“This is for Gaza!” said notorious anti-Semite George Galloway in the face of Keir Starmer, leader of the Labor opposition, after his victory in the Rochdale by-election in the north of England on February 29. Having campaigned on the conflict in the Middle East in this constituency of 110,000 inhabitants, a third of whom are Muslims of Indian-Pakistani origin, George Galloway took advantage of the dismissal of the Labor candidate for proven anti-Semitism in order to present himself as an independent. His victory not only marks the return of this Marxist close to Hezbollah and Hamas to the House of Commons, but it also symbolizes the serious crisis that British society is going through, torn apart by the repercussions of the October 7 attack in Israel. That unfailing support from Vladimir Putin, Bashar al-Assad and the Iranian mullahs can thus become a deputy by campaigning for the liberation of Palestine, qualifying the Hamas terrorists as “resistance”, created a shock wave in the country. A few hours after Galloway’s victory, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed the country to warn of “chaos and violence”, judging that with this election in Rochdale “the alert level had been exceeded”.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to disturb public order in the United Kingdom and to inflame British minds to whom we traditionally attribute calmness and pragmatism. No one is spared, not even cultural institutions and works of art. On February 11, the British Museum was the scene of sit-ins by pro-Palestinian activists, and on March 8, the library of Trinity College, Cambridge, lost a work of art, an early 20th century painting Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, slashed with a box cutter and red spray paint by a Palestine Action activist. However, the statesman said, in his famous declaration of 1917, that he was “favorable to the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine provided that it is done in harmony with the Palestinian inhabitants”… Still, the fact remains that the young activist left as freely as she had arrived.
Supervising demonstrations linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict has already cost 25 million pounds sterling (30 million euros) over the first two months of the conflict, money that is not allocated to other security issues. The level of tension and confusion has become such that the British police, completely overwhelmed, no longer know how to react to so many demonstrations and violent acts in public spaces. Freedom of expression or incitement to hatred? Citizen acts or criminal acts?
“We can speak of a threat to our democracy”
Government and police are passing the buck. Rishi Sunak, who deplores “the law of the street”, considered unacceptable that activists were able to project on Big Ben and the Westminster Parliament the pro-Palestinian slogan “From the river to the sea” advocating, in the eyes of Israel, the pure and simple erasure of the Jewish state. The London police responded that they did not consider this a crime, even though the organizers had not obtained any authorization. A sign of a deleterious climate, MP Lee Anderson did not hesitate to accuse the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan of playing into the hands of the Islamists – comments condemned by his conservative colleagues.
For Robin Simcox, in charge of “counter-extremism” at the British Interior Ministry, “the actions of extremists have been tolerated for too long.” He not only points the finger at the weekly pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist demonstrations where anti-Semitic slogans flourish, but also evokes an environment where a state like Iran finances schools and mosques on British soil and where media and associations making the promotion of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood operate freely. “These groups are now part of our social fabric and are influential in many communities,” he asserts.
Social networks add to the divisions and dangers faced by political leaders, but also by ordinary citizens. Intimidation campaigns launched by anonymous activists add to the feeling of insecurity and fear. “When you see MPs preferring to hole up at home rather than go to votes in Parliament for fear of reprisals, it starts to look like terrorism,” said Jonathan Hall, independent government advisor on this subject. We can talk about threat to our democracy.” Three female MPs, known only to be from the Tory and Labor parties, now enjoy the same level of protection as the Prime Minister and the royal family. As for anti-Semitic acts against citizens, up 150%, they numbered 4,123 in 2023, the highest level since the start of their census in the 1980s.
The political class caught in a vice
In a desire to regain control, Rishi Sunak asked the Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities, Michael Gove, to redefine the term extremism, not for purely legal purposes but for administrative purposes so that certain associations and individuals (from all sides) no longer receive any public subsidies and can no longer access jobs within the public administration. Until now, “any explicit or active opposition to fundamental British values” was considered “extremist”. This last expression had always displeased jurists, who considered the concept too vague. Could redefining the term “extremism” provide some clarity?
According to Home Office sources, Michael Gove is preparing to propose a two-part redefinition. Extremism will first be considered as the promotion or manifestation of an ideology based on intolerance, hatred or violence aimed at undermining the rights or freedoms of others. Then, all those who seek to weaken or overthrow the rights or the British democratic system will be judged as extremists. Furthermore, any person or association allowing this type of extremism to flourish will be banned from employment in an administration and from any public funding. This applies, for example, to influencers downplaying the dangers of extremism on social media. Only foreign diplomats will be able to continue to meet groups or individuals considered extremist. Rishi Sunak also promised that foreign religious preachers with extreme views would be banned from the UK.
It is not just the Sunak government that sees its task complicated by the situation in the Middle East. The entire political class is caught in a vice. Labor’s Keir Starmer, whom all polls announce as the next Prime Minister, must deal with the resurgence of his ultra-left wing, which is readily pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist and which was thought to have disappeared since the Jeremy Corbyn years – the previous boss of the Plowing. Around fifty Labor MPs abandoned their current leader during a vote on the conflict in Gaza in Parliament in November. These rebels wanted Keir Starmer to call for an “immediate ceasefire” and not just “humanitarian pauses”. Today, their leader is toughening his tone against Israel. In this he follows many Western leaders who, after more than five months of a particularly deadly conflict, are trying to find a fair balance. And prevent deeper tears.
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