Jewish MPs torn over vote to take military action in Syria

Top Jewish parliamentarians were torn ahead of a high-profile vote on whether to extend the UK’s military intervention against Islamic State. 

Tory minister Robert Halfon and Labour MP Ivan Lewis were among those taking widely differing views on airstrikes in Syria. 

Writing on his blog, Halfon said: “What happened in Paris could just as easily have happened in London. Sooner or later ISIL will try to do something in the UK. Alongside the free world, the UK should take action necessary to remove ISIL and stop this terrorist threat to our country.”

Lewis agreed with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, in that that while he agreed that Islamic State (ISIL) needed to be defeated, he did not think yet more airstrikes were the right way to do it.

 “The proposal is being driven by a short-term, tactical and understandably emotional response to the horrendous atrocities in Paris,” he said, in a Facebook post. “It is a standalone gesture which risks unintended consequences when what is needed is a credible strategic plan.”

 As Jewish News went to print, with MPs still locked in debate, it seemed likely that the Government would win the vote by a narrow margin, after Corbyn bowed to pressure to give Labour MPs a free vote.