Probably tells you all you need to know (but knew already) about the Netanyahu regime.
Matt Frei made a point that had occurred to me. The Israeli government’s deliberate conflation of antisemitism with any criticism of the state of Israel has not helped the debate about Gaza. Indeed it seems to me that, in doing so, Netanyahu was partly responsible for what happened in Manchester. If you make the claim that being Jewish and being a murdering genocidal regime are identical, it’s unsurprising that some lunatic believes you.
Random terrorist attacks can happen anywhere, avoiding a place where there has been an attack won’t make you any safer.
I have lived in several towns that were the subject of the attentions of the IRA back in the day - I was in Guildford the night they bombed the Horse and Groom pub, avoided a bomb at Victoria Station by 20 minutes, and the 1993 Bishopsgate bomb rattled my flat windows.
You might say they were after me but were not efficient enough.
Statistically, you could even be safer in a place where there has already been an attack.
I worked in central London when the IRA were active. I avoided the Piccadilly Circus postbox bomb by not very much; a colleague didn’t and was off for months because of shrapnel wounds to his leg.
Yes I’m so glad that silliness is over. The Irish (both North and South) are such lovely people it was tragic that there had to be violence, I understand the history behind it all, but it was tragic.
My brother-in-law was in the Royal Engineers and was posted to Antrim for a spell - he had to keep a pistol in his car glove compartment. And when my middle brother passed out as a Royal Marine we were given a stern lecture by the Commandant that we (the families) should consider ourselves potential targets from now on and check under our cars etc.
Thank heavens for the Good Friday Agreement. Let’s hope something similar can happen in Gaza, though I am not optimistic while Netanyahu is in charge.
Last I looked there wasn’t a genocide going on in Manchester. In fact, despite Thursday’s outrageous attack against Jewish worshippers and the subsequent rhetoric, the UK remains infinitely more safe for Jews than Israel.
In summer 1982, the windows of my (rented) apartment in Little Venice were rattled (me too) by the bandsmen being blown up in Regent’s Park and a few minutes later heard the Household Cavalry meeting a similar fate in Hyde Park.
By contrast, IRA bombers did Manchester a great favour by destroying a large section of the ghastly Arndale Centre, and without injuring anyone
The facade opposite the M&S building was quite badly damaged and the M&S building itself was structurally compromised and had to be demolished. The rest of it was mainly OK.
It was ghastly though and although the redeveloped Arndale is much better than the old one I still don’t like it.
