Israel supporting counter marches in London - about time

[mids2019]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13304895/Met-Police-arrest-Palestine-Israel-march-London-protest-Gaza.html

I think in a democracy this is absolutely necessary. Obviously policing will be important but it is good to see that in terms of street protest this is not a come sided issue.

I wonder how many are going to be arrested losing their rag seeing Israeli flags an masse after getting themselves riled up calling for a ceasefire.....

Let's hope so.

@TextureSeeker .

I guess they are marching for Israel's right to self defence against Iran and its proxies. Also I guess there are the hostages.

I suppose both sides must be given a right to march and it's just how you separate the two physically. I guess you could combine as everyone is after a cessation of hostilities somehow?

Oh I didn't realise the UK government were trying to take away Israels right to self defence against Iran and it's proxies. The UK government seem to me anyway to be pretty liberal when it comes to Israel. I didn't even know the UK government had the power to take away Israels 'right to self defence'.

I really don't think that combining the two would work. Some pro Israel posters here have made it very clear in the past that they feel the Palestinian flag is threatening so I doubt they would feel comfortable marching alongside it.

@TextureSeeker

I suppose you are right but I do hope this shows that everyone is free to express a view in this country. Do you think of we continually have two sets of marchers in the capital it will accentuate the fact this is war between Israel and Ir ran and it's proxies including Hamas?

I just think of there is a reason at all for these marches it is to achieve a ceasefire which is beneficial to all. The ceasefire includes both Israel and Hamas so it might be a bad idea to see a few Israeli flags.

Please correct me if I am wrong but the Israeli government attacked Iran first, didn't they? Therefore Iran has the right to self defence or the self defence argument only applies to Israel?

Poor, innocent Iran being attacked by evil Israel without provocation!

Oh no, wait. My mistake.

The consulate was being used as a command centre to channel money and weapons to Hezbollah in order for them to fire rockets into Israel, resulting in 100,000 Israelis having to be evacuated from their homes in Northern Israel.

The job of the military commander assassinated was to coordinate ongoing attacks on Israel.

And according to his eulogy by the Coordination Council of Islamic Revolution Forces, he played a key role in planning and executing the massacre on October 7th.

So maybe Israel did have a reason for the attack other than just being evil??

Oh I misunderstood- I guess that centre in Israel ?

No?

So Isreal are determining what they will allow other countries to do ? And bombing other counties anytime , anyplace they are not happy ? Even though it's not their country, they don't rule there ?

And then get upset and act innocent ?

Oh yeah, totally legal things like planning and funding a major terrorist attack on another country. They're totally allowed to do that, so long as they do it within the boundaries of their own country!!

And the country attacked should just accept that they're a sovereign country, and anything that happens inside the borders of Iran is just None Of Their Business.

I also don't see Israel getting upset or acting innocent.

In their statement this morning, they said 'if other people hurt us, we will hurt them back'.

Hmm are you sure the consulate was a terrorist hangout? I thought only hospitals, churches, mosques, bakeries, grocery stores, nurseries, and homes were? Dang those pesky terrorists get everywhere!

Let's not pretend that Israel stick to 'totally legal things' like killing journalists and using white phosphorus in Lebanon. Israel are as bad as the rest of them.

I feel that the Israelis could be out in support of their country as it enagages mass attacks of drones and missiles. There is an absolute right.

I think in a sense it allows Jews to feel less intimidated if they are Israel supporting people waving the national flag of Israel. We have had threads about Jews feeling intimidated and maybe counter demonstrations will help to improve this.

I think the situation will need robust policing but certainly two groups rallying in London will emphasise the situation in the middle East is a war.

Poor innocent Israel who is always the victim! Poor diddum! Everybody is nasty to them and hate them and they are so nice to everyone.
Iran has a right to self defence as much as Israel. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Are we now going to see people chanting support for Iran on the streets of London in the same way as we do for the Houthis?

Iran, Iran make us proud, send some more cruise missiles and drones?

Hasn't Tommy Robinson/ Yately-Lennon been leading pro Israel marches/ standing with Israel for some time now?

No. He was told they didn’t want him and was arrested when he showed up.

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/27/tommy-robinson-charged-over-refusal-to-leave-march-against-antisemtism

Its as if people feel there shouldn't be overt displays of Judaism in the capital.

I think a lot of Israeli flags is healthy.

The fact remains that as a country, if you plan and fund a major terrorist attack on another country, and then the country you attacked blows up the commander who planned the terrorist attack - and who is continuing to plan further attacks - within the command centre you used to do the planning, you can't say it was an unprovoked attack. Not even if that command centre is in your 'sovereign territory' . And not even if that command centre is a consulate in a 3rd country.

The 3rd country would have cause for complaint IF they did something about the terrorist planning when told about it.

@Hagbard not sure if you are trying to be provocative or are wilfully ignorant?

This polarisation of our country saddens me.

I absolutely hate that some citizens feel unsafe in their own country because of their race and religion. And I'm not sure that more marches - and the inevitable clashes - are the answer.

I wonder whether more limits on how much it's acceptable for the demonstrations to impact other people would be better. I don't know what the right limits would be: location, duration, frequency, which slogans may be displayed/shouted (with adequate policing to enforce it)?

That would surely reach the bar for antisemitic hate and be stopped by the police.

They haven’t stopped people chanting support for the Houthis. I don’t think people can chant support for Hamas as they are a proscribed terrorist organisation and the police have stopped people who have done that.

Is there any prohibition on supporting Iran? (I don’t know).

Do you genuinely not think that Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi was involved in the planning of the October 7th atrocity, even though Coordination Council of Islamic Revolution Forces said he was?

Calling for missiles to be fired at Israel feels more specifically antisemitic than general support for destroying all Western ships.