Lord Mitchell attacks ‘hypocrisy’ of anti-Israel campaigners

Lord Mitchell said: “Around the world, atrocities are being committed and we all wring our hands and do precious little, but when Israel alone defends herself, everybody goes ballistic.

“At best it can be called hypocrisy, and at worst it is called something else.”

He said he agreed with actress Maureen Lipman’s criticisms of his own party and its leader Ed Miliband on foreign policy.

“When we see demonstrations in the streets of London which are pro-Hamas with a nasty element of antisemitism thrown in, it beggars belief,” he said.

“When I see my good friend the MP Luciana Berger receive death threats from antisemitic Twitter trolls for her position on Israel, it shows where all this can lead.

“I ask this question: if the demonstrators are so concerned about countries that commit crimes against humanity, why do they not demonstrate against countries which make no secret of their barbarism?”

The debate was intended to cover the situation across the Middle East, but was dominated by comments on Israel and the Palestinians.

Baroness Warsi, who quit the government in August over its response to the Gaza conflict, said Britain could no longer be considered an honest broker in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

She questioned Britain’s response to Israeli settlement building and the humanitarian situation in Gaza and again said the government’s stance was “morally indefensible”.

“It is not in Britain’s national interests and it will have a long-term detrimental impact on our reputation, internationally and domestically. It is time for us to start to be on the right side of history,” she concluded.

Baroness Deech called on Muslim countries to do more to build a peace movement and work to resolve the problems of the Middle East.

“Where is their Gandhi? Where is their Mandela? We are talking today about the failure of the nation state in Islam, and the failure in the region to overcome the demonisation of others,” the cross-bencher said.

“What can the West do, except point out the truth, mobilise its few allies and keep the extremism and the demonisation at bay and out of our country?

“We have to spread the ideas that will end hate. One day, I am sure, the scales will fall from the eyes of the Israel haters.”

Baroness Deech also challenged Baroness Warsi’s claim - at the time of her resignation - that the government’s foreign policy was leading to the radicalisation of British Muslims.

“No government can shape its policy for fear that its own citizens will bomb and behead others within its own territories as a result,” Baroness Deech said.

Liberal Democrat Lord Palmer gave a strong defence of Israel’s efforts to avoid civilian casualties in its military operations and said the international community had failed to give the country due credit.

“That shows just how hard it is for Israel to gain a fair hearing on the stage of international opinion,” he said. “We criticise Israel, but where is the criticism of Hamas for how it puts the lives and property of the people of Gaza at risk?”

Urging the Arab world to stop demonising Israel and “blaming others for your failures”, Emeritus Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks said world Jewry cared deeply about the future of the Palestinians.

“We want Palestinian children, no less than Israeli children, to have a future of peace, prosperity, freedom and hope,” he said.

“That is why we oppose those who teach Palestinian children to hate those with whom they will one day have to live. We oppose those who take money given for humanitarian aid and use it to buy weapons and dig tunnels to take the region back to a dark age of barbarism.”

Baroness Tonge said Hamas were “so-called terrorists” who many in the Middle East saw as “freedom fighters”.

She appeared to blame Western support for Israel for the growth of extreme Islamic groups “determined to get their own back…through terrorism”.

“It is no surprise that a recent incident in Canada, and an exposed terrorist plot in Australia, have followed attacks in our country and the USA,” she said.” Both of these countries have unhesitatingly supported Israel with the USA and the United Kingdom.”

Asking what factors led to support being given to Israel’s “rogue government”, Baroness Tonge said it was “quite right” that Holocaust guilt played a role.

But she added: “There is none so important as the thing that dare not speak its name. I am talking about the activities of the lobby, in this country and in America. Aipac in America and Bicom here, plus the groups called Friends of Israel.

“Those of us who challenge the lobby are threatened and disposed of by our leaders as best they can. David Ward, my colleague in the other place, is currently fighting yet another battle against the lobby as I speak.

“All lobbies are dangerous and undemocratic; the pro-Israel lobby is not the only one, but it is particularly dangerous in this context. Money and influence win over truth and justice, and the West sinks lower and lower in the world’s esteem because of it.”

Conservative Party senior treasurer Lord Leigh hit back at Baroness Tonge’s claims.

“I do not regard myself as part of a lobby. I regard being open, saying what you have on your mind and being principled as something that we are in this House to do, and to suggest otherwise - that we are part of a lobby - is a slur,” he said.

Lord Leigh said no other country attracted as much attention in the Lords, and added: “I can also think of no other country that it is so completely misunderstood.

"Israel can be described only as a force for good in a region experiencing great transformative turmoil. The UK benefits from its relationship with Israel. UK trade with Israel continues to grow inexorably to more than £2.5 billion."