Pro-Palestinians in London ‘march in favour of terrorists’, says Liz Truss
Former prime minister tells Fox News that demonstrators 'are saying the way of life that we have in Britain or America, that is not the right way of life'
Former prime minister Liz Truss has said people are being “allowed” to demonstrate “in favour of terrorists” as more pro-Palestinian marches took place across the UK on Saturday.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) arranged a country-wide “day of action” to demand a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Fighting has resumed between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian military group following a week-long truce that allowed hostages being held in Gaza to be released, along with Palestinian prisoners who had been incarcerated in Israel.
There are fears of further civilian casualties after Israel dropped leaflets on Friday warning residents to leave the southern part of the strip where two million people — almost the entire Gazan population — are based.
The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel on October 7, has led to regular protests in support of the Palestinians in the UK since the bloodshed started.
Truss, who has been on a trip to the United States this week as part of a delegation with the Conservative Friends of Ukraine, suggested that the protests showed the “woke left” would “rather support authoritarian regimes” than the West.
Speaking to the right-wing US broadcaster Fox News while in Washington DC, the Conservative MP said: “On the streets of London, I see people demonstrating in favour of terrorists, and that being allowed to happen.
“And you’ve got the trans extremists, the eco extremists, the anti-capitalists, the degrowth-ers. They are about saying, ‘The way of life that we have in Britain or America, that is not the right way of life. Actually, we would rather support terrorists, we’d rather support authoritarian regimes.’”
Former home secretary Suella Braverman had branded the protests “hate marches” before she was sacked by the prime minister.
Rishi Sunak, who succeeded Ms Truss after the fallout from her disastrous mini-budget led to her becoming Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, is reportedly looking to tighten the law to make it easier to ban marches and prosecute those glorifying terrorism.
Referring to social media personality ‘goubtube’, who was pictured waving a Palestinian flag while dressed as a police officer at an event in Camden on Saturday, the London Jewish Forum said: “We are aware of content circulating online showing what appears to be a serving police officer displaying and waving a Palestinian flag in Camden from Saturday 2 December.
“We can confirm that the individual concerned is an influencer, not a warranted officer. We are deeply concerned by attempts to falsely undermine confidence in police impartiality by impersonating a constable and will immediately be escalating this matter to the relevant authorities.”
More than 80 people have been charged in the UK over alleged hate crimes and violence linked to pro-Palestinian protests since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
There has been controversy about those on the marches chanting the phrase “from the river to the sea”, which critics have claimed is antisemitic, while some attendees have been accused of showing support for Hamas.
The terror organisation is proscribed as a terror group in the UK and support for it is banned.
Former No 10 incumbent Truss said anti-Western sentiment was “not the view of the vast majority” of Britons and that her constituents in South West Norfolk were “frustrated” that such ideology “is not being taken on enough by Conservatives”.
“This is why we need Conservative leadership to actually take on the leftists, show strength in the face of aggressors abroad, so that we can revive the values that most people in our societies are desperate for,” she said.
“They believe in family, they believe in freedom, they believe in Anglo-American values. The problem is that so much of the public debate is now dominated by the woke left. You can see that here in Washington DC, you can see that in London, you can see that right across Europe.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters are expected to gather across the UK, with the PSC arranging ceasefire rallies and vigils in places such as London, Cardiff, Hull and Coventry.
Israel pounded targets on Saturday in the southern Gaza Strip as it pursues Hamas targets following the resumption of violence.
Most Gazans are in the area after Israel urged people to relocate there at the war’s start, a move that left three-quarters of the population displaced and facing widespread shortages of food, water and other supplies.
In a move that appears to hint that the Israel Defence Forces plans to extend its ground assault, Palestinians are being urged to move out of the south.
Unable to go into the battleground of north Gaza or neighbouring Egypt, their only escape is to move around within the 85 sq mile area.
Lord Ricketts, who served as the UK’s first national security adviser, said Israel is in danger of causing “massive civilian casualties” if it takes the fight to Hamas in southern Gaza.
The peer told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “They’ve got an increasing dilemma. They ordered a million people from the north to leave into the south.
“They now have two million people there, many of them displaced, many of them living out in the open. They simply can’t use the same kind of armoured all-out assault that they used in the north without massive civilian casualties.”
He said Tel Aviv’s plan to destroy Hamas “seems to me to be impossible” owing to the political and social nature of the organisation.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
