LibDem Policy Against Israel


By Jonathan Hoffman
April 23, 2010
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The PSC (Palestine Solidarity Campaign) has been asking MPs and candidates to sign up to their pledges. They have net been very successful. However the LibDems chose to reply as a Party (none of the other Parties replied). The response shows precisely why it would be folly for anyone who is not an Israel-basher to vote LibDem:

• Call on Israel to end its violations of international law, including ending its illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza

Comment: Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005. Israel is still in the West Bank but it is perfectly legal to remain in land taken as a result of a defensive war, pending evidence of peaceful intent by the Palestinians. Besides which, the Palestinian Authority wants Israel there to help with night time security.

• Oppose any attacks on universal jurisdiction and support bringing those responsible for war crimes to justice - we are opposed to any dilution of the law that would help those suspected of war criminals evade justice. If there are flaws in the current system we would support changes in legislation, but only following a thorough judicial review. There can be no special cases for individual countries.

Comment: It is not a case of "if there are flaws" - of course there are flaws. It does not need a Judicial Review to tell us that!

• Work to end the siege on Gaza - we urge Israel to end the blockade. Israel's blockade of Gaza is against Israel's own enlightened self-interest and only encourages extremism.

Comment: There is no “blockade”. There is a denial of entry for items that can then be used as a security threat to Israel

• Call on the government to ban the import of settlement goods - we support Government plans for clear labelling of imported goods from the West Bank, so that British consumers know whether goods are from Palestinian or settlement producers. We believe a full ban on goods from settlements should be considered.

Comment: There is nothing ‘illegal’ about the settlements so how can a “ban” be right? Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention does not apply since no-one forced Israelis to move to the West Bank.

• Call on the government to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement - we believe that the EU should suspend existing trade agreements until the blockade of Gaza is lifted.

Comment: There is no “blockade”. There is a denial of entry for items that can then be used as a security threat to Israel

• Call for an end to Britain's arms trade with Israel - we believe that the EU should suspend arms sales until the blockade of Gaza is lifted.

Comment: This is the same illogical argument that was in Nick Clegg’s piece in The Guardian on 7 January 2009. Israelis have the right to defend themselves from terrorists but it seems that they have to use their bare hands.

COMMENTS

Jon_i_Cohen

23 April, 2010 - 07:10

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Matthew Harris your comments please?
Or are you still trying to "flog that dead horse"?

Joshua18

23 April, 2010 - 07:20

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"but it seems that they have to use their bare hands."

Nah, Israel must have both its hands tied securely behind its back.

Mark Steyn put it best in 2006 (link no longer available):

"The standard defense is that it’s not anti-Semitic to criticize Israeli policies, but, as Miss Campbell’s letter suggests, what’s being questioned is not Israel’s policies but the right of Israel to have policies, especially on national security. If, say, some fellows in Mexico had kidnapped California State Troopers and were lobbing rockets randomly into residential areas of San Diego and Los Angeles, even La-La-Land libs would be demanding the US respond. It’s only the Israelis the world wishes to deny the conventional rights of sovereignty. In other words, it’s the legitimacy of the state that’s at issue. In effect, Israel has become the geopolitical version of the European Jew who’s allowed to operate a store in the town but not to exercise full ownership rights: in the old days, Jews faced property restrictions; now they face sovereignty restrictions."

Yvetta

23 April, 2010 - 07:40

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You're right, Joshua. In a nutshell, Israel is "the Jew among the nations".
The Lib Dem lefties demonstrate the ambivalence of the left - love the Jews only so long as Jews are victims.
Nick Clegg with his absurd question re whether the idea of Israel as a Jewish state is a new idea shows the lack of understanding and sympathy he has with Jewish and Israeli history.
As I say, the Lib Dems, Cloud Cuckoo Land dwellers, are toxic to the security not only of Israel but of Britain and the West.

Jonathan Hoffman

23 April, 2010 - 09:34

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@Joshua

Precisely

Lanne

23 April, 2010 - 12:20

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"Oppose any attacks on universal jurisdiction and support bringing those responsible for war crimes to justice - we are opposed to any dilution of the law that would help those suspected of war criminals evade justice. If there are flaws in the current system we would support changes in legislation, but only following a thorough judicial review."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7014461.ece

"Despite a Tory pledge to support the change, a motion against a new law preventing her arrest has gathered 108 backbench signatories."

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