Suella is right to take on the hate-mongers

THE thuggery of a bunch of bone-headed hooligans at Saturday’s demonstrations in London was contemptible. They claimed to be defending the Cenotaph against possible attack by pro-Palestinian protesters, yet it was they who defiled Armistice Day.

The simple dignity of yesterday’s formal Remembrance service put them to shame. However, to Labour, its allies in the media, and the police their antics were a gift.

Rather than having to address and tackle the hatred espoused by a sizeable proportion of the 300,000 taking part in the main march, they were able to focus on a handful of ‘far-Right’ rabble rousers on the fringes.

Predictably, it was the central feature of the BBC’s coverage, even after Cabinet minister Michael Gove was harassed by pro-Palestinian goons, fireworks were launched towards police and anti-Semitic placards and chants were rife.

Ironically, all the swastika posters, Auschwitz jibes and calls for the extermination of Israel came from Palestinian supporters. Wasn’t this more overtly far-Right than a few dozen football hooligans scuffling with police?

Never slow to spot a passing bandwagon, Sir Keir Starmer has exploited those scuffles to pile in on Home Secretary Suella Braverman, demanding that she be sacked for ‘sowing the seeds of hatred’.

In a forthright newspaper article last week, Mrs Braverman urged police to take stronger action against pro- Palestinian ‘ hate marches’ and spoke of a public perception that they were generally harder on Rightwing protesters than those on the Left.

She was merely articulating what millions feel, but she is accused by her enemies, unfairly in the Mail’s view, of deliberately fuelling division.

undaunted yesterday, she doubled down, firing another broadside at pro-Palestinian demonstrators for ‘valorising’ terrorism. In doing so, she brought us back to the heart of this deeply vexed issue.

Many of those parading in the capital are no doubt moved by the plight of Gazan civilians and genuinely believe a ceasefire could be the prelude to a more lasting peace. They are sadly deluded.

Have they forgotten why Israel is so determined to root out and destroy Hamas? Some 1,400 of its citizens were slaughtered in cold blood just five weeks ago and another 200-plus are still held hostage.

What is it supposed to do? Turn the other cheek and wait for the next massacre?

Hamas has made clear it will kill more Israeli civilians as soon as it gets the opportunity. It is not interested in ceasefires or peace. Neither would it accept a two- state solution. What it wants is a single state ruled by itself and ethnically cleansed of Jews.

The Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz famously described war as ‘the continuation of politics by other means’. For Hamas, war is politics. There are no other means.

So, instead of obsessing about hooligans and howling for Suella’s resignation, perhaps the demonstrators, the BBC and Labour should answer this: How is Israel expected to negotiate with terrorists who will not rest until the Jewish state is wiped off the map?