Garbled language and contradictory statements are becoming common. When Keir Starmer was asked if cutting off water and supplies falls within international law, he said Israel "does have that right". Then, his party claimed he never said this. When Starmer said Labour would not recognise Palestine unilaterally, his shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, told the Financial Times Labour would consider it.
Nowhere are these contradictions clearer than when politicians express unequivocal support for Israel's actions while also expressing concern for civilians in Gaza. David Cameron said he was "worried" that Israel may have broken international law, but that this did not change the UK's stance on exporting weapons to Israel. Riddle me that. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said that 7 October could not be taken as licence to "dehumanise" others, but his government chose twice to bypass Congress and provide more weapons to Israel.
Denne historien er fra February 16, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra February 16, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Saudi football World Cup is an act of violence and disdain
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From India to Venezuela and Senegal to the US, more people voted this year than ever before, with over 80 elections across the world. With rising authoritarianism and citizen-led resistance revealing its vulnerabilities and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges, has democracy reached its breaking or turning point?
