Kim Johnson row: Starmer is ignoring Israel's slide into fascism | MEE |

A blind eye

Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, a stalwart of Labour Friends of Israel, has added her voice to this week's row, calling Johnson's remarks an "insult" to the legacy of Dame Louise Ellman, who was Johnson's predecessor as Liverpool Riverside MP. Ellman stepped down in 2019, saying it was over the party's handling of allegations of antisemitism under Starmer's predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn.

But it should not be "insulting" to Hodge, Ellman or other Labour Friends of Israel that a Labour MP pointed out a simple fact: that a fascist party is at the heart of the new Israeli government. Rather, if they care so much about Israel, they should be angry that fascists are in power. They ought to be at the forefront of those speaking out against Israel's descent into fascism.

But here we get to the rub. Israel's ever-greater extremism has been made possible precisely because it faces no opposition in the West. Israel apologists dominate the left and right in western capitals.

Labour "friends" have consistently turned a blind eye to the oppression of Palestinians. However much the situation worsens, they keep quiet - and impose that silence on others by accusing them of being antisemites or "insensitive" if, like Johnson, they dare to speak out.