OpEd - SubScribe14

The commentators 25-07-14

...on Gaza

Humanitarian groups and world leaders, including Nick Clegg condemn the Israeli Defence Force for war crimes and Ban Ki Moon characterised Israeli military operations as an atrocity. This rising condemnation of Israel’s defensive operations — lawful under the Geneva conventions — plays right into Hamas’s hands. It validates their criminal use of human shields and will encourage jihadist groups everywhere to follow suit.
- Richard Kemp, The Times

The sad truth is that this conflict will almost certainly be repeated many times yet. For neither side is trying to bring about permanent change; on the contrary, the two enemies merely want to improve their position for what they expect will be another round of their struggle in the years ahead. When it comes to tactics, Israel and Hamas both have perfect vision. In strategy, however, they are flying blind.
- David Blair, Daily Telegraph

This may be the moment to look for a true solution to the problem. A ceasefire is of course indispensable, but it is by far not enough. The only way out of this tragedy, the only way to avoid more tragedy and horror, is to take advantage of the hopelessness of the situation and force everybody to talk to one another. There is no point in Israel refusing to negotiate with Hamas or to acknowledge a unity government. No, Israel must listen to those Palestinians who are in a position to speak with one tongue.
- Daniel Barenboim, The Guardian

Let’s just imagine, for a moment, that a rocket fired from Gaza had hit a plane coming in to land at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. What if a British Airways jet had been brought down over Israel, with a similar loss of life to the 298 people who perished on Malaysian flight MH17? Would it still be considered appropriate to hold yet another march through London this weekend, waving banners proclaiming ‘We are all Hamas now’?
- Richard Littlejohn, Daily Mail

Nobody is going away. The peoples of the Holy Land are condemned to each other. Without that realization, any truce, even any demilitarization of Gaza, will only be a way station to the next round of slaughter. That’s the likely but not inevitable scenario. Impossible things do happen.
- Roger Cohen, International New York Times

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Stevie Spring

The annual Editorial Intelligence comment awards were officially launched last month with the announcement of the seventy-strong panel of judges to be led by Stevie Spring, chair of Children in Need.
They include Lorraine Heggessey, Nihal Arthanayake, Karren Brady, Damian Barr, Lynne Franks, Nicky Gavron, Laura Kuenssberg, Adrian Monck and Kirsty Lang.
Anyone is invited to nominate their favourite commentators for the awards, which are divided into 16 categories. There is no charge for entry.

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