A horrifying photograph and an invitation declined
Over a year ago I received a letter from the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem notifying me of their honour awarded to my Polish grandparents for saving Roza, a Jewish schoolgirl friend of my father's sister in 1942, and providing her with false papers, by which she was able to survive the war with great courage and heroism.
I was invited to contact the Israeli embassy in London for an award ceremony for my grandparents. I hoped in vain that the Gaza conflict would end soon. Eventually I replied that while so many thousands of civilians are dying in Gaza, I cannot do this. I am a humanitarian, as were my grandparents. They risked their lives for one girl; I honour them beyond words.
So how can it be that a country that has an institution specifically to research the past to honour those who saved those such as Roza 80 years ago can now treat other innocent civilians as so utterly worthless as to be condemned to slow death? And at such a short distance from where food aid is stockpiled, and beyond that a few more miles, where their own population is as well fed as any western country? The distance from where I live to the Israeli embassy is about 50 miles. About the same distance as Jerusalem is from the starving people of Gaza. Mark Lewinski-GrendeSwaffham Prior, Cambridgeshire
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The National
35 minutes ago
- The National
How David Lammy went from human rights lawyer to genocide apologist
You would be forgiven for thinking that I'm quoting a frustrated political commentator – someone who has witnessed the deconstruction of international law by the Labour Government over the last year, and who is exasperated by their inertia. You'd be wrong. These are the words of Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, as he addressed the Bingham Centre for International Law in July 2023. During this speech, he said: 'There should be no power beyond or above the law. The law applies equally to all people.' READ MORE: Palestine Action gets green light for ban challenge He lamented that too many international crimes go unpunished, that too many dictators escape justice, and promised "wholeheartedly" to strengthen protections for humanitarian access and put the UK at the forefront of international legal debates. Well, he's certainly put the UK at the forefront of debates on international law. At best, because of his continued apology for Israel's war crimes. 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Scotsman
11 hours ago
- Scotsman
Why silence over Gaza, even in Scotland, risks complicity in war crimes
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The situation in Gaza has never been a distant conflict; it is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in real time, and it demands a political response that goes beyond words of concern. As the death toll rises, the calls for action from my constituents grow louder and more urgent. Every day, I receive messages not only expressing anguish over the suffering of Palestinians, who are being deliberately starved, displaced, and killed while trying to access food and water, but also demanding that their elected representatives act. 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Leader Live
11 hours ago
- Leader Live
Trump envoy arrives in Israel amid rising death toll of Palestinians seeking aid
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