Keir Starmer says planing is ‘too localised’ and a Labour government would take a ‘wider’ view
And here are some more lines from what Keir Starmer said about the Israel-Hamas war in interviews this morning.
Starmer declined to contradict Suella Braverman’s suggestion that the waving of Palestinian flags in some communities while the Israel-Hamas war is taking place could be a criminal offence. The home secretary raised this possibility in a letter to the police in which she urged them to clamp down on actions that might amount to intimidating members of the Jewish community. She said in some situations waving a Hamas flag might be a racially aggravated section 5 public order offence. Asked on LBC if he agreed that waving a Palestinian flag in some Jewish areas of London could be an office, Starmer replied:
I think it would all depend on the circumstances.
Obviously what we have seen is attacks on Jewish communities in north London and obviously – and I know firsthand – that’s having a huge impact on Jewish communities, understandably, and not for the first time.
Starmer said he had extended family in Israel. His wife is Jewish, and he told LBC:
Yes, we have extended family in Israel. And this will be typical I think of many people in Israel, families, communities. They have a deep sense of shock of what is happening. And fear, overladen with a real anxiety, they felt that with the Israeli intelligence and security, they always know they’re under threat. But they felt there was a protection there, and there’s huge anxiety that on this occasion that didn’t seem to operate in the way that they wanted. So I’ve never known a time of such incredible anxiety on both those fronts, and understandably.
He said that Israel did have the right to besiege Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks. He told LBC:
I think that Israel does have that right. It is an ongoing situation.
Obviously everything should be done within international law, but I don’t want to step away from the core principles that Israel has a right to defend herself and Hamas bears responsibility for the terrorist acts.
He argued that Hamas was responsible for the conditions endured by civilians in Gaza. Asked about their plight, he told Sky News the world should stand with Israel.
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