MPs might have caused the unrest, but they don’t deserve to be doorstepped
Tobias Ellwood’s home targeted by pro-Palestinian protestors, intimidating his family. Public protest has crossed a line.
Politics is the process of proposing different ideas as to the best way to run the country and then letting the public decide which direction the majority prefer.
We have differing opinions, but that is all they are, we should be able to discuss and debate them, but in recent years we have lost that ability and basic civility.
No MP or prospective MP should be harassed for their role. We have reached a point where mobs of baying protesters target an MPs home, intimidating and frightening not only the MP, but their family too.
Protestors Doorstepping MP’s is just not British
This is not how we reach consensus in the UK, it is not how things are done, it is just not British.
The actions of the protesters outside Tobias Elwood’s home crossed a line. While I don’t agree with very much that Tobias Ellwood has to say, neither him nor his family deserve the abuse and intimidation that they have received.
Modern policing or to give it another name non-confrontational, non-policing has removed the visible consequences of protests. No one sees protestors being arrested, prosecuted, imprisoned, so why not run riot, intimidate, attempt to force your views onto others through such actions.
I know the woke police watch the CCTV afterwards and round up a few token wrongdoers, but invariably, as was the case with the girls who wore paragliders badges at an anti-Israeli march, the girls got to Court, only to be found guilty and then let go by the judge who it transpires appears to sympathise with their cause.
To most people this doesn’t look like policing. It isn’t setting an example. Maybe the reason why we are seeing a rise in racial hatred is because we have removed the consequences.
AntiSemitism
Cases of antisemitism in the UK rose massively following the October 7th atrocities. The antisemitism increased before the Israelis retaliated and started their attacks on Hamas. No one seems to be mentioning that.
Following on from the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess in the last 8 years, we are witnessing a breakdown in society. Problems with MPs are supposed to be resolved at the ballot box.
Add in the incidences of MPs facing intimidation, their offices being attacked, fire bombed. Many MPs are concerned about holding surgeries in their constituencies for fear for their own and their team’s safety.
Attacks come from across the spectrum, this isn’t an issue that can be isolated to one group of people.
Do we really need to provide police protection for our MPs? Is that where we need to be in a supposedly, safe, civilised democracy.
The breakdown can be linked to a lack of consequences. People are angry about the decisions that their politicians make. The sides they choose.
As the public become more polarised, siloed into categories rather than all being Britons, as our opinions become more polarised on the big issues it is difficult to believe that incidences of violence and intimidation are going to decrease.
We cannot live in a world where baying mobs can round on anyone they disagree with, to intimidate them, to surround their homes.
Israel v Hamas Ceasefire
In Tobias Ellwood’s case, this happened because he didn’t vote for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza. A vote that would have no relevance to a ceasefire actually happening. Do Israel actually care what the UK Parliament vote for? Can you imagine Hama hearing the result and releasing all their Israeli hostages as a result? The vote was irrelevant virtue signalling, as was the mob that gathered outside Mr Ellwood’s home.
I suspect that there are few if any people who want to see the death and destruction currently happening in Gaza. It is happening, not because Israel attacked Gaza, but because Hamas attacked Israel on October the 7th 2023. They beheaded babies, killed women and children with indiscrimination. Hamas took hundreds of hostages and are still holding many.
If you want a ceasefire, Hamas need to release the remaining hostages and the leadership of Hamas need to surrender.
The reason for the current fighting is not because of Israel. There was a ceasefire before October the 7th 2023. Hamas chose to break it and Israel have a basic right to protect their citizens from future attacks. The only way they can see to do that is to dismantle Hamas. Hamas have chosen to hide behind their Palestinian citizens. Putting them in harms way.
Terrorist Organisation
How do you dismantle a proscribed terrorist organisation that is hiding within a civilian population? The humanitarian crisis is massive, millions of Palestinians have been displaced, bombed, thousands killed.
It is a horrible conflict to which there are no easy solutions. If Hamas are not beaten then they will return in the future. The danger is that the current bombardment will create a new generation of anti-Israel Palestinians. I suspect that has happened already.
We potentially face decades of conflict and turmoil in the region. Turmoil that will inevitably spill onto the street of Britain if we do not take steps today to prevent it.
As a country we are not involved in the conflict. Our government has little sway on Netanyahu or the Israeli government. Biden is having little influence currently in negotiating an end to hostilities.
Israel has a right to defend itself. Hamas has expressed its desire to wipe Israel off the map. The conflict shows little sign of ending soon.
Meanwhile in the UK our MP’s face intimidation, violence and baying mobs of pro-Palestinian supporters.
There are no easy solutions, but we need to defend our democratic process here at home, before the situation escalates and another MP gets hurt.