Become a Member
News

The Sderot tour our PM avoided

July 17, 2008 23:00

By

Shelly Paz And Jessica Elgot

3 min read

Although Gordon Brown is visiting Israel next week, the Prime Minister has decided to avoid scheduling a trip to the Kassam-ravaged town of Sderot. The Jewish Chronicle — which has long campaigned for more UK awareness of what we have called “Israel’s unreported war” — believes this to be a lost opportunity for Mr Brown to learn first-hand how Hamas rockets have been tormenting the Negev town’s residents.

So today the JC offers Mr Brown this whistlestop guide to the Sderot that he should be seeing for himself.

Our guide is based on tours already experienced by scores of British MPs and peers, which have proved effective in raising awareness of the human cost of Hamas’s bombardment.

Unlike Mr Brown — and Tony Blair, who cancelled his own Sderot trip this week — the 50 or so British politicians of all parties who have visited in the past year are shown schools, homes and kibbutzim damaged by Kassam rockets. Often, the local mayor even sets the scene for them.

To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.