A TORY peer has slated the Prime Minister and Keir Starmer, accusing them of “blindly supporting” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sayeeda Warsi gave a scathing review of the stances of both Rishi Sunak and the Labour leader on the Israel-Hamas conflict in a conversation with Andrew Marr on LBC.
She also tore into language used by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, describing her as “deeply divisive” and suggesting she may be unfit for office.
Earlier this week Sunak rejected arguments Israel has perpetrated war crimes in Gaza, while Starmer has been hit with severe criticism and seen a number of his councillors resign after he suggested Israel has “the right” to withhold energy and water from Gaza.
Starmer later denied that he had said this, adding that food, fuel, water and medicines must urgently be allowed to pass into the territory.
Neither the PM or Starmer have called for a ceasefire despite more than 80 cross-party MPs calling for a reprieve.
Warsi told LBC: “I think unfortunately both the Prime Minister and the Leader Of The Opposition have got themselves into a position where they are blinding supporting Netanyahu.
“Now it’s really important to draw distinction between Netanyahu and his coalition which includes far-right extremists, who in their coalition agreement deny the right of Palestine to exist as a state from the river to the sea.
'They are blindly supporting Netanyahu.' Speaking to @AndrewMarr9, Tory peer Baroness @SayeedaWarsi calls out Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer - saying the Israeli Prime Minister is clearly 'no partner for peace'. pic.twitter.com/OGMZtbkWRl
— LBC (@LBC) October 24, 2023
“When we look at Netanyahu, in the past he has said he thinks Hamas is something that is positive as far as the Israeli government is concerned. There’s a direct quote from him in 2019 in which he says ‘this is the best way not to achieve a state for the Palestinians’.
“When we see who Netanyahu is, he’s clearly no partner for peace, but he’s certainly no partner for war.”
Warsi was also asked about claims from Braverman that “multiculturalism had failed” and her suggestion waving the Palestinian flag may be a crime in some circumstances.
In a letter to chief constables in England and Wales, the Home Secretary urged police to clamp down on any attempts to use flags, songs or swastikas to harass or intimidate members of the Jewish community.
Warsi added: “I think the tragedy is that there are now people in politics, including in my own party, people in certain newspapers and broadcasters and people in certain thinktanks, who are defining themselves as patriots but I define them as arsonists.
“I find this deeply disturbing. Multiculturalism has succeeded and is succeeding. But there are unfortunately a group of people, including politicians in my party, who do not want it to succeed, and it is therefore important for those of us who know it has succeeded to push back.”
On the Home Secretary specifically, she said: “Her language is deeply divisive.
“Her first job as Home Secretary is to make sure we live in a safer society and that we are a cohesive country. This language causes angst and unease, and I therefore worry whether she’s performing her job and whether she’s fit for office.”
