We're not standing with Israel, actually

A poll for The Guardian suggests 61% of Brits believe Israel has acted "disproportionately" to the threat it faces against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Since this is the Guardian its tempting to assume this is just the usual suspects on the Left, but sadly I don't think it is. The poll goes on to say even 68% of conservatives believe Tony Blair's position on this is too close to that of President Bush (and it is safe to say that "yo Blair" incident didn't help).

The British Conservative Party also seems to be following its leftward lurch in domestic policy with a similar change in direction in foreign policy. Even NRO has noticed this, with a typically accurate post on David Frum's blog:

This week... Cameron’s front bench indulged itself in the most serious attack to date upon its friends: this time, an attack upon US-UK diplomacy in the Middle East, upon George Bush, and upon Israel as it defends itself against terror attack.

This is because Tony Blair was openly mocked on the Conservative benches for being unwilling to "stand up to" Bush, and an admission from Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague that Israel's response has indeed been disproportionate (that specific word was used).

This was not however as bad as it got. 'Liberal Democrat' leader Ming Campbell had the following bile to spew:

The Government is right to ensure there are no arms transfers, either direct or indirect, from the UK to Syria, Iran or illegal armed groups such as the military wing of Hizbollah ... The Government must now comply with its own arms export rules and institute an immediate suspension of all UK arms exports to Israel

A moral equivalence is drawn between Israel and Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. Tories may be doing their best to cuddle up to elitist opinion in Europe on this, but you still won't see such alarming idiocy from them as seems manditory for a liberal.

Without doubt, the UK isn't standing with Israel as it should be. But their is still a minority who sees Israel's fight as our broader fight, a fight against Islamofascism. This pro-Israel rally in London shows not everyone is suffering from pancake-on-the-brain syndrome

posted by Chris Hughes @ 1:51 PM