Just read that Labour's Rachel Reeves has come under attack for her speech where she vowed to come down hard on individuals or communities who expressed anti-Zionist views by those claiming that this was a sign of growing Islamophobia in this country. I just wish that people would try and take the heat out of this debate and discuss things rationally rather than extremists on both sides using rhetoric that only inflames things and incites hatred and racism. Both the RW (including 123s beloved DM😁
and LW press are guilty of this.
As for Rachel Reeves, she needs to use her words more carefully- -or at least clarify her position. If she construed anti-Zionism to be those who would seek the destruction of the state of Israel then most right thinking people would surely agree with her. But Zionism is all about expansion. Ugly truth, it may be, but it isn't too different than the German concept of Liebestraum which Hitler used to justify Nazi expansion eastwards (though the idea actually predates him). Look at a map of Israel in 1949 and compare it to one today to see how much land Israel has annexed (illegally) from Palestine over the years. Netanyahu and other right wing Zionists have made no bones about the fact that they will continue this policy. Is it really wrong then to criticise Israel for this, or their treatment of Palestinians? Should the horrors that the Jews endured during the Holocaust (and under Stalin) prevent us from being able to challenge Israel? Netanyahu and others would argue that to do so is to be anti-Semitic but surely this is a lie as there is a difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism and there are many Jews who do not share extremist Zionist beliefs and would accept a two state solution. Rachel Reeves would have done better to make her views clearer.
As for Islamic Extremism, which would aim to destroy Western democracy, freedoms and values, I totally agree with animal that this poses a very real threat to us and that we have been far too soft in dealing with those who preach such hatred. This over tolerance will ultimately destroy the tolerances of our own society if we let it so we do need to fight back a lot harder. That said, the vast majority of Muslims in this country do not subscribe to these views and I believe that the scaremongering and (sometimes racist) RW rhetoric is throwing fuel on the fire and only increasing Islamophobia in the country. Anti-Semitism is certainly unacceptable but Islamophobia is equally so.
The heinous actions by Hamas in their attack on innocent Israelis rightly drew world wide condemnation and Israel has every right to seek out those responsible but does the legitimacy of this aim then justify the huge "collateral damage" done to the civilian Palestinian population in Gaza or make anyone who criticises this anti-Semetic?
As Mick said, the whole Israel/Palestine issue is so complex that whilst the two state option might appear the obvious solution, there are no easy answers. It is not helped by having two opposing extremists in positions of power and until Palestinians in Gaza turn against Hamas and Israelis against Netanyahu, sadly, there seems little hope of improvement. Anti-Semitism is abhorrent, but regarding Israel, it should not be forgotten that in his desire to drive a widening rift between Palestinians in Gaza and those in the West Bank (to prevent a united Palestinian front) Netanyahu has effectively propped up Hamas for years. A dirty, but rather open secret that people might also remember when discussing the atrocities committed by Hamas on 7th October.