The Guardian notes this morning:
You would think they were saying that Burnham had said he was sorry for not recognising the Israeli genocide in Gaza. But he did not. In fact, he failed to do a great deal.
He did not apologise for Labour's support, explicit or implicit, for Israel during the early months of the war.
He did not apologise for Labour's failure to oppose the siege of Gaza.
He did not apologise for Labour's failure to call for a ceasefire immediately.
He did not apologise for the tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths that occurred while Labour maintained its initial position.
He did not apologise for Labour's repeated refusal to describe Israeli actions in stronger legal or moral terms by calling its actions a genocide, which he still will not do.
He did not apologise for Labour's reluctance to recognise Palestine until very late in the conflict.
He did not apologise for Labour MPs and members who were disciplined or marginalised after speaking out on Gaza.
He did not apologise to Britain's Muslim communities, many of whom felt abandoned by Labour.
He did not apologise for Labour's loss of moral authority on questions of international law.
He did not apologise for continuing British military or diplomatic support that critics argue enabled Israeli military operations.
He did not apologise for Britain's failure to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law, assuming one accepts that such obligations were engaged.
Instead, his apology was carefully framed around Labour's response rather than Labour's actions or policies.
That is not good enough, not by a very long way, I say.
If this is the Prime Minister we are getting, weasel words skating over the reality of Israeli - and British - war crimes are to remain the order of the day, and that isn't the leadership we need.
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We are in a period of Zionist naqam – revenge – for our previous crimes against the Jews. Modern politicians who are wedded to the idea of human progress through profit just don’t get how badly they have been used. What is worse is that Muslims are paying the price for recent Christian cruelty whilst proclaiming ‘Gott mit uns’ as they did what we know they did. Where is the justice in that? It’s enough to make you want to pack your bags and go as far away from them all as possible – light years would do me. Death is having a ball. What a mess. History as revenge; revenge reliving history; history as eternal war. Words fail…………
Burnt-ham – zionist. LINO -zionist. The rest follows. Both LINO and Tory parties are pro-Israel & have much of their middle-east policy defined by Israeli wants/needs. This has been the case for decades. It is time that the UK detached itself from the embrace of Israel. Close the embassy, ban any and all “Friends of Israel” orgs (well they banned they Palestinian equivalent didn’t they?) and cut Israel off from any & all contact with the UK. I’d set a period of 20 years at the end of which the situation can be reviewed, a cooling off period as it were.
Notice how the entirety of the proposal is non-violent. I am confident it would never happen – & thus a reflection of a broader problem – foreign government interference in UK affairs.
Michael Rosen is so measured and eloquent yet damning. He now says they are all up for the ‘handwringing of the year’ award
It is not though the govt of this country and the US and some of the EU, were not warned of the dangers of complicity in war crimes.
This Feb. 2024, two and a half year ago.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68177357
The National reported four retired British generals urged the govt. to sanction Israel for the conduct of the war. These people know what they are talking about.
It can’t even be argued support for Israel is in our selfish national interest . It might please the US that we don’t condemn Israel but the govts. of the almost all the countries of Asia, South America and Africa ( and an increasing number in Europe ) support the Palestinian cause. That includes most of the Commonwealth. The conflict is, in essence, as the late Robert Fisk argued, a colonial war. They experienced colonialism. We need good relations with the rest of the world.
Also from the BBC last night. Their report on Andy Burnham’s statement opened by describing the events of October 7th. 2023 as ‘the Hamas massacre’ So despite all the contradictory evidence that has emerged from the events of that day; complete lack of evidence of rape of any kind let alone of ‘coordinated mass rape’ as described by the Israeli Government, no beheaded babies, masses of evidence of IDF involvement in strafing escaping cars, many of which included Israelis, the BBC continues to peddle the line of a Hamas massacre.
I’m not the least bit surprised by this. The labour party lost any moral authority it had a long time ago, under Blair, who Burnham fully supported and no doubt still does. Corbyn tried to restore some moral authority but was destroyed by his own MPs and then kicked out of the party.
It’s over for labour as far as I’m concerned. Don’t know how long Burnham will last, or what follows, but I see no light at the end of the tunnel for this country. Where is the leadership/moral authority to be found?
Plus ca change, plus c,est la meme chose
He did not apologise to the jews who, having humanity, are fiercely anti-Israel.
Same pig different suit (T-shirt), different lipstick.
I’m expecting little change. As you point out what he didn’t say is deafening
Palestine needs Acta non verba, but if you going just for words – make them good ones.
He did not apologise for people opposed to the genocide in Gaza and sympathetic to the Palestinian victims being threatened with up to 5 years or more imprisonment for protesting this.
Nor did Burnt-ham apologise for LINO’s fundamental curb on the peoples right to freely demonstrate against Israel’s genocide. He is as bent as the rest of LINO. And he is still silent on his platform – government by stealth!
I agree 1000% with everything you say here. The issue is that Burnham is treading a fine line of not wanting to anger Netanyahu/ the Israeli lobby, and by extension, the US. We saw with Jeremy Corbyn how allegations of antisemitism were used when a Labour politician steps out of line on this issue.
And it shouldn’t need saying but of course all antisemitism and racism should of course be condemned. However allegations of antisemitism should not be used to shut down legitimate criticism of the Israeli state.
I have read somewhere that Burnham is a member of Labour Friends of Israel , can someone verify that please? We should know .
He certainly has been in the past
Whilst agreeing with all already said I do not think the Israeli government actions can be classed as Genocide. According to the United Nations Genocide Convention, genocide involves specific acts committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. These acts include killing or causing serious harm to members, creating conditions designed to destroy the group, preventing births, or forcibly transferring children. I believe their barbarous actions are designed to force the Palestinians to leave that territory so that it can become part of the Greater Israel which their religious groups say were given to them by their God.
Many UN organisations appear to disagree with you.
And I use plain English anyway.
Does it matter what you believe the Israeli actions are designed to do when their effect is genocide? Everything you describe has been done by the Israelis.
Hilariously, Burnham is already being accused of antisemitism.
The Makerfield seat was gifted to Burnham by the disgraced and sacked Josh Simons. So IMHO, Burnham MUST have the full approval of the Israel Lobby. Any criticism of Burnham for “antsemitism” will be purely performative, as it was for Starmer when the UK “recognised” Palestine. (I predict such a performative piece in next Friday’s Jewish Chronicle – this week the JC are gunning for teachers and the NEU).
Simons will soon be BACK in a senior advisory (or worse) role, either in 10 Downing St. or, if Burnham is really brazen, with a peerage and a Cabinet position.
A tip – if you ever want a tough question for a discussion on Israel/Palestine, try this one – “What are the internationally recognised borders of the Israeli state formed in 1947 by international agreement?”
Israel’s very existence as a secular state, depended on international law and the UN, in respnse to the horrors of the European Holcaust and centuries of European pogroms. But now, international law has itself, been delegitimised by the Israel Lobby, with ICJ personnel sanctioned by the USA’s Criminal-in-Chief.
My expectations of Burnham, on Israel/Palestine?
Arms deals? No change.
Gaza? No change.
West Bank/E. Jerusalem? No change.
Genocide? No change.
Sanctions? Tokenistic action only.
Diplomatic relations? No change.
Trade? Tokenistic pronouncements and glacial pace of change.
Suppression of Palestine voice? To be intensified (on both sides of the argument).
Israeli (foreign) influence on UK politics? Quietly increasing.
Weaponisation of antisemitism? Increasing.
Attacks on UK Jews and Muslims? Increasing, and equally disgraceful.
I really want to be proved wrong (by events, not arguments).
I hope you are proved wrong.