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.

[bluespotsandztarz]

I don’t meant to be cynical but I think Labour have done this to carry favour with those who want to ditch Labour for the Green Party. We all know Labour isn’t run by its leader, instead by their back benchers!

What the Settlers are doing on the West Bank is horrific, however Labour were not being so vocal a few weeks ago when the rest of the world was. It feels a ‘well-timed’ publicity stunt to take away attention from their complete inaction about the amount of illegal immigrants arriving in this country. I was appalled by the protests over the weekend. And as a woman with a daughter, these thugs do not protest in my name. However, the government MUST address the fact that we have thousands of undocumented male immigrants coming into the UK free to go wherever they want. Andy Burnham is happy to house them in their thousands wherever he sees fit and I have not heard him OR his government talk about women’s safety once. Burnham can make as many cosy ‘I’m just a man who goes to Greggs and likes a pint.’ Videos as he wants but until he acknowledges how undocumented men pose a great risk to women’s safety, I won’t be supporting him or his party.

Please do not come up with facts and stats about white British males, I am acutely aware of the violence they also inflict against women and equally appalled by the Government’s inaction over this. But I find it horrific that if you have no documents and the government have no idea who you are you’re free to roam. This should not be allowed.

I feel so ignored as a woman in the UK our safety and wellbeing is way down the governments’ long list of priorities. I’m sick of the back benchers and those swaying to the far left or far right being given so much air time, whilst those of us in the middle are ignored day in and day out I voted for Labour in the last election but never again!

Are you saying that practicing Jews all support settler terrorism ?

@ChocolatefreakI obviously don’t know a lot about a lot! I am not a Reform supporter and vehemently oppose everything they stand for. I do support women’s rights and safety (something that Reform say they also support but obviously don’t with the amount of misogynists/abusers and violent men that are members of their party). I should NEVER have mudded the water with Palestine/small boats and women’s safety and I will NEVER do that again!! However, I am allowed to have legitimate concerns about violence against women from both British nationals AND undocumented migrants!

I don't believe boat crossings are down. There is no reason for them to be. It would be ridiculous to believe they would be.

We are meant to belive there is a significant reduction, to keep us quiet. I will continue to be concerned at every single boat crossing.

Fucking hell, they want to stop the imaginary boats now.

Is there a boat in the room with you right now?

Unfortunately they aren't imaginary, unless you are saying there are now no longer ANY boat crossings.

You're not worried about them. Good for you.

If you want to randomly believe that boat crossings havent hugely dropped, I'm free to not believe that boats exist.

Happy to join in the stupidity.

It is not anti semitic to criticise the Israeli government. No mainstream British Jewish community organisations have called the British government anti semitic over these sanctions. What the Board of Deputies are anxious about is that deteriorating relations between the UK and Israel could embolden those in the UK who hold British Jews responsible for Israel’s actions, and lead to a rise in anti semitism. That is a legitimate fear. But not all Jewish community organisations share it, Yachad, for example, have welcomed the sanctions. The British Jewish community have complex, nuanced feelings of this. Many British Jews believe in a two state solution - and many, like Ed Miliband himself - feel that if we stand by as these illegal settlements carry on, all hope of that two state solution will be lost. This is a fraught, emotive issue for the British Jewish community, and what is not at all helpful is using the Jewish community’s genuine fears and anxieties as a political football to point score against the government.

Apologies, that’s completely my mistake - it was a previous poster who referred to the Muslim vote.

Can we all agree that even the most unsavory small boat arrivals are not half as bad as a would-be prime minister and his gang of traitors who are getting rich from selling out of country to Russia and assorted overseas billionaires?

Exactly.

You are quite right to be concerned about women's and girls' safety. And bravo for the work that you do. But the amount of violence inflicted on women by undocumented migrants is a drop in the ocean compared to institutional violence, economic violence, DV, sexual violence - I could go on. Violence against women is systemic and multi-layered. Rape/assault is a horrific crime - but trying to claim that focussing on undocumented migrants in the UK is the way to stop it - is so far away from making any inroad into women's suffering it is laughable.

Ironically the worst thing possible for Reformorons is if the boats completely stop coming.

It’s all they’ve got.

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

No, that's when they start going after the disabled and single mothers.

Well said

It shows a deep misunderstanding of what it means to be a British Jew to dismiss Ed Miliband as “clearly not a practicing Jew”. Ed Miliband is the child of Holocaust survivors. His own Grandmother found sanctuary in Israel after the war. I have no doubt he understands deeply the Board of Deputies anxieties. This is a deeply complex, emotionally fraught issue for many British Jews, and I have no doubt that he takes that seriously. But many British Jews also believe these illegal settlements are wrong, and that if we stand by and let them happen, it risks all hope of a two state solution being lost. At some point, Britain has to show moral courage and conviction.

@Chocolatefreakwhilst I totally agree with you about home grown violence against women and girls in this country. There also is a problem of abuse from migrants, this isn’t sensationalism it is facts. They make up a smaller proportion of the population but are also responsible for around 16% of the crimes. I am a child of immigrants and I believe that there is a lot of education that needs to be done in this country towards ALL males about misogynistic, violent and outdated cultural views towards women.

However, I am concerned that undocumented males arriving in the UK are not being monitored - there is a problem and I do believe the government need to do more to reassure women in the UK.

No I think just think antisemitism is deep rooted in the Labour Party so bubbles to the top of policy easily. The whole policy is pointless, can't even be monitored effectively anyway so can't be implemented in the real world, and has undermined our relationship with key allies.

One of Burnham's first actions was to readmit Diane Abbott so the direction of travel within the party is pretty clear.

What you believe is irrelevant.

Actual facts and statistics are what matters.

Well said!

I was asking you what you mean by that. I know WHAT you said but not WHY. Can you explain?

Absolute rubbish. You are conflating legitimate criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism. Ed Miliband is Jewish and his family escaped the Holocaust. He has a much better understanding of the situation than you apparently do. He is making an attempt to start holding the Israeli govt to account.