Question Time

 

This is a conundrum.  One very sick man, who grew up in a war torn country, takes out his rage and destructive evil intent on two innocent Jewish men.   

This is not just another random tragic act of sickness and depravity.  It sits within the context of a horrific international conflict.  

The man comes from a war torn country to the UK, which from colonial days was seen as a refuge.  We can only imagine his childhood, and the impact of mental illness, and the response to his aggression, and probable negative experiences as unwell black man. (would a white attacker be kicked in the head when down on the ground?)

 The context is terrible.  A war in Iran and Lebanon.  This follow years of the metaphorical repeated 'stabbing' of the dead body of Gaza by Israel.  Any visible Jew walking the streets will fear the easy and cowardly retribution that might come their way because of this.  Just a 5% chance that I might be targeted  (so that's 95% that I'm safe) is enough to send fear through a whole community.  The probability is low, but the consequence is deadly.  The risk equation, probability x impact = level of risk puts it high. 

Many Jewish people see the 'Stop the War' Collision as not being sympathetic to their plight.  Even if the majority of protesters are law abiding citizens, who respect our multi-cultural Britain, (and some orthodox Jews have been seen in the stop the war protests too.) These marches do not reduce the risk of inciting the sick and the fanatical to lash out at the innocent British Jew.   

Just as Palestinians who are attacked in the West Bank by aggressive Israeli settlers feel the Israeli police turn a blind eye, so too people in this county fear that the police response is not enough.  

The challenge we are faced with is, how can 'stop the war' also mean protect all lives?  As has been pointed out on the radio, the answer is time and again we must condemn violence and breaches of human rights whenever we see them, even if this seems obvious.