2023-10-10
The events in the Middle East are shocking, and the response shockingly one-sided, with Israel wreaking destruction in Gaza (at least according to all the reports and videos presented for us to watch) in support of rooting out the terrorists.
How does this affect the UK? It all comes back to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, when the UK was a colonial power with occupying responsibility for Palestine following the exploits of Lawrence of Arabia in assisting the Arabs to push out the Ottoman Turks. Oh what a tangled web we weaved!
So how should we react to current events?
Given the recent history of the "War on Terror" years unleashed after 9/11 2001, we may have learned that very little that we have been told since then has had a sound basis in truth (speaking of purely recent events, whatever happened to Ukraine's efforts to drive the Russians back into Russia?).
So I reserve judgement and scepticism - we will learn more as time moves on but now is not the time to leap to conclusions. So far, remarkably few politicians and statesmen seem to have called for restraint, with those furthest away perhaps being the loudest in their condemnations, their readiness to send more arms, and even calling for extending the conflict to other countries on grounds that appear shaky in the extreme.
There again, perhaps Iran has been a bogeyman for many ever since the Ayatollahs gained power, took Americans hostage in their embassy, and took back control of their oil fields. Some sins can perhaps not be forgiven?
Here a man in a funny headscarf shares his thoughts ...
(15 minutes)
Like / Dislike this video here.
