Labour withdraws support for Azhar Ali

 

Azhar Ali

Azhar Ali, the Labour Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Rochdale is certainly right that the Israeli authorities appear to have been given prior warning about an imminent attack on Israel before 7 October 2023.

On 9 October 2023, The Times of Israel, reported that an unnamed Egyptian intelligence official had told them, "Jerusalem had ignored repeated warnings that the Gaza-based terror group (Hamas) was planning 'something big' - which included an apparent direct notice from Cairo's intelligence minister to the prime minister."  

U.S. Texas Congressman, Michael McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said last October, that he'd been told at a closed-door intelligence briefing that Egypt had warned the Israelis "that an event like this could happen" at least "three days" before the Hamas attack. Israel denied the reports of Egypt sending a warning saying they were "absolutely false." The Israelis have said the attack was due to an "intelligence failure." The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has denied receiving any such advance warning and said the story was "fake news."

If the Israelis were tipped off by the Egyptians, then it does beg the question why they didn't act on it and why they deny having received any advanced warning. Are the Egyptian intelligence official and the U.S. Congressman, both lying? The whole thing looks highly suspicious, but whether the Israeli government ignored the warnings of a Hamas attack, so they could have justification to take military action in Gaza, isn't entirely proven, even if it appears likely.

The big shots in the Labour Party have made Azhar Ali apologise for his remarks because they bow and scrape in a very greasy and subservient way to the Israeli government and Marie van der Zyl OBE, the President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. They have also withdrawn party support for Azhar Ali who will now have to stand as an independent.

The Labour Party leader, Tory-lite Sir Kier Starmer-oid, who says publicly, "I support Zionism without qualification" has tilted the Labour Party sharply towards supporting the Israeli ultra-right-wing coalition government of Benjamin Netanyahu. In doing so, Starmer-oid is in danger of losing the Muslim Labour vote.

Since 7 October 2023, over 28,000 people have been killed in Gaza including over 10,000 innocent children, and in excess of 67,000 Palestinians, have been wounded. Despite the death toll and charges of "genocidal intent" levelled against Israel by South Africa and other countries, Starmer-oid has refused to back calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. He has said this would "embolden" Hamas to commit more acts of violence. Starmer-oid, a former human rights lawyer, has also said that Israel has the right to deny the people of Gaza energy and water. Under international law, this is considered a war crime.

Last summer, Starmer-oid backed calls for a ban on UK concerts by the former Pink Floyd band member Roger Waters, alleging that he "clearly espoused antisemitic views" and that his concerts should be called off to stop him spreading his "troubling" beliefs. Starmer-oid called for the ban after receiving a complaint about Rogers Waters from Marie van der Zyl. Waters, a supporter of the Palestinian people, denied the allegations and called Starmer-oid a "loathsome snake." In a post on Twitter, Waters wrote: "Keep the Israeli Lobby out of UK politics."