Criticism of the Israeli Government is not anti – Semitic : We cannot be afraid of speaking truth to power.

It seems odd to me and stating the obvious, to say that criticism of the Israeli Government is not anti -Semitic, any more than criticising the American Government could be regarded as anti-Christian.

Whilst genuine anti-semitism is a very real and a vile part of our reality that should of course be called out, we start on a very dangerous road when attempts are made to place the actions of any Government above scrutiny or beyond reproach.

I worry that of late, those lines are sadly becoming increasingly blurred, particularly as regards the Israeli occupation of Palestine. There would seem over recent years to be a determined attempt by the right in both the UK and US in particular, to label anyone who criticises this Israeli Government policy as ‘anti-semitic’. More generally it is in my view, often a rather sinister example of a smoke and mirrors tactic designed to shut down discussion and debate about very real human rights violations.

This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to illegally annex a third of the West Bank, an area Israel already occupies. The timing is relevant in the sense that the Israeli Government see the Trump presidency as a one off opportunity for action that would have been condemned by previous US administrations.

Some, such as Labours Lisa Nandy, have called for sanctions if such a move goes ahead, she’s called for a ban on the imports of goods from illegal settlements.

Opposing the annexation plan and proposing sanctions is not nearly enough. We must also demand a complete end to the illegal occupation, the withdrawal of illegal settlements and the recognition of the state of Palestine within the 1967 borders if we want to promote lasting peace.

The plight of the Palestinian people is one close to my heart and to the hearts of many members of Plaid Cymru. In 2014, we held a rally in my home town of Wrexham to oppose the bombing of Gaza by Israel, which left 2,200 people dead, including hundreds of children and thousands more injured. It also left an estimated 20,000 homes uninhabitable.

The unlawful killings continue to this day, checkpoints and road blocks restrict freedom of movement and last year 900 Palestinians were displaced by Israel due to home demolitions and the expanding of illegal settlements. Israel’s illegal blockade of the Gaza strip continues to devastate Gaza’s 2 million inhabitants and discriminatory policies leave Palestinians without access to safe and clean drinking water.

Of course I couldn’t hope to sum up a 50 year occupation in a few short paragraphs but it’s a fact to say that the oppression of the Palestinian people is very real. It’s also key to differentiate between the Israeli Government and the people of Israel, many of whom also oppose the occupation, with thousands recently marching in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu’s plans.

But if we have any sort of moral compass at all, we cannot stand by in silence and allow justified criticisms of the Israeli Government to be conflated with anti Semitism unchallenged.

We cannot forget about Palestine, we cannot turn a blind eye to apartheid, we cannot turn our backs when a subjugated people reach out to us for support. 

Otherwise, from my heart to yours, what are we for?