Speaking in Turkey today, David Cameron has described Gaza as “a prison camp”. He also described Israel’s response to the flotilla as “completely unacceptable”.
Cameron’s description of Gaza is utter nonsense and he well knows it. His comment on the flotilla incident is also ludicrous.
We are used to such distortion, but if even Cameron is joining the bullying of Israel then I feel a corner is being turned. We had been led to believe the Conservative government would be fair on these issues. Those promises ring hollow today.
Meanwhile, there was yet another antisemitic attack in London yesterday. Those who spread lies and hate against Israel should take a moment to consider the knock-on effect their words have.
Politicians are all the same as Alan says. He probably hasn’t changed his mind but he’s saying what the Turks want to hear, maybe for a trade deal or something.
After his comments to the house of commons after the flotilla incident I called Conservative Friends of Israel to express my alarm. The lady I spoke to understood how I felt and agreed with me but pointed out that Cameron’s personal position is not necessarily the same as the government’s and his job is to express the government’s position not his own.
The establishment has always privately supported Israel but adopted an Arabist public stance, for whatever reasons – commercial, political, who knows.
May have been okay in the past but seems like an extremely dangerous and divisive tactic given the current climate.
The fact is that he can say whatever he likes about Gaza, it won’t change Israel’s policy towards Hamas – he knows and it Israel knows it. But this does enable and encourage Hamas and its supporters in the UK. Maybe at a strategic level the government considers it a price worth paying if it means keeping Turkey on side and stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
I voted for the Conservatives, but of course ended up with a Coalition in which the LibDems seem to have an inordinate degree of influence.
I almost trusted Dave – but of course he turns out to be oily and untrustworthy, just as I knew he would be in my heart of hearts.
Interesting insights, Matt – hope you’re correct!
Note to self: Yvetta, your memory’s playing tricks! Although you usually vote Tory, in the last election you voted tactically to try to keep the LibDem out – only to see that pro-Palestinian rogue increase his majorty from a meagre 100-something to (wait for it!!!) a whopping 15,000!
Cameron is speaking with a forked tongue and preaching to his Turkish audience. Very sickening! We of course do not want Turkey in the EU and I hope this never happens.
The racial hatred motivated attack in Golders Green yesterday has not been picked up by any local media, which is also shocking! I also heard on LBC today of an incident in Edgware on Friday night where some Jews were PELTED WITH STONES just because they were obviously Jewish.
Wake up and smell the racial hatred Cameron and Boris!
I live in a backwater in the boondocks – each August Chasidim from London and Manchester spend their holidays here. Last year, for the first time apparently, there was an antisemitic incident that was reported to police – I shall take a keen interest in events this year.
Yvetta – just for a bit of context do you remember how after the flotilla incident Israel announced that their internal enquiry would have two international observers? One of them was Lord Trimble who is quite sympathetic to Israel’s predicament. I’m fairly sure that Hague and Cameron would have organised that with the Israelis, which was quite a clever move really.
Although I disagree with the rhetoric (prison camp?) if I take a step back and think about it objectively he’s right – the blockade is unacceptable from a humanitarian point of view. But that doesn’t mean it’s not necessary in order to contain Hamas. But I don’t think it’s not a suitable long term solution to the problem – but what is, short of removing Hamas from power? And would that lead to something worse in their place?
Yes, Matt, Trimble’s one of Aznar’s original “Friend’s of Israel”, no less – that was indeed an interesting appointment.
Who is surprised by this? All the political parties in the UK have been infiltrated by Islamists. Cameron is just repeating what his Arab paymasters tell him to do.
And it is well known in political circles that Lib Dems only went into coalition with the Tories if the Tories promised to step up their attacks on Israel. You can see this in action now.
Why does no newspaper or tv news network in the UK tell the truth about the situation in the area: the Palestinians are living it up in a life of luxury while the Israelis struggle to get by? I expect to see far more antisemitic attacks as the Muslim dominance of this country continues unabated.
If mere mortals responding on forums know what’s going on in Gaza then surely the demi-gods of government are clued-up? I can, therefore, find no excuse whatsoever for Cameron playing to the Turkish audience except the usual opportunism that causes the West to play footsie with the Arabic rhetoric.
I’m not sure if you know about the new ‘Friend’s of Israel’ initiative kicked off last week by, amongst others, the former PM of Spain? Recognising the hysteria building up, it calls for Israel not to be singled out as it is, but to be granted the same rational discourse that other nations enjoy.
There is a petition on site that you might consider signing.
http://www.friendsofisraelinitiative.org/index.php
He is either blind, or he is feeding the crocodile. No excuse. Shame on you DC.
A comment on ynetnews.com mildly compares David Cameron’s remarks to a visitor making polite noises about the host’s ghastly sofa. Cameron feels the need to reassure the Turks that Britain still supports Turkish membership of the European Union. The factors against membership are many: mainland European opposition, the position of minorities in Turkey and so on. New factors are the Islamist government of Turkey further alienating the West and the Turkish government needing to keep friendly with resurgent Iran. My feeling is that Cameron would have done better to make British support for membership conditional, rather than getting on the populist bandwagon. By not asking questions about past ethnic “cleansing” in Turkey and Cyprus, Cameron has indeed ignored his hosts’ ugly sofa. He has also misrepresented the situation in Gaza and on the Flotilla.
Anyway: although it is not easy when politicians say foolish things, do not overwork as you busy yourself in not being busy (as you put it, in your first post of the day)!
All that ‘Tories good for Israel’ guff was rubbish from the off.
Reading user comments on the Times website on this subject is very depressing stuff. We Brits really do seem to be quite stupid.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article2661262.ece
(subscribers only)
(Second thoughts, maybe it’s just idiots that obsessively post on Israel stories – either way it’s depressing!)
The idiots are loud and violent hence the acquiescence of DC et al.
and you should see the anti-Semitic comments to a piece by Con Coughlin at the Daily Telegraph. Equally depressing.
Turkey in the EU !!! Talk to any Armenien or Kurd, they will tell you about the Turks.
Successive British governments know the history and the present plight of the Kurds, yet have chosen to leave that aside in order to dangle the carrot of membership, to tempt the government of Turkey into reform. It is not working. David Cameron will soon twig that the current Turkish government, being Islamist, is not even interested in the carrot.
Mainland European governments, by contrast, remember the Armenians and the Kurds when making policy towards Turkey.
Chas
I warned all of my friends and family before the last election that a conservative government with Cameron as PM and Hague as foreign secretary would be the most anti-Israel government in UK history. And all of that was before anybody considered the possibility of a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. To me the give-away with Cameron was when he was interviewed by the Jewish Chronicle shortly after becoming Party leader. The most positive thing he could bring himself to say about Israel was “I believe Israel has a right to exist”. As far as I’m concerned anybody who makes that statement is already revealing anti-semitism because they would not make the same statement about any other country in the world including the very many which were created during the twentieth century with far less obvious legitimacy than Israel (think Pakistan as an obvious example, but also virtually every single Arab country was a purely artifical creation). If anybody ever says that to me I always thank them and respond by saying “that’s very kind because I think you also have a right to exist”.
Anyway I’ve written about the Cameron story here
http://edgar1981.blogspot.com/2010/07/david-cameron-ignorant-anti-semite.html
And here is what I wrote just prior to the election
http://edgar1981.blogspot.com/2010/05/conservatives-and-israel.html
If anybody ever says that to me I always thank them and respond by saying “that’s very kind because I think you also have a right to exist”.
Legend!
Israel coined and promoted the right to exist mantra. They use it as a foreign policy howitzer .
I’m furious with Cameron. Somehow it doesn’t surprise me that he’s turned his back on Israel- we’ve become accustomed to that from British politicians- but to think that he would do it in order to defend the interests of a state that supports terrorist activity? That’s shocking.
I am disgusted with Cameron, and very ashamed to say I voted for him.
I have written to Downing street via the Number 10 website to voice my disgust.
Did Cameron ask Erdogan about the bombing of Kurdish villages in northern Iraq, the occupation of N. Cyprus or the Turkish military assistance to Syria, whwre hyndreds of Kurds are being killed right now (and on which the press is silent)?
Could you imagine how the Uk would have reacted if Israel said that Afghan civilian casualties, killed by Uk forces, was “totally unacceptable”? Why is it that the UK can say what it wants about Israel, but Israel must bow and scrape to be diplomatic?
What hypocrisy.
Hat to say “I told you so” but er… I told yuo so. I posted here during the election, not particularly in support of Labour (though that was how I in fact voted)to say, if I recall corectly that theer was little to choose between the parties on Israel and that anyone planning to vote Tory for a better deal for Israel was deluding themselves. I referred in particular to Hague’s hostile commens during the Gaza war.
Perhaps an apology is due from, among others, Mr Hoffman.
Mark2
The problem with Cameron’s apparent stance is a problem we, the public, have experienced with politicians in general – a problem which completely disinfranchises so many from engaging in politics. This is the act of saying one thing to get elected and another when the job is done. We just don’t know who or what to believe anymore, and that is very dangerous.
There is an argument that Cameron was speaking in business terms and to businessmen – but he didn’t have to stray into flotilla and Gaza grounds to do that. He was doing an ‘Obama in the Middle East’-type speech with hints of Clegg’s animosity towards Israel. Deliberately flattering and opportunistic and, I’m afraid to say, cringeworthy.
I really, really wish these high-ranking politicians would stop criticising and instead, tell us what they would do if they were in Israel’s situation? Meet a hostile flotilla with a smile, tea and biscuits perhaps?
Penny
The answer to your first point is there in your second – “he didn’t have to” etc. That goes well beyond the usual “saying one thing and doing another”. That shows real hostility quite apart from the arguably anti semitic implications of “prison camp” – an expression usually deployed to emotionally wound (blackmail?)Jews.
As to your final paragraph the problem is they probably havn’t even thought it through.
You see, it is things like this which make me so tired to even attempt to defend Israel anymore. So many people are anti-Israel, and the whole propaganda has worked because even people who are not remotely up on the issues believe that Israel is the bad guy. Everyone I know, and I mean everyone, including people are not remotely political or interested in current affairs are of the opinion that Jews control everything, that Israel is racist and so on and so on. I hear it day in and day out.
I waste my breath trying to defend Israel because the damage has already been done. Even when I point out the inconsistencies of their arguments, it goes in one ear and out the other. Israel and Jews are bad, that is all they hold to.
They insist I must be right wing, even though I would say I am left wing/liberal. “Oh, but you cannot be left wing liberal if you support Israel!”
Anyhow, I am sick and tired of it all.
Ain’t that a shame. The dogs are calling it as they see it.Your control of hearts and minds through the media control is slipping.
What’s the phrase.. you can fool all the people some of the time..etc etc
Expecting the usual abuse and attacks from your cyber battalions.
What dogs are you on about John D?
*looks behind me* Ain’t no cyber battalions here, only little old me.
People who speak against Israel are HOPING for that knock off effect!
DF -’you may be sick and tired of it all, but it will only get worse. It is, after all, a smear campaign.
Yep Jill. You are correct. I think I was particularly emotional last night when I posted my last message. I had just got back from a constant barrage of disagreements with my friends and it becomes completely draining. It is good to come on to sites like this to steel my resolve.
I don’t know why I was so optimistic about Cameron, what a creep. Whether he believes what he said or if he’s just sucking up to Turkey, both are as bad as each other. It’s unforgivable, he’ll never win back the Jewish vote now (self-haters excluded). I bet right now he’s triggered Jews to start planning their Aliyah.
I for one and many other conservative voting young
jews have said never again would we vote for cameron,
hague and his liberal jew hating deputy prime minister in
their Israel hating coalition
Mr cameron is a coward as are most of our politicians when it comes to Radical Islam and will ignore the terrorist threats to he UK to secure the Muslim vote and will like all before Him kow-tow to he extremists by appeasing them in order to fit in with the EU mentality.
He and most of our politicians should hang their heads in shame.