While the humanitarian concern for civilian causalities is universally shared, and ceasefire efforts must be supported, yesterday’s debate on Gaza in the House of Commons showed that big gaps have opened up between the political analyses and proscriptions being proposed by Labour Party MPs and by many Arab commentators. The gaps should give the party cause to pause.

Who is responsible for the conflict in Gaza?

‘The current crisis and the carnage in Gaza is caused essentially by the failure of Israel ever to recognise the rights, needs or justice of the Palestinian people.’ (Jeremy Corbyn MP, Islington North, Lab.)

‘Hamas deliberately created the crisis in Gaza.’ (Egyptian Broadcaster Amani al-Hayat, reported in Ynet)

‘Hamas continues to trade in the blood of the innocent people in Gaza and it has rejected calls for a cease-fire.’ (Ahmed Al-Jarallah, Arab Times – Kuwait.)

Who is responsible for the lack of a cease fire?

Almost all Labour MPs: ‘Israel’ (even after being told by an incredulous Prime Minister countless times that Israel had accepted, but Hamas had rejected the Egyptian proposed cease-fire.)

In Kuwait’s Arab Times, Editor-in-Chief Ahmad Al-Jarallah criticised Hamas’s rejection of a ceasefire and wrote that, ‘it is up to the Palestinians to get rid of their illusions and sincerely try to contemplate the benefits brought forth by Egypt’s initiative.’

Read the article in full at Left Foot Forward.