To think that Labour’s/Andy Burnham’s tariffs on Jewish Settlers and their statement on Palestine is a well timed publicity stunt to divert attention from their complete lack of inaction regarding illegal migrants arriving by boat.

Christ, what a shitty take. Do you think the only two options are wholehearted support of Israel, or you're aligned with terrorists?

Do you think Israel should be allowed to commit unchecked atrocities in Palestine? Do you think it's legitimate for Palestinian women and children to be raped, beaten and driven from their homes? Is this acceptable collateral in your eyes?

Hamas exploiting an opportunity for propaganda doesn't mean nobody is allowed to make legitimate criticism of Israel. Israel's war crimes are not suddenly acceptable because Hamas are one of the many groups who condemn them.

This is not a conflict where you have to either be on the side of Hamas or Israel. You can choose to be on the side of humanity. You can choose to condemn Hamas and Settler violence. You can recognise Hamas as a terrorist organisation who have committed unspeakable atrocities and recognise that the Israeli government is committing war crimes. You don't have to be ok with rape, with violence, with killing children, just because it's Israel doing those things.

Of course they’re using it for propaganda purposes but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Labour are clearly aligned with terrorists.

I’ve never felt so ashamed of a government before as I do now.

I understand why those who voted for Labour feel a need to justify their actions to make them feel less accountable but that helps nobody.

Yes, because they're a terrorist group exploiting an opportunity for propaganda. That doesn't mean the sanctions are wrong or inappropriate.

We have to resist this deliberately simplistic, black and white thinking, this palpably insane notion that criticising the actions of the Israel government or of settlers in the West Bank means you're supporting Hamas, or that wanting freedom and safety for the people of Palestine means you don't support the right of Israel to peacefully exist.

Settlers in the West Bank are committing violence against Palestinians living there. They have surrounded homes in which children live, cutting them off from water and electricity, and driven them from those homes. They have committed acts of violence and sexual violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. These are actions which are illegal and unjustifiable in their own right, but which also make the prospect of a two state solution less viable.

You have to be open to the nuance of this conflict. You have to care about the people, Israeli and Palestinian, who are suffering because of it. There are simultaneously Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups carrying out or planning attacks against Israelis, and Israeli government and settler activity expanding settlements, appropriating land, demolishing Palestinian homes and settlements, committing violence against Palestinians and displacing them.

Those things are both happening. The existence of Hamas cells doesn’t make every Israeli military operation in the West Bank legitimate, just as Israeli settlement activity doesn’t make Hamas’s attacks legitimate. We can (and are morally required to) condemn both groups for their acts of violence against innocent people.

Hamas has congratulated the Foreign Secretary and UK government on their actions.

Terrorist groups support Labour. Shame on anyone who voted for them.

Well in this instance you're specifically criticising the UK government for seeking to take action to condemn and sanction Israel for (amongst other things) committing sexual violence as a method of waging war in the West Bank. It's hard for you to maintain the position that you do care about raped and abused women in Palestine when you're angry that our government is seeking to address the atrocities perpetrated against them.

Whereas your views on pro-Palestine supporters denying the horrific crimes perpetrated against Israeli women by Hamas have nothing to do with me, because I don't dispute that those evil crimes were committed, and I certainly don't defend Hamas, who are a truly horrific terrorist group.

That's why we've moved into denial that the numbers have dropped so significantly.

@Thepeopleversusworki haven’t said that the small boat crossings haven’t decreased but the I have said the numbers arriving are still high and I would say it is the biggest issue in our country right now! I don’t really care for Milliband’s pet projects. With the previous government it was Net Zero and with this one it is Palestine. My main issue, is the fact that thousands of undocumented men are entering the country but for some reason, I’m meant to be OK with that?

The trouble with that idea is that if you campaign about "violence by men", the male-dominated media, and men on social media, will make it all about how most victims of male violence are other men.

It will become all about the male victims.
Any opportunity to de-centre women will be taken.

@Thepeopleversusworki haven’t said that the small boat crossings haven’t decreased but the I have said the numbers arriving are still high and I would say it is the biggest issue in our country right now! I don’t really care for Milliband’s pet projects. With the previous government it was Net Zero and with this one it is Palestine. My main issue, is the fact that thousands of undocumented men are entering the country but for some reason, I’m meant to be OK with that?

@LilacBalloonsit does extend to all women. Can I ask why that same empathy does not extend to Pro Palestine supporters who constantly dismiss and deny the horrendous sexual violence carried out by Hamas on 7th October. Instead I hear cries of ‘it never happened’ I have empathy for all women who are victims of sexual violence, oppressive regimes and cultures and misogyny! But it is evident that many other people don’t.

@NorthernExpatsomeone said he was ‘passionate’ about Palestine. He’s only Passionate about it because he’s foreign secretary. And yes I really dislike him - it started when I saw him eating a bacon sandwich!

The Chief Rabbi's statement sets out the Jewish perspective.

If you don't understand why the Chief Rabbi should stop condoning the crimes of Israeli settlers, I can't help you. His son is in the IDF. They are turning a blind eye at best, colluding at worst. As a faith leader, it is appalling that the Chief Rabbi won't mention this. It tarnishes his credibility. I judge everyone who is involved in terrorism against Israel and everyone who does not condemn such actions. I judge everyone who is involved in stealing Palestinian land, killing and beating Palestinian people and not speaking out. The Israeli government needs to be told they can't do what they want. I don't understand why you are an apologist for settler conduct in the West Bank and why you think it should not be condemned.

Can I just say that I am so sick of the term "Violence Against Women and Girls". VAWG

It should be: "Violence By Men"

The former sounds like Violence is just something that happens to happen to females. But actually it MEN committing moat of that Violence.

Because when we talk about VAWG, we don't usually mean Violence by women against women.

It's Male Violence as a whole that is the problem. If we simply stopped Violence against women and gorls there would still be vast amounts of violent crime because men are still fucking committing it.

Not all men. Of course. But everyone is affected by male fucking Violence.

Believe me, I do not have a halcyon view of just how anti semitic this country can be. Nor do I have a halcyon view of just how fraught and emotionally charged the debate within the Jewish community about the actions of the Israeli government is.

It is less that I am dismissing your views, and more that I think your tone is adding unnecessary heat and aggression to a conversation that desperately needs nuance and thoughtfulness.

Yup. I think he's marxist Labour royalty and absolutely a hypocrite to claim his Jewish ancestry is in anyway a mitigation for this, or other, anti Israel policies he's espoused.

You are dismissing my views as invalid. They aren't divisive at all. You are depicting a very halcyon picture.

If you don't understand why the Chief Rabbi should stop condoning the crimes of Israeli settlers, I can't help you. His son is in the IDF. They are turning a blind eye at best, colluding at worst. As a faith leader, it is appalling that the Chief Rabbi won't mention this. It tarnishes his credibility. I judge everyone who is involved in terrorism against Israel and everyone who does not condemn such actions. I judge everyone who is involved in stealing Palestinian land, killing and beating Palestinian people and not speaking out. The Israeli government needs to be told they can't do what they want. I don't understand why you are an apologist for settler conduct in the West Bank and why you think it should not be condemned.

This is such an unnecessarily aggressive and divisive way to discuss a hugely emotive topic.

British Jews have a wide range of conflicting views on Israel and on the actions of this Israeli government. I have never in any of my posts suggested British Jewish communities all feel the same way about Israel. A great many British Jews support the sanctions against the illegal settlements. A great many British Jews oppose them. I don’t think either side has reached those conclusions lightly.

And I am painfully aware of just how fearful the British Jewish community is about any rise in anti semitism.

But to exploit those legitimate fears to attempt to point score against the government - as you appear to be doing - is in my view abhorrent.

Ok I don’t get this stance, already the judgement and dismissal.

As we are generalising, there are many Jews who don't have to air that view. I think they're quite busy making sure they and their families are kept safe.

I’m not sure how constructive this point is. Of course, there are going to be some critics of Israel who haven’t thought deeply about the complex and emotive issues at hand. On any issue, there are going to be people who come to knee jerk opinions without fully understanding the issues.

But there also a great many critics of the Israeli government - especially within the Jewish community - who have undergone alot of deep, painful consideration, to arrive at the conclusion that sanctions against the illegal settlements are now morally imperative to salvage any possibility of a two state solution.

It is also important to be clear that being critical of this Israeli government and of the illegal settlements is absolutely not the same as being “an Israel critic”.

They are not related.

The sanctions regarding the West Bank settlements are being taken by a number of countries. Should have been a lot earlier in my opinion.