Shocking terror

Wednesday’s horrific terrorist attack in Westminster was shocking.

The depravity of those who threaten our society knows no limits. But it was also unsurprising. The police and security services have been warning for years that it was a matter of when, not if, there was another terrorist incident. And we know that this will not be the last. Much comment has focused on the low-tech “weapons” involved — a car and a knife.

This is nothing new: last year’s murders in Nice showed how lethal a vehicle can be. And, in Israel, such attacks are all too frequent. Since September 2015, there have been 55 ramming attacks in which a terrorist aimed his car at pedestrians and 171 stabbing attacks — plus a further 110 attempted stabbings.

In all, 47 people have been killed in terrorist attacks and 686 people (including four Palestinians) injured. Imagine three similar incidents to Wednesday’s attack happening every month for the past 18 months – and you still have not imagined the full scale of the horrors Israelis endure. 

Unstinting work

Leadership in our community can be a thankless task. For every leader, there are thousands of armchair critics who know that they could do a better job.

Sir Mick Davis is a business leader of global renown. But for eight years he found the time and energy to devote countless hours — and far from inconsiderable sums — to the myriad issues that needed attention.

Not everyone will have agreed with him. But one thing is absolute: every one of us owes him a debt of thanks for his unstinting work on the community’s behalf.