UK: Lord Mitchell attacks ‘hypocrisy’ of anti-Israel campaigners

Lord Mitchell

Jewish peers [Baroness Deech, Lord Mitchell, Lord Palmer, Emeritus Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks and Lord Leigh] have highlighted what they said was the hypocrisy of singling out Israel for blame in the ongoing troubles of the Middle East. They voiced concerns over the focus on Israel’s actions in Gaza despite the growth of Islamic State, the continuing civil war in Syria, and Russian belligerence in Eastern Europe.

Labour’s Lord Mitchell led the defence of Israel during a four-and-a-half-hour debate in the Lords on Thursday. The session included repeated attacks by former Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Tonge on what she called the “dangerous pro-Israel lobby”.

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?”

More: Jewish Chronicle Oct. 31, 2014)