Nothing justifies yesterday's attack in Manchester. No excuses can ever be made for murder. That is what this was. My sympathies go to all involved, their communities, and to the police officer who has to carry the burden of having killed the attacker to prevent what was, it seems, entirely reasonably believed to be a greater risk.
There is, however, one thing to add. A politician - and I did not catch who, but he was an elderly man - was interviewed on Channel 4 News last night, saying that over the last two years, antisemitism has become normalised in middle-class society in the UK. His inference was clear: what he was implying was that criticism of Zionism is antisemitic and must cease as a result of an attack like this.
That is not true. That is the logic that underpins what Trump is doing in the USA.
Zionism is not to be equated with Jews. There are Jews who are not Zionists. The two are, quite simply, unequatable as they are not the same. One is a political belief system, the other describes the adherents to a faith that has come to define an ethnic group.
There are Jews who oppose the existence of Israel.
There are Jews who think Zionism is racist - as it clearly is. It declares Jews a superior race with greater rights than Arabs and Palestinians. That is not true.
And Zionism might lead to support for what the government of Israel is doing, but the government of Israel does not represent all Jews, even within that country.
I defend the right of Israel to exist, as I have, since I first thought about this issue as a student fifty years ago. But as I have also made clear, I think the right of Palestine to exist is as certain and obvious.
But I will not support the Israeli government's actions when they are wrong. At present, they are pursuing a genocide. That government's policy - not that of Jews, even if they all happen to be Jewish - is racist and fascist. And it is not in any way antisemitic to say so.
In that case, to suggest that because of this wholly unjustified attack, which I condemn absolutely, I am no longer allowed to point out that the actions of some people are wrong is discriminatory, a denial of my human rights, and a denial of reality, because that genocide is happening, and many people died as a result of it in Gaza yesterday.
Saying that does not make me an antisemite, as that politician on Channel 4 last night implied. It reflects the fact that I respect the rights of all Jews to be treated equally in this world, as I respect the rights of all others to be treated in the same way. I cannot be an antisemite for upholding Jewish rights. Those who say I am are the real antisemites: they are saying the Jews are different, and that I will not stand for. Jews are people, like all other people. They are not better, worse, or different. They are people to be judged as all others are.
They should not ever be attacked for their faith, beliefs, or ethnicity.
They have a right to live in peace.
That right must be protected.
But that does not afford some Israelis, whether Jews or not (and not all in the IDF, for example, are Jews), the right to engage in war crimes, and no one can claim that right exists.
So, let the country mourn this event. Let us condemn the lone attacker, who appears to have no previous known links to terrorism, according to good reports this morning. What he did was utterly wrong and to be condemned. But let us not use that as a reason to silence those who oppose violence, whoever uses it against others. We have that right. And I will continue to exercise it.
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Thanks for expressing this so clearly. And thanks for having the courage to do so.
So many people seem to think anti-Zionism and antisemitism are the same thing — why? But as this is the case, Israel’s actions in Gaza are adversely affecting the wellbeing of Jews everywhere, and I think that will be the case for years to come.
It is probably a result of widespread adoption of the IHRA definition of Anti-Zionism, which is not without criticism or counterclaims. There is a deliberate effort to conflate ethnicity with religious identity or belief, which, somewhat ironically, is what is happening with those on the opposite side of the conflict.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/aug/13/ihra-definition-of-antisemitism-has-long-been-a-target-in-anti-zionist-campaigns
Agreed 100%
And if, over the last quarter century, the West had taken seriously the rights and security of the Palestinians and opposed the settlements and sale of arms, we would probably not seeing the awful situation in Gaza and the West Bank.
“upholding Jewish rights”
Working on the basis that jews are people like you, me everybody & their rights (life liberty pursuit of happiness etc) are no different to ours, I’m puzzled why jews would have (human) rights different from ours, i.e. to go about their business without let or hindrance. Their rights are ours – I would have thought.
As for Israel, the country was/is a racist aparthied state from the very start & has acted as such for 70 odd years. It needs to reform but seems to have neither the desire nor will to do so. Columbia has shown the way: all Israeli diplomats expelled, emabassy closed etc a normal reaction to the actions of another state committing genocide.
Thank-you Richard for setting out a position I absolutely agree with. There is no justification for the murder of innocent people whatever their race creed or colour by anyone, lone terrorist or powerful government. As to where we in this country should go from here I would suggest to anyone who thinks that they hate a particular group, jewish people, moslem people, black people, white people that they seek some out and try to get to know them. It is so much less easy to hate if you can put a face to the object of hate, because you realise that the person you think you hate is actually just like you, with the same fears, aspirations and problems that you have- another human being. Communities living shut off from each other makes it so much easier for them to hate each other. The other thing we need so much to be aware of, all of us, in our media posts and particularly people like politicians who have access to the airwaves is to mind what we say. Words CAN kill. Careless violent language leads to violence in the end.
Thanks – apologies for delay.
I think the elderly gentleman was a Labour MP whom I saw on C4. I thought that his summing up was useless; a rather well spoken woman was also interviewed saying that she no longer felt safe in the UK. Well, you might as well go then, I thought, there will be plenty of room for you in Israel because of genocide in Gaza and Jewish settler incursions promoted by Zionists.
But did she not realise that it might be the Israeli government’s actions that might mean she will never be safe? That such behaviour could lose common empathy that people had with the history of Jews and their persecution?
Then they interviewed a stout looking fellow I think from the Jewish community who just spoke about the local community and who they were and that was an astounding statement given the circumstances – he spoke of togetherness, looking out for one another despite different backgrounds. He was no politician but I wished he was. He had a moral confidence and authority. I thought he was spot on.
One thing my partner raised was that this is perhaps why we need to tax those who run social media platforms more that enable people to get so wound up that they commit atrocities like this?
It is rather awful seeing local communities hurt each other like this when the rich and powerful who create these messes seem to float around the world at liberty, wielding chaos.
Agreed. This horrible murder will, indeed already is, being used to stifle peaceful protest, to quell dissent and to enable the police to intimidate and silence the voices it does not like. The Met have demanded that the next London Defend our Juries protest about cardboard terrorism should be cancelled as they can’t arrest 1,500 protesters AND protect synagogues and mosques.
I suppose some senior and highly paid Met Officer now has the very challenging decision of deciding which course of action serves the public interest best (and which serves the government’s interest best).
After all, they have to prioritise the deployment of scarce resources every day, so they should be used to it.
There will be mosques and synagogues near Charing Cross who perhaps dont want their local police looking out for them…
Personally, I think Starmer is finished. I think the real danger to my civil liberty will come from his successor, sometime next year, unless Labour MPs wake up now and discover a conscience, a spine, and a moral compass, and we the public refuse to be intimidated and silenced.
“The Met have demanded that the next London Defend our Juries protest about cardboard terrorism should be cancelled”
I’m pleased to see that DOJ have refused to comply.
https://defendourjuries.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Letter_to_Ade_Adelekan.pdf
Sorry Richard,
I don’t agree with you on this. DOJ have an argument with our government over the definition of terrorism and I support their argument. The demonstrations will also be challenging the appalling conduct of the Israeli government in Gaza and I think they are right to do so. However I do not think it is right to do that this weekend. As you rightly point out the protesters are anti-zionist, not anti- semitic. What better way could there be of demonstrating that distinction than by recognising the anxiety of the jewish population here and calling off the demonstration temporarily? When Jo Cox was murdered during an election campaign the parties paused campaigning temporarily. I think this might perhaps be the template to follow. Differences were set aside to allow space for people to grieve and to show respect for the dead.
DOJ = Defend Our Juries.
I take their newslettyers and emails.
`I wonder if that makes me a terrorist now?
And you make a good point. I hear you!
So agree Richard that many quoted on BBC suggest that criticism of Zionism is antisemitic.
Entirely predictable that there have been a stream of lies and unverified anecdotes to suggest that the country has been swept by a tide of antisemitism – and above all that there is a ‘seamless connection’ with demonstrations ‘on our streets’ against genocide in Gaza and antisemitism and terrorism . Jenrick says ‘not everyone’ on the demonstrations are antisemitic – suggesting that most are.
Yes – the data suggests there has been a rise in antisemitism, as there has been a rise in islamophobia and a rise in extremism of all kinds – much of it fostered by leading politicians – who talk about ‘hate marches’, and demonising asylum seekers.
The govt being complicit in genocide by supplying arms, not sanctioning Israel, operating spy flights etc , would love the demonstrations and marches to go away – that’s why they are either not reported or only reported in terms of arrests.
I have been on several London Gaza demonstrations – all passionate and emotional – but entirely peaceful with relatively few police being fairly low key and relaxed.
The ‘seamless’ connection between Israel as a state and Jews worldwide as a religion and ethnic group is a favourite trope of Netanyahu.
The news today has been shocking in its bias. The idea that anti-Zionism is akin to antisemitism is going unchallenged.
You say there is a genocide going on in Gaza.
If that is the case, how many other genocides are going on in the world right now?
None as bad as that.
Well there are an estimated 400000-500000 mass killings in Sudan and a similar number in Ethiopia, and these atrocities are still on going. What is there no outcry from you on these? The RSF is behind the killings in Sudan. They are an Arab Muslim Militia primarily destroying Christian communities. In Ethiopia it is the Muslim Oromo liberation Army attacking Christian villages. I understand the situation in Gaza is a humanitarian disaster but it is not the worst. it is right that Israel is publicly shamed and I entirely support this. But why is there is absolutely no mention of Muslim on Christian atrocities in Sudan and Ethiopia where the scale is much greater and more barbaric. We hear absolutely nothing from the left wing protestors who protest endlessly about Gaza. One does wonder if their energy is channelled to the situation in Gaza because Israel is involved?
The whole focus of my work on tax havens was loinked to development.
To say I ignore such issues is just not true. And many aid agencies I have worked with still work on these issue.s. Your coaims are simply wrong.
And I condemn all attrocities, including those in China, which you have ignored.
And then I make the simply point – what Israel is doing may be the biggest ethnic cleansing we have ever seen where cameras can get access – and by a government rather than groups. I rather strongly suspect yoy are beung antisemitic, seeking an exclusion for Israel unjustifiably.
Such a weak response Richard. You have never mentioned the atrocities in Sudan or Eithiopia, you focus on Gaza because it’s what the left do. It’s more virtue signalling.
It takes an exceptional degree of stupidity to write a comment like this. Because I have not written about everything I cannot, apparently, write about anything. Either you cannot see how utterly bizarre that claim is, or like many Zionists, you are profoundly antisemitic, as of course some Jews argue. Either way, you are not welcome here.
… and none, as far as I know, for which the British State has been so responsible from the outset and in which it remains complicit (and in denial).
“You say that…”
A few other people say so too…
“If…”
You don’t sound convinced, perhaps you could expand on why.
While I’m here, I don’t prioritise genocides by religion or ethnicity. I’m a follower of Jesus, I am interested in religious freedom, and well informed about religious persecution.
I am also well aware of how religion gets weaponised by evil people. That’s wrong, whoever the perpetrator is, whoever the victims are.
The government of Israel has been at this for decades, and at an alarming scale over the last 2 years, including escalation in the West Bank and E Jerusalem. It is also in active conflict with Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Qatar.
That is unprecedented.
I have personally mentioned Sudan here within the last week, and volunteer for a charity seeking to support and publicise the needs of Sudanese refugees.
The problem is humans killing other humans because they believe they aren’t really human.
How, pray tell, is being Zionist (someone who supports the continued existence of a Jewish homeland), antisemitic?
Why not ask those many Jews who think it is?
This is your blog and you made the statement.
I’m asking you, not them.
Why don’t you explain how being a Zionist is antisemitic.
Rather than evading the question, which is what any cowardly antisemite would do
The usual claim is that Zionism = support for a Jewish homeland in Israel/Palestine, and that opposition to it is antisemitic. But there’s another perspective, which argues the reverse: that Zionism itself contains antisemitic assumptions. Here’s why:
1. Zionism accepts the antisemitic premise that Jews cannot live safely among others.
Classical European antisemitism said Jews were alien, could not be integrated, and must leave. Zionism emerged in the late 19th century agreeing with that logic — not challenging antisemitism, but concluding Jews must separate themselves. In that sense, it internalised the antisemitic claim.
2. Zionism redefines Jewish identity in nationalist, ethnic terms.
Judaism is primarily a religion and culture with rich diasporic traditions. By reducing Jewishness to a nationality tied to territory, Zionism mirrors antisemitic thinking that Jews are a people apart, defined by blood and soil, not faith or ethics.
3. Zionism erases diasporic Jewish life.
Many Jews lived creative, vibrant lives across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Zionism suggested those lives were invalid or unsafe — echoing antisemitic voices that said Jews did not belong in wider society.
4. Zionism risks associating all Jews with the acts of the Israeli state.
By insisting Israel represents all Jews, Zionism fuels the antisemitic trope of collective Jewish responsibility. If Israel commits atrocities, antisemitic hatred can then be directed at Jews everywhere.
5. Zionism co-opted antisemitism as political leverage.
Some of the most powerful early backers of Zionism were antisemites who wanted Jews out of Europe (including Balfour in Britain). Zionism, in effect, aligned with antisemitic projects to remove Jews, rather than dismantling antisemitism.
So, the paradox is this: Zionism arose as a response to antisemitism, but in doing so, it absorbed and perpetuated antisemitic assumptions — that Jews do not belong in the nations where they live, that their safety requires separation, and that Jewish identity is political rather than spiritual or cultural.
Thank you Richard – an excellent summary of a very important point.
Thanks
I spammed Max’s reply. I think you can assume his true self seemed to come out.
Well said Richard. I suspect you have articulated the thoughts of many in this post. Thanks.
Wonderful response Richard on the dark, self negation inherent in Zionism.
I would go so far as to say that Zionism is loved by and gives shelter to anti-Semites who cannot stomach the idea of Jews living amongst us. No wonder so many of them support it – the ‘anywhere but here’ brigade.
The Manchester synagogue attack was appalling and must be condemned outright. But let’s be honest: the rage that fuels such violence grows from Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the UK/US backing it. Protect Jewish communities here — yes. But also end the slaughter there. Justice for Palestinians is the only path to real security for all.
Cliff B,
Absolutely agree. Caitlin Johnstone makes much the same point:
“Murder is wrong. Israel should stop committing it.
Antisemitism is wrong. Israel should stop fomenting it by massacring children under the banner of the Star of David while claiming to represent all Jews.
Terrorism is wrong. Israel should stop perpetrating it by deliberately targeting civilians with mass scale violence for the purpose of advancing a political objective.
Attacking places of worship is wrong. Israel should stop bombing mosques and churches.”
It’s worth reading her whole piece: https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/on-the-manchester-synagogue-attack
I don’t believe in the right of Israel to exist as a jewish state, nor of Palestine to exist as a muslim state. Can there be such a state ‘right’ in the abstract, regardless its nature? Did Nazi Germany have a ‘right to exist’ ? I believe the attempt to maintain a state ‘for’ one religion, or one ethnicity, or one ‘people’ (whatever that means) will always lead to oppression and authoritarianism. I believe in the strong form of secularism expressed in the French conception of ‘laïcité’: a state that guarantees the freedom of all religious practice in private by privileging none in public.
Of course we have to accept the reality of Israel and Palestine as they have come to our time, and work to ensure the safety and human rights of all who now live there – but my guess is that the two-state solution can be nothing more than a temporary sticking plaster, because the fundamental fault of the idea of a country ‘for’ one ‘people’ will continue to poison both. Drawing rather on experience like the Good Friday Agreement and the South African Truth & Reconciliation process, I think, holds more long term promise.
Well said Geof.
I agree with all that, and totally support the French concept of laïcité. For me organised religion has a lot to answer for.
Until Netanyahu encouraged Hamas (to destabilise the PA) in Gaza, by allowing finance to come from Qatar, the PA was a secular authority (with many faults). At present Netanyahu is organising rival Islamist militia to counter his failed Hamas initiative.
There is a substantial Christian community in the West Bank, as well as many secular Palestinians. I am not aware of significant Palestinian moves for an Islamic Palestine. However, as the genocide progresses, that may well change, and it would suit Netanyahu’s eternal war plans for that to happen.
@GeofCox….I wholeheartedly concur. I too struggle with the legitimacy of the state of Israel, certainly in its current form and with consideration for how its got to where it is.
The Balfour declaration provided for a ‘declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations’ and the British government would ‘view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object’. This in itself is curious and duplicitous – the Jews already had a home in Palestine, along with the Christians and Moslems. However the cloaked intention for a mass migration of Jews into Palestinian was completely without consultation or consent of the indigenous population. This mass migration was set in motion however by Zionist terrorists clearing the path until eventually arriving at 1948 and the particularly brutal expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians. Without a shred of basis in law the Zionists then unilaterally declared that the occupied lands now formed the ‘State of Israel’. How on earth can any right thinking person consider this legitimate and how can anyone with a shred of empathy not understand that generations of violent repression has fomented the Palestinians armed resistance?
It is the nature now for countries around the planet to be multi-cultural and multi-faith and Zionists need to recognise that this is, ideally, the only path to peace and prosperity for Palestine.
I say ‘ideally’ because that is in recognition that so much water has passed under the bridge now and a ‘two state solution’ may be the more pragmatic outcome but the Zionists will not even countenance that. They are certainly not negotiating for it in good faith.
The Palestinian National Charter, as amended by the PLO’s Palestinian National Council in July 1968, defined “Palestinians” as “those Arab nationals who, until 1947, normally resided in Palestine regardless of whether they were evicted from it or remained.
“Arab nationals” is not religious-specific, and it includes the Arab Christians and other religious communities of Palestine who were at that time Arabic-speakers, such as the Samaritans and Druze and the Jews of Palestine, although limited to the Arabic-speaking Jews who had normally resided in Palestine before the creation of Israel.
Israel is also not a purely Jewish state but its “Arab” citizens have experienced significant discrimination. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, the Israeli Arab population stood at 2.1 million people in 2023, accounting for 21% of Israel’s total population, the majority of Arab Israelis are Muslims, but there are significant Christian and Druze minorities among others. Which of these Arab citizens are classed as Palestinians has been the subject of argument.
Thank you for a most insightful article on a crucial focus of differentiation!
“Differentiation is never more important than it is in time of trouble.” [From Jack Welch]
Richard, I stand side by side with you on this post. I fear your message will need repeating time and time again but so be it.
Thanks
Well said Richard.
Benjamin Netanyahu wants Anti-semitism and Anti-zionism to be inseparable – which it is in the USA and coming soon to our sunny shores…
And they are fundamentally different.
The Labour Party has been run on that assumption since 2016.
Like many aspects of the Labour Party ethos under Starmer, it is now government policy.
As a member of Jewish Voice for Labour, I reject those ‘critics’ above who are playing whataboutery. I also reject Graham Stringers BS. The genocide our government is actively involved in IS our main focus.
I’m Jewish and certainly do not defend Israel’s ‘right to exist’. Apart from the obvious fact that countries don’t have rights, only people do – what people usually mean by this is that Israel has a right to be a Jewish state.
But again the obvious fact is while people have a right to self-determination – which is codified by the UN – that right does not exist where it at the expense of another people.
On other matters – antisemitism is a minor prejudice in the UK and it is talked up to attack the left and defend Israel.
About Manchester – there will aways be a few extremists who react to events such as Gaza, just as say some of the IRA set bombs. The answer is to eliminate the political cause, in this case give Palestinians their rights and preferably dismantle Zionism.
Much to agree with
To Margaret Brown and James Heath:
I would suggest “their energy is channelled to the situation in Gaza” because our government, and the West generally, is fully complicit in allowing the genocide to continue, and more and more people are coming to realise that.
As for the idea that support for Palestinians is “what the left do”, that begs the question – what do the non-left do? I seem to recall there have been some right-wing protests in this country recently that weren’t noticeably inspired by humanitarian impulses.
The obvious implication is only the left care.
Our home secretary has labelled pro-palestine protests “un-British”. Apparently we aren’t allowed to voice our concerns for the deaths of thousands at the whim of a man who simply wants to stay out of jail. It’s clear the hold Israel has over our government, to the point where anything Starmer and his people have to say on the issue absolutely worthless to me. You can’t hold a legitimate view when so deeply compromised. And as for the apparent scourge of anti-Semitism in this country, is it better or worse than anti Muslim sentiment? Many in this country simply hate Muslims. There’s no other way to describe it. And I’m sure Israel helps that sentiment along, in the same way they, and the Americans, likely pressured our government into banning Palestine Action.
Mahmood is very wrong. Utterly wrong
This is akin to saying having empathy is wrong.
These words are absolutely clear and need to be widely repeated because they are the way most people feel about this question. People taking an extreme position cannot argue against your reasoning, although they may allow feelings to override the clarity of your logic. When I say most people, I would estimate about 70% of those who’ve given it any thought.
I have had a lot of hate, I can assure you, for saying this.
I completely agree with your post. We need to be clear, anti-semitism has not arisen in the last couple of years, it’s been a feature of our society for centuries, it is endemic, poisonous and like every form of racism diminishes us all. Politicians and journalists who are practicing othering for political advantage bear a significant part of the blame for the rise in antisemitism as do all those who look the other way.
Thanks
Antisemitism of course exists but manifests mainly as minor prejudice in Britain. There is little to no discrimination against Jews, which is certainly not true for some other groups, in employment, criminal justice, immigration, housing, healthcare. This may be partly because the Jewish working class has virtually disappeared here and in other western countries.
My brother John was in Palestine in 1947 as a very young soldier and witnessed the British government mess up again. He was shot at by Israeli soldiers and nearly killed. He was 17years. He died 5 years ago and when I asked him about Palestine and what happened some of you knowledgable people would be shocked at what he witnessed. He left money to the dreadfully injured Gaza children and I made sure it got there.
If he was here today he would say to you Richard..well said.
Thanks
A very good summary of what has been going through my own mind.
There will always be anti-Semites just as there are Islamophobes and other forms of racist. However after decades of Israeli apartheid culminating in the genocide we see now, those who would by instinct be deeply opposed to anti-semitism have been profoundly insulted by by being told that to object to the behaviour of what proudly declares itself to be the Jewish Nation Of Israel is to be anti-Semitic.
Those people have not suddenly become anti-semites, but I suspect that the support they may have had for Israel and the wider Jewish community has been severely damaged, and in future those crying ‘anti-semitism’ will find that they are ‘crying Wolf’. Their previous friends will have turned their backs.
Meanwhile Israel’s drift to the far Right has led them to cosy up to the real and most dangerous home of real anti-semitism.
Much to agree with
To add to Richard’s excellent 5 point post about Zionism above:
– The great majority of Jews in Europe before WW2 were anti-Zionist because of these points
– Many Jews also lived at relative ease in countries such Iran – Muslims were not enemies but of course Israel changed the politics, often fomented by Zionists
– Many Jews forced to move chose the US and other countries other than Palestine (the Zionists had to work hard on this)
– The far right loves Israel because it’s an ethno-state. Tommy Robinson is going there again shortly, invited by the Israeli government.
https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/10/03/the-aftermath-of-the-manchester-attack/comment-page-1/#comment-1046215
Superb response.
I’m deeply shocked that Max didn’t feel able to continue a constructive dialogue and take up the various points you raised. What came over him?
I am apparently a disgusting antisemite abs nothing i said was true, mixed within venom i did not feel like sharing.
Other genocides…. There are at least two good reasons why the emphasis has to be on this (Israeli) genocide. One is that the UK had a major responsibility for setting up Israel in the first place , from the Balfour declaration onwards. Secondly, our government is , as the recent London inquiry established, not only complicit in the genocide, but is actively militarily participating in it.
I don’t know what level of involvement the UK is in Ethiopia and Sudan – no doubt there is some and it should be exposed but it is unlikely to be as significant as it is in the Israeli genocide.
Thanks, and agreed.
I don’t know which is worse frankly- Gaza or Sudan. Both countries were part of the British Empire at one time. At least western countries still seem to be willing to express some sort of responsibility for what is going on in Gaza, whilst they have washed their hands of Sudan and said it is a matter for the regional powers to deal with. There seems to be greater loss of life in Sudan, but I don’t think it helps to establish some sort of ranking of catastrophes. It is small comfort to dying children in Gaza to know that they would have more company in their misery if they lived a bit further south. I guess we are entering an awful stage in human history where the combination of climate change and geo-political instability is creating crises which overwhelm our ability to deal with them and giving rise to populist regimes intent on persuading us that charity begins at home. The latter is of course no solution at all. We are on the same planet as the Gazans and the Sudanese and by no means immune to the crises which have enveloped them.
Starmer conflated Anti-Zionism with antisemitism when he used the examples of antisemitism in the international definition. A deliberate policy to label Corbyn as antisemite.
Having done this, he now has a problem with genocide. Being against Zionism makes you an antisemite. So criticising Zionist genocidal behaviour makes you antisemitic as well. Can’t have it both ways. He should have thought of this before he pulled the rug from Corbyn.
https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/07/08/nour-haidar-home-secretary-vs-palestine-action-the-constitutional-implications-of-widening-the-legal-understanding-of-terrorism/
I’m not sure whether this is the right thread to post it on, but there is an excellent article above on the dangers of expanding the legal definition of terrorism as the government is trying to do by proscribing Palestine Action. Well worth a read.