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Letters

The JC letters page, November 10

Wes Streeting MP, Russell Ballen, Betty Bloom, Brenda Jones, Esther Eljarrat Esebag, Rabbi Charles Wallach, David Ashton, Ron Shelley MBE, Rachel Montagu and Basil H Mann,  share their views with JC readers.

November 2, 2017 11:18
Photo: Getty Images
9 min read

Mending fences

I write in reply to online and print coverage of two decisions I have taken in recent weeks, culminating in Marcus Dysch's comment piece 'Wes Streeting is taking a dangerous approach'.

I make no apology for raising the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, nor for criticising Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian leaders for their role in exacerbating the crisis. The people of Gaza do not have time to wait for a political resolution to the conflict, and so it is right that we look at what can be done to improve the scope and scale of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

My decision to attend the launch of Islamophobia Awareness Month has proven more controversial than when I attended the same event last year and has even attracted the ire of Conservative politicians with whom I have shared a platform at Mend events. Islamophobia, like antisemitism, is on the rise in my community and across the country and I welcome Islamophobia Awareness Month as an opportunity to tackle it.

I am concerned by reports of deplorable statements made by people associated with MEND, particularly reported remarks about Jewish people, gay people and our Armed Forces and I took the opportunity to challenge MEND about whether the remarks are in line with their own stated aims and charter when I attended the event.