Tag: Palestine

Gaza -six months after the 7th October

It’s now six months since that horrific morning when Hamas terrorists entered Israel and carried out a brutal atrocity, a violent spree of kidnap, rape, mutilation and murder.  Israel’’s response was to launch an extensive military operation into the Gaza strip with two stated aims, the return of the hostages and the complete and permanent… Continue reading Gaza -six months after the 7th October

Why the marches need to stop

It has been strongly argued that allowing demonstrations concerning Israel and Palestine to go ahead was important because this is about free speech and because the protests were essentially peaceful.  Whether or not that was the case in October  2024, and even then I thought it peculiar that the focus of the demonstrator’s anger seemed… Continue reading Why the marches need to stop

Is peace in the Middle East still possible?

The recent Israeli-Hamas war has again raised the question about whether a true and lasting peace in the region is possible.  There are two elements to the question right now.  First of all, Israel’s objective in this current conflict is the elimination of Hamas with the hope that this will enable her citizens to live… Continue reading Is peace in the Middle East still possible?

Marching rights

At the weekend, I wrote about why I didn’t think that the Palestinian protest marches should go ahead on Armistice Day.  Some people have argued that the protestors were right to go ahead with the demonstrations because there is an important right and freedom to assemble and protest. It’s important therefore to be clear about… Continue reading Marching rights

Remembrance or protest?

I want to deal here with the issue of protest marches taking place this weekend concerning what is happening in Gaza.  Since October 7th, it seems that each weekend there have been mass demonstrations on the streets of London and other cities reacting to Israel’s response to the atrocities that happened that day. It’s important… Continue reading Remembrance or protest?

Grieving the evil of war

I recently wrote that “war is an evil”. I wrote this to respond to and distinguish from Scott McKnight’s argument that war is itself a crime, it isn’t just about the committing of war crimes.  What this enables us to do is to recognise that sadly, in a fallen world, war is sometimes necessary and… Continue reading Grieving the evil of war

It’s complicated … and it isn’t

In the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were those who argued that our responsibility as Christians was simply to pray for and work for peace. This was often accompanied by calls for a ceasefire.  Similarly, there have been those who have responded to events in Israel and Gaza with similar appeals for… Continue reading It’s complicated … and it isn’t

A primer on International law and ethics for those engaging with current news stories

Back when I was at University, I had the opportunity as part of my Law degree to study a subject called “International Law.”  At the time, that specific area of law was the poor relation of all other options offered by the faculty.  In fact, there was still significant debate about whether or not it… Continue reading A primer on International law and ethics for those engaging with current news stories

On the balance of probabilities: Evaluating evidence and making your mind up about disputed claims

This week, in the middle of the Israel-Hamas conflict, an explosion was reported at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza city.  This was initially reported, all around the world as an Israeli missile strike causing 500 deaths, Many got the impression that the hospital had been destroyed or severely damaged.  The hospital is run by the… Continue reading On the balance of probabilities: Evaluating evidence and making your mind up about disputed claims