succour to the Tories whose position is the same that may give some pause for thought.
Ultimately it’s a question of do you want to be inside the tent influencing the direction of piss or do you want to take the personal moral high ground and blame everyone else when you enable the thing you claim to be against.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
What do you mean uninvolved? They are involved - involuntarily. Hamas are their neighbours. Using them as human shields. London’s Jews are not involved in any way - other than sharing a faith.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
No-one here said it is OK to attack or abuse British Jews.
And yet here we are. Support for our fellow citizens is support for “Israeli genocide”. Whilst the Good People who support the poor oppressed Palestinians call for genocide and that’s ok.
What does Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea mean? Free of what specifically? It’s a call for genocide against Jews, and once again British Jews are in fear for their own safety with good reason, and we’re told that actually it might be their fault actually because they haven’t decried Israel actually.
It is an ambiguous slogan but can equally mean freedom for all Palestinians between the river Jordan and the Med (the area of the Mandate of Palestine) as any genocidal intent. Like any political slogans can mean whatever the speaker or the audience wants.
Today's Sunday Rawnsley, from a wet island. Last evening's rain was exceptionally heavy:
There’s been an eruption of sharp divisions [within Labour] often vehemently expressed about the posture the party should be taking towards the conflict.
Some of this inflammation of feeling is the result of a serious error made by Sir Keir. Even close allies will privately concede that he blundered in the interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC...“He made a terrible, terrible mistake and he took far too long to correct it,” says one Labour frontbencher. A different member of the shadow cabinet reports: “If you are an MP in a heavily Muslim constituency, you are under intense pressure at the moment.”
The Labour leader is backing the idea of “humanitarian pauses” to the conflict, a position which puts him in lockstep with Rishi Sunak who is trying to hug close to Joe Biden. You will not hear many voices saying that they are opposed to supplying humanitarian assistance to Gaza. But there’s also no pretending that this is going to address the fundamental forces generating the horrors of this crisis.
A member of the shadow cabinet who is close to the Labour leader observes that it is “easy for backbenchers and regional mayors” to make “not credible” demands for a ceasefire, but Sir Keir would look unserious as a candidate to be prime minister were he to follow suit.
“What the Labour party has to say has absolutely zero influence on events.” Labour people have every right, and many will feel a burning obligation, to express their views about this horrific conflict. At the same time, they would be best to remember that Labour won’t do itself, or anyone else, any favours if the party becomes devoured by bitter divisions over questions that it lacks the power to resolve.
Indeed, Burnham, Sarwar and Khan represent regions that lean left and didn't even vote Tory in 2019, they can afford to take a pro Palestinian line and demand a ceasefire.
Starmer however has to win a majority across the whole UK, which gave the Conservatives a majority of 80 in 2019, including Tory marginals with large numbers of Jewish voters like Hendon, Chipping Barnet and Finchley and Golders Green
I think the question is whether you have your free hour the night before or in the morning. I prefer the latter, Mrs Stodge the former but chacun a son gout as someone once said.
On topic, it now seems if you support Hamas you support genocide of the Jews and if you support Israel you are supporting genocide of the Palestinians. That's about as polarised as it gets and the radicalisation of opinion is one of the key strategies of terrorist organisations.
How does it "end"? Unlike the Ukraine conflict where I could envisage a negotiated settlement one day, you can't negotiate with a group whose main objective is your extermination, not your subjugation, your extermination. Israel may well be able, at great cost, to suppress Hamas but the potential radicalisation of the next generation, the children forced to flee their homes for refugee camps or, worse, those see their family killed by Israeli bombs, means it's hard to see the conflict "end" in any meaningful sense.
I suppose change in Iran might blunt the impact of Hamas and Hezbollah - with terror, it's a case of following the money. Cut off the flow of funds and that goes a long way. However, change in Iran isn't likely to be easy or painless and we can only do so much to make it happen.
In negotiation I try and put myself in the counterparty position to understand what they need. Israel needs to provide security to the world’s Jews who want sanctuary. It’s that simple. Persecuted for millennia, the idea of an “apartheid” state when everyone is literally trying to kill you doesn’t seem so awful.
So a secular state - the ‘why won’t Israel compromise’ proposal fails at the basic level. Unless it provides a sanctuary it isn’t going to be enough. Hard for the world to morally deny their case for sanctuary when so many people across the world still hate and persecute Jews.
Israel is armed to the teeth. They aren’t about to roll over. Especially when the people the progressives think we should support instead - the religious psychopaths in Iran as an example - are a strategic threat that the US will slap down.
So when people suggest a one state solution it will be one imposed by Israel and backed by the US. It may become a fortress state hated by chunks of the world, but if it provides that sanctuary I don’t think they will care.
Because if they do this they will be hated and persecuted and discriminated against. And the same if they roll over. So Israel has nothing to lose.
The last paragraph is idea behind Netanyahuism summed up. “Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb - and the other side never play nice anyway”.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
What do you mean uninvolved? They are involved - involuntarily. Hamas are their neighbours. Using them as human shields. London’s Jews are not involved in any way - other than sharing a faith.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
No-one here said it is OK to attack or abuse British Jews.
And yet here we are. Support for our fellow citizens is support for “Israeli genocide”. Whilst the Good People who support the poor oppressed Palestinians call for genocide and that’s ok.
What does Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea mean? Free of what specifically? It’s a call for genocide against Jews, and once again British Jews are in fear for their own safety with good reason, and we’re told that actually it might be their fault actually because they haven’t decried Israel actually.
Whose support for which of our fellow citizens is akin to genocide? And you do know the protestors you deplore are also British citizens?
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
What do you mean uninvolved? They are involved - involuntarily. Hamas are their neighbours. Using them as human shields. London’s Jews are not involved in any way - other than sharing a faith.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
No-one here said it is OK to attack or abuse British Jews.
And yet here we are. Support for our fellow citizens is support for “Israeli genocide”. Whilst the Good People who support the poor oppressed Palestinians call for genocide and that’s ok.
What does Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea mean? Free of what specifically? It’s a call for genocide against Jews, and once again British Jews are in fear for their own safety with good reason, and we’re told that actually it might be their fault actually because they haven’t decried Israel actually.
It is an ambiguous slogan but can equally mean freedom for all Palestinians between the river Jordan and the Med (the area of the Mandate of Palestine) as any genocidal intent. Like any political slogans can mean whatever the speaker or the audience wants.
Come off it. It doesn’t say “Palestinians” or “the Palestinian People”. It’s very clear it is referring to a free state of Palestine between the Jordan and the Med.
Now you can perhaps semantically argue that this doesn’t preclude there being some sort of State of Israel, but it’s quite torturous to have to do so.
I think the question is whether you have your free hour the night before or in the morning. I prefer the latter, Mrs Stodge the former but chacun a son gout as someone once said.
On topic, it now seems if you support Hamas you support genocide of the Jews and if you support Israel you are supporting genocide of the Palestinians. That's about as polarised as it gets and the radicalisation of opinion is one of the key strategies of terrorist organisations.
How does it "end"? Unlike the Ukraine conflict where I could envisage a negotiated settlement one day, you can't negotiate with a group whose main objective is your extermination, not your subjugation, your extermination. Israel may well be able, at great cost, to suppress Hamas but the potential radicalisation of the next generation, the children forced to flee their homes for refugee camps or, worse, those see their family killed by Israeli bombs, means it's hard to see the conflict "end" in any meaningful sense.
I suppose change in Iran might blunt the impact of Hamas and Hezbollah - with terror, it's a case of following the money. Cut off the flow of funds and that goes a long way. However, change in Iran isn't likely to be easy or painless and we can only do so much to make it happen.
Israel is armed to the teeth. They aren’t about to roll over. Especially when the people the progressives think we should support instead - the religious psychopaths in Iran as an example - are a strategic threat that the US will slap down.
Have we anyone here on here supported the religious psychopaths in Iran? I cannot think of one. That looks like a straw man to me.
What we do see is concern about the at best cavalier attitude of Israel to civilian slaughter in Gaza.
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
What do you mean uninvolved? They are involved - involuntarily. Hamas are their neighbours. Using them as human shields. London’s Jews are not involved in any way - other than sharing a faith.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
No-one here said it is OK to attack or abuse British Jews.
And yet here we are. Support for our fellow citizens is support for “Israeli genocide”. Whilst the Good People who support the poor oppressed Palestinians call for genocide and that’s ok.
What does Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea mean? Free of what specifically? It’s a call for genocide against Jews, and once again British Jews are in fear for their own safety with good reason, and we’re told that actually it might be their fault actually because they haven’t decried Israel actually.
It is an ambiguous slogan but can equally mean freedom for all Palestinians between the river Jordan and the Med (the area of the Mandate of Palestine) as any genocidal intent. Like any political slogans can mean whatever the speaker or the audience wants.
Come off it. It doesn’t say “Palestinians” or “the Palestinian People”. It’s very clear it is referring to a free state of Palestine between the Jordan and the Med.
Now you can perhaps semantically argue that this doesn’t preclude there being some sort of State of Israel, but it’s quite torturous to have to do so.
Neither does it specify Jewish genocide. Hence I described it as an ambiguous slogan .
"Keir Starmer you can't hide. You're supporting genocide"
True dat
Was in London last night and walking through Leicester Square some protestors had put the Socialist Workers 'Free Palestine' placard on Indiana Jones' statue
Well, Dr Jones did steal artefacts from Egypt without the consent of any of the authorities there. Including the actual locals.
And I’ll bet that a bunch of labourers he employed (ad hoc, no proper contracts, I’ll bet) were actually Palestinians.
"Keir Starmer you can't hide. You're supporting genocide"
True dat
Was in London last night and walking through Leicester Square some protestors had put the Socialist Workers 'Free Palestine' placard on Indiana Jones' statue
I wrote a couple of articles back in March 2020 about warning signs of illiberalism in our country. Of course, what with other events no-one paid a blind bit of notice.
I am reposting them now because they are, IMO, as - if not more - relevant than ever.
"Keir Starmer you can't hide. You're supporting genocide"
True dat
Was in London last night and walking through Leicester Square some protestors had put the Socialist Workers 'Free Palestine' placard on Indiana Jones' statue
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
Now you've finished Sebag Montefiore's well known Zionist pleadings you might enjoy this which gives a slightly more interesting and relevant picture of things as they really are. A review by Jonathan Friedland
The other thread has been closed, which in the absence of any new news might have been the wrong choice but here we are.
I blame the end of daylight saving time, and call for an immediate judge led inquiry into keeping BST for the whole year to avoid confusing PB's editors.
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
I’ve signed the solidarity pledge. Regardless of the rights and wrongs in Gaza, on whichever side of the fence you sit, British Jews are Not Responsible.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
You are right about the evil of blaming one set of Jews for the action of another set. Some of the protestors you deplore might take an analogous view of the IDF killing uninvolved Palestinian civilians for the actions of another set, viz Hamas.
What do you mean uninvolved? They are involved - involuntarily. Hamas are their neighbours. Using them as human shields. London’s Jews are not involved in any way - other than sharing a faith.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
No-one here said it is OK to attack or abuse British Jews.
And yet here we are. Support for our fellow citizens is support for “Israeli genocide”. Whilst the Good People who support the poor oppressed Palestinians call for genocide and that’s ok.
What does Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea mean? Free of what specifically? It’s a call for genocide against Jews, and once again British Jews are in fear for their own safety with good reason, and we’re told that actually it might be their fault actually because they haven’t decried Israel actually.
Whose support for which of our fellow citizens is akin to genocide? And you do know the protestors you deplore are also British citizens?
I disagree with my fellow citizens. I don’t want to discriminate against them or remove their right to protest or persecute them. And yet we have Jews suffering all those things openly. Because of their supposedly link with Israel
The war continues to intensify – politicalbetting.com
Comments
Two threads up at once...
(Is that the right way to do it?)
On topic - badly. Which is what Hamas wants and why Netanyahu is being even more foolish than usual.
I think Hamas would actually prefer Gaza as a wasteland occupied by Israel to a two state solution. It allows them to extend their grievance and get loads more lovely cash from their backers to maintain their personally lavish lifestyles (and kill Jews).
And unfortunately, so would Likud, who naively believe it would secure Israel's future as a Jewish state encompassing the whole of Mandatory Palestine.
The Palestinian people wouldn't, according to such information as we have, but nobody involved seems to care about them (including these idiot protestors in the West).
A hat tip to @Cyclefree for this article by Simon Sebag Montefiore:
https://archive.ph/2023.10.28-061758/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/decolonization-narrative-dangerous-and-false/675799/
There is one mistake in it. The number of Jews who are non-white (insofar as that label has any meaning) is around 3-3.5 million not 5 million. I think he may have added in the Muslim and Christian populations to get to 5 million but it is a little misleading.
Otherwise, it's a good article and well worth reading.
In accordance with tradition, I forgot the clocks have apparently changed and got up rather early today. Anyway, time to peruse the F1 markets...
Edited extra bit: which is impossible because Ladbrokes don't them up yet.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/28/world/armita-geravand-iranian-teen-dies-intl/index.html
Another murder by the morality police in Iran.
That tells me (a) they're scum, but I knew that already (b) that protests are still ongoing, but I knew that too after the Palestinian flag got booed and (c) one very plausible reason for Hamas attacking now is that Iran's government feels under pressure.
The last is not surprising. Its population are in revolt, its allies in Russia are at best failing to advance and at worst retreating, it has lost in Armenia (where there was another act of ethnic cleansing a couple of months ago that passed almost unremarked even on here apart from me and a couple of replies) their economy is struggling with high inflation and the Arabs are moving towards Israel and the West rather than Iran and a pan-Islamic alliance.
What happens if the ayatollahs' regime collapses is anyone's guess. It would be nice to think a democratic and stable government would emerge, but that's not the usual outcome. It could be a hardline military regime under the Revolutionary Guard which would be even worse.
To be fair, he's tended to go backwards from that position.
Hard to think of any other ways of making this dullest of ‘sports’ at all worth watching.
Least bedtime should be easy enough with this change...
Up at 4.45am instead of 5.45am.
Sad. He never got to grips with his demons.
The Saudis, in particular, aren’t interested in any more protracted conflict in the region. They have their own “2030 Vision” plans, which involves a lot of building and international tourism on the Red Sea, turning the coastline into Dubai on steroids, and definitely doesn’t involve a war next door. Hence their plans to normalise relations with Israel, as many of their Gulf neighbours have done already. I suspect that MBS visiting Washington next week will be to try and further that agenda, MBS likely needs American support against many of his own elders.
About the only way Verstappen isn't guaranteed a win is if somebody takes him out.
Mr. Doethur, to be fair, Hamilton was very close to beating Verstappen on pace last time out.
Ricciardo's performance was very impressive in qualifying.
He was very pro vaccine which is leading the darker parts of X to link his death to the jab, sadly.
And good morning to everybody! Fine and bright so far here this morning after the rain of last night.
What Hamas wants is for them to be the focus of the Palestinian Question rather than Fatah so that resistance is framed as an Islamist rather than political/secular struggle.
From that point of view, the Special Military October has been a salutary success.
There are those who link every death to the vax, even those who died from accidents or suicide, or weren’t vaxxed, or even before the vax even came along.
There’s been an eruption of sharp divisions [within Labour] often vehemently expressed about the posture the party should be taking towards the conflict.
Some of this inflammation of feeling is the result of a serious error made by Sir Keir. Even close allies will privately concede that he blundered in the interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC...“He made a terrible, terrible mistake and he took far too long to correct it,” says one Labour frontbencher. A different member of the shadow cabinet reports: “If you are an MP in a heavily Muslim constituency, you are under intense pressure at the moment.”
The Labour leader is backing the idea of “humanitarian pauses” to the conflict, a position which puts him in lockstep with Rishi Sunak who is trying to hug close to Joe Biden. You will not hear many voices saying that they are opposed to supplying humanitarian assistance to Gaza. But there’s also no pretending that this is going to address the fundamental forces generating the horrors of this crisis.
A member of the shadow cabinet who is close to the Labour leader observes that it is “easy for backbenchers and regional mayors” to make “not credible” demands for a ceasefire, but Sir Keir would look unserious as a candidate to be prime minister were he to follow suit.
“What the Labour party has to say has absolutely zero influence on events.” Labour people have every right, and many will feel a burning obligation, to express their views about this horrific conflict. At the same time, they would be best to remember that Labour won’t do itself, or anyone else, any favours if the party becomes devoured by bitter divisions over questions that it lacks the power to resolve.
I too have an old French clock which needs rewinding forward but now have no idea of what the correct time is. Not that it makes a huge difference here.
The reason why I give Israel more leeway than may otherwise happen is because of what has happened in this country and in others since Hamas blew this up.
It is blatant and depressing anti-semitism to blame one set of Jews for the alleged actions of another set of Jews. And the people who screech on about false claims of antisemitism against their belovlied Jeremy are so often the ones making antisemitic accusations against British Jews. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Another protest in that London yesterday chanting “from the River to the Sea Palestine will be free”. Free of Jews they mean. At best a pogrom. At worst a genocide. And the hard left think that is a just cause - usually because the Jew is more than capable of looking after themselves as they are so rich - more antisemitism.
Highly pathogenic avian #influenza #H5N1 confirmed in mass mortality of elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in #Argentina. Over 1300 elephant seal pups found dead, representing 56-74% mortality, normally less than 1%.
https://twitter.com/thijskuiken/status/1718127841370345675
Will she get the same level of flak and anger that Boris and Rishi did
https://x.com/politlcsuk/status/1718374493087756481?s=61&t=s0ae0IFncdLS1Dc7J0P_TQ
The Tories took £2m from Lycamobile.
Will they now give it back?
https://twitter.com/wesstreeting/status/1718542227620688157
Ostensibly, Wes Streeting is commenting on Lycamobile being found guilty in France. He is definitely not reminding people he exists should they want an alternative to Keir Starmer. And tbh his attack on Philip Hammond (in his embedded tweet) seemed a bit weak.
"Keir Starmer you can't hide. You're supporting genocide"
True dat
And it is. But so is the reverse. Israel will win on the battlefield. It risks losing the battle for public opinion, and there are reports this is already being stirred up by Iran and other mischief-makers.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/how-jews-can-support-palestinian-rights-condemn-antisemitism-ncna1268680
I think the question is whether you have your free hour the night before or in the morning. I prefer the latter, Mrs Stodge the former but chacun a son gout as someone once said.
On topic, it now seems if you support Hamas you support genocide of the Jews and if you support Israel you are supporting genocide of the Palestinians. That's about as polarised as it gets and the radicalisation of opinion is one of the key strategies of terrorist organisations.
How does it "end"? Unlike the Ukraine conflict where I could envisage a negotiated settlement one day, you can't negotiate with a group whose main objective is your extermination, not your subjugation, your extermination. Israel may well be able, at great cost, to suppress Hamas but the potential radicalisation of the next generation, the children forced to flee their homes for refugee camps or, worse, those see their family killed by Israeli bombs, means it's hard to see the conflict "end" in any meaningful sense.
I suppose change in Iran might blunt the impact of Hamas and Hezbollah - with terror, it's a case of following the money. Cut off the flow of funds and that goes a long way. However, change in Iran isn't likely to be easy or painless and we can only do so much to make it happen.
The equivalent would be going and abusing random British Muslims for Hamas. Madness. But apparently it’s ok if it’s Jews. They’re all guilty or something
Then Jezbollah addressed the crowd as the latest round of “which Corbyn brother is the craziest”
We'll probably show them how losing quick wickets is really done, however small the target.
So a secular state - the ‘why won’t Israel compromise’ proposal fails at the basic level. Unless it provides a sanctuary it isn’t going to be enough. Hard for the world to morally deny their case for sanctuary when so many people across the world still hate and persecute Jews.
Israel is armed to the teeth. They aren’t about to roll over. Especially when the people the progressives think we should support instead - the religious psychopaths in Iran as an example - are a strategic threat that the US will slap down.
So when people suggest a one state solution it will be one imposed by Israel and backed by the US. It may become a fortress state hated by chunks of the world, but if it provides that sanctuary I don’t think they will care.
Because if they do this they will be hated and persecuted and discriminated against. And the same if they roll over. So Israel has nothing to lose.
What does Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea mean? Free of what specifically? It’s a call for genocide against Jews, and once again British Jews are in fear for their own safety with good reason, and we’re told that actually it might be their fault actually because they haven’t decried Israel actually.
We could see people switching to various scab parties as a protest. Though as that provide succour to the Tories whose position is the same that may give some pause for thought.
Ultimately it’s a question of do you want to be inside the tent influencing the direction of piss or do you want to take the personal moral high ground and blame everyone else when you enable the thing you claim to be against.
Because a pill roller prescribing uppers and downers for rich clients never ever happens.
Starmer however has to win a majority across the whole UK, which gave the Conservatives a majority of 80 in 2019, including Tory marginals with large numbers of Jewish voters like Hendon, Chipping Barnet and Finchley and Golders Green
Now you can perhaps semantically argue that this doesn’t preclude there being some sort of State of Israel, but it’s quite torturous to have to do so.
What we do see is concern about the at best cavalier attitude of Israel to civilian slaughter in Gaza.
And I’ll bet that a bunch of labourers he employed (ad hoc, no proper contracts, I’ll bet) were actually Palestinians.
I am reposting them now because they are, IMO, as - if not more - relevant than ever.
1. https://www7.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2020/03/11/political-rights-and-wrongs/
2. https://www7.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2020/03/12/amber-warnings-what-might-be-the-signals-that-all-is-not-well-in-a-democracy/
This section from the second article seems pertinent today.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12684893/Canadian-Prime-Minister-Justin-Trudeau-pays-warm-tribute-Matthew-Perry-Friends-star-revealed-hed-beaten-politician-schoolyard-Thanks-laughs.html
It's not often seen, because there's an overcomplicated set of tests and traps guarding the entrance.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/26/a-day-in-the-life-of-abed-salama-by-nathan-thrall-review-a-collision-in-closeup