I want to talk about three security barriers tonight. First, the pretend barrier outside the Church here in London. Second, the real barrier in Israel and the West Bank. Third, what I will call the intellectual separation barrier, on one side of which is a ludicrously simplistic, and frankly counter-productive, ‘activism’ on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and on the other side of which is, well, the actual Israeli-Palestinian conflict in all of its historical depth and political complexity.

The constructive pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, pro-peace approach we need must be open to the full force of the sheer bloody complexity of the conflict, and be willing to wrestle with that complexity, not evade it; be fully aware of the determining contexts of the conflict, among which is security; and refuse to demonise either side, working with both parties, seeking co-existence, compromise, mutual recognition and peace.

The pretend barrier outside this church – however well intentioned – does the opposite. It is reductive, ignoring the political complexities of the conflict; it is decontextualised, marginalizing at best, discounting at worst, the security case for the barrier; and because it is reductive and decontextualising, it is also, ultimately, demonising, framing the barrier as a pure violation of human rights by cruel Israelis, a motiveless imprisonment of underlings by overlords, quite possibly by racists of an apartheid type.

Read the extract from Alan Johnson’s speech at Times of Israel.