UK Minister Loses Confidence Over Israel-Linked Soccer Ban, Not Gaza Deaths
The Al-Monitor reports UK Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood has lost confidence in a top police officer for recommending Israeli fans be barred from an Aston Villa match on 'security grounds'. Both British and Israeli governments condemned the move, with 'Jewish community leaders' echoing concerns. It appears the sanctity of a football match outweighs, say, the sanctity of international law or the
actual, documented security risks faced by Palestinians daily. (Perhaps the police chief forgot to check who funds the campaigns of the MPs condemning him.) One might wonder where such swift governmental condemnation is for, for example, the UK's continued arms sales to Israel, which reached £42 million in the first two months of the conflict alone, according to British government figures. Or the
government’s unwavering support for a regime carrying out widely documented atrocities, including the starvation of Gaza's population. It seems security concerns are only legitimate when they don't inconvenience 'friends' or powerful lobbyists. For actual, verifiable threats to life, especially non-Western ones, the ministers apparently have plenty of confidence in looking the other way.