Kearns: Israel government鈥檚 lost 鈥渕oral authority鈥�
Kearns: Israeli government has 鈥渓ost the moral authority鈥�
The Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who chairs the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, has told 麻豆社 HARDtalk that 鈥淚srael is a partner and a staunch ally. But this specific government in Israel can be a partner on some issues, but there are also times when as a partner you have to be a critical friend.鈥�
鈥淭he current Israeli government are the ones who have lost the moral authority because of the way they have chosen to speak about [the war] and the way they have chosen to pursue it.鈥�
Questioned by HARDtalk鈥檚 Stephen Sackur as to how the UK government should respond to any policy of 鈥渧oluntary migration鈥� for Palestinians living in the Gaza strip (a move advocated by some Israeli ministers), Ms Kearns said 鈥淚f that was in any way to look like a formal policy, we would have to act in some way because it would be a forced displacement.鈥�
Asked whether there had been a certain fear of confronting Israel within the British government, Ms Kearns said 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 unique to the British government, I think within the West鈥� because Israel/Gaza is such a complicated issue and there is no one right history, there is no black and white to this.鈥�
鈥淧eople have searched for an absolute dichotomy. They want to be certain because the psychological confusion鈥� the reality of most foreign affairs makes people feel uneasy鈥� so they do force themselves to these two extremes.
鈥淎nd you have seen governments around the world do that. You鈥檝e got some governments who, the way they speak about Israel is outrageous, the way they talk about Israel鈥檚 future, absolutely appalling.
鈥淏ut then you鈥檝e got some government鈥檚 who aren鈥檛 willing to be a critical friend when actually that is what our role is to be towards our allies.鈥�
Approximately 1,200 people were killed when Hamas (a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK and other countries) attacked southern Israel on October 7th, 2023. The Hamas-run health ministry has said more than 23,200 people have been killed in the Gaza since the start of the Israel鈥檚 subsequent bombardment.
