In politics, the journey is unpredictable. Where you begin is not necessarily where you end up. A combination of age and experience can prompt a change of heart.
October 7 made me see Israel differently.
Like everyone, I was utterly horrified by the brutal scenes in southern Israel. My generation grew up with the Holocaust seared into our consciousness. We were witnessing nothing short of a pogrom. The generational trauma unleashed by October 7 weighed heavily on the minds of many in the non-Jewish community. Perhaps that was the moment things changed for many people.
As the war unfolded, the Conservative government worked tirelessly with international partners to secure a deal that would see the hostages released and the humanitarian situation alleviated. We all wanted the violence to end so that we can begin the herculean task of seeking peace.
However, the harrowing images of civilian suffering in Gaza had blotted out a critical truth: Israel is living in the shadow of terrorist regimes ideologically hell-bent on destroying it. In Gaza, Hamas. In Lebanon, Hezbollah.
Both armed, financed and supported by Iran, a theocratic tyranny.
This truth has been lost in the cacophony of criticism that engulfed Israel in the aftermath of the most horrific attack it has suffered in its history. Yes, people must be free to express their genuine concern for the plight of vulnerable civilians.
But the vitriolic outpouring of hostility has crossed all boundaries of sane debate. Words like “genocide” were being bandied about to describe Israel’s military campaign. Those words chilled me to my core. I have been to Rwanda and Darfur. I know what genocide looks like. This is not genocide.
There has been a clamour not only to demonise but to delegitimise the Jewish state. To this extent the war in Gaza is a gift for those pathologically obsessed with criminalising Israel, who exploit the suffering of Palestinians to present the Jewish state as a unique evil that must be dismantled.
What I find so very worrying is that these sinister motivations increasingly masquerade as social justice and human rights, conveniently ignoring the fact that the forces Israel fights against have no interest in social justice or human rights. The mind boggles.
I remember seeing protestors in Britain praising the October 7 attacks as “resistance”. It was clear that anything Israel did in response would not be deemed acceptable, and that defending Israel on any level would be an uphill struggle.
The Conservatives in government refused to let Israel’s enemies gain the upper hand. We knew that if Israel fails, we all fail.
Of course, the way Israel responded mattered. International Humanitarian Law matters. But we were very sceptical about imposing an arms embargo and opposed the International Criminal Court decisions – both swiftly adopted by the Labour government – which seemed driven more by political considerations than the evidence available, and which crucially, would do little to secure the hostages’ release, allow for vital aid, or advance the aims both Palestinians and Israelis ultimately deserve: two-states living side by side in peace.
Breakthroughs come at the most surprising moments. The assassination of Nasrallah may prove a turning point that reshapes the politics of the region. The road remains long, but do not underestimate the power of change.
Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell is the shadow foreign secretary and former deputy foreign secretary. He is MP for Sutton Coldfield.
