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Keir Starmer comments on Golders Green attack raise fears among British Jews

politicsMay 3, 2026885,535

On BBC's Today programme, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told host Nick Robinson that police "feared for their lives" while responding to the Golders Green stabbings. Critics warned his phrasing could blur the distinction between British Jews and the Israeli government, coming as the Board of Deputies suspended five elected members for two years over comments calling Gaza a "genocide." That matters because Jewish leaders say language that links local communities to Middle East policy can increase threats to British Jews and strain community relations.

George Monbiot
@georgemonbiot.bsky.social

Jews are not collectively responsible for Israeli government policy. People demonstrating peacefully for Palestine are not collectively responsible for the attacks on British Jews. Collective punishment for other people's crimes is not justice.

177845d ago
Jonathan Portes
@jdportes.bsky.social

If the government wants to tackle the "online breeding ground of antisemitism" why on earth are Keir Starmer, the government and @heidialexander.bsky.social still posting on X? www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cw...

109245d ago
Jonathan Portes205

As @sundersays.bsky.social has exhaustively demonstrated, X repeatedly and systematically refuses to do anything about open Nazis and other extreme antisemites and racists making violent threats. Just pathetic the government/OFCOM refuse to act

KevinMagoo7248

I prefer Sunday without Laura Kuenssberg

The Crusader Project11

They’re going to come after Bluesky before they go after Musk.

Bill Heywood10

This is an excellent point If the government should take the entire public sector off Xitter

Gareth Ramsay8

Indeed. I believe @heidialexander.bsky.social has posted a grand total of twice on here. Meanwhile daily retweets etc on X.

Jak7

The bigotry is off the charts Starmer is no longer fit to be leader, and Heidi isn't fit to be an MP

Ian Ridley 🔶6

Not just X. Meta's self-policing is not fit for purpose either. Misinformation and hate speech routinely allowed and promoted by the algorithm

Margaret Nelson 🌦6

Those in the Westminster bubble only seem to have a tenuous grasp of reality. Many Jews have joined the protests that Badenoch wants to ban.

Andy Martell5

Maybe if @heidialexander.bsky.social would stop the actual hatred directed at the only Jewish leader of a political party in the uk, she would be positively contributing to fighting antisemitism instead of feeding it? But it’s not about antisemitism is it?… it never was.

Davey / Lexyn5

And why are they not taking X to task on it ?

Ed Wilson4

@heidialexander.bsky.social's first and last post over here

Bridget 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺🇮🇪4

And @heidialexander.bsky.social has the sum total of TWO posts on Bluesky, both from November 2024. So she's hardly engaging here.

Ben4

Pretty sure they mean the left, Jonathan.

Pascal 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🇫🇷3

Because you have to be where voters are? Reach as many people as you can, even in cesspits. (I don't know anyone who's ever heard of Bluesky)

Pervis Purves2

Not to mention both Laura Kuenssberg and the BBC (I believe).

Cyril2

What they are trying to introduce is a catch all law. Say anything against Israel and you'll be arrested. Aren't the Israeli lobby doing a great job.

Blue Tick2

Now that is the best question I have read today. I would like every politician of any colour that claims not to be a Far Right Fascist supporter to be asked that question.

Stephen Bush
@stephenkb.bsky.social

This policy, the replies to this, Keir Starmer’s ‘the petrol retailers are being naughty’ statement, Ed Davey’s fuel duty tax cut, Kemi Badenoch’s fuel duty tax cut, John Swinney’s price controls…is there anyone in British politics who understands “the Iran war means we have less stuff”?

69945d ago
Stephen Bush232

Like, a lot less stuff. “Private jets” absolutely should be first on the list for demand destruction (and if I were advising anyone with a private jet I would be going “things are gonna get quite bad, ostentatiously do this voluntarily first”), but it’s not going to save v many people’s holidays.

Pwnallthethings143

All of them looking to fix the symptoms and not address the structural problem. Bad solutions look like "let's have a fuel subsidy". Good solutions look like "I will build three multibillion dollar solar farms by the end of the year, and another six next year"

Rosamundi70

I'd hire a plane to fly a banner that says "you can't subsidise demand in a supply crisis, you muppets", but, well, there's a jet fuel shortage incoming.

Mike Cameron11

Quite the change in policy for the Greens, standing up for rights of people to fly by jet to wherever they want.

Peter Taylor10

No, and everyone seems allergic to trade-offs, let alone delivering bad news.

eoinmonkey.bsky.social8

Its pretty simple, really: its been made clear, over and over, that the section of the British public that consistently votes (older, whiter, richer people) can not be told "no" or "you cant have that", ever, about anything. If you want to win elections, you follow this rule.

Volt Beleriand6

i would kinda hope that post-material politics would be unique to my country but the pathogen appears to be widespread

Adam Ramsay5

Isn’t this policy saying “the Iran war means we have less stuff… and the hyper-rich should feel it the most..?

Colin Danby5

Distressing to see the number of replies on that thread find socialist-sounding rhetoric for inaction on global warming.

David Beech5

I keep saying this stuff to mates 'dark clouds approaching' and the like and they look at me like I've gone a little bit mad. I think people *think* they know it's going to be *a bit* bad but actually no I don't think they are prepared. And that's ever political leaders fault as you say.

chelseachemist1.bsky.social4

Arsenal doing the double, spurs escaping the drop. I very much understand it means we have less joy 😔

Jeremy Rogers4

The government response in the major oil supply shocks in the past such as Suez, 1967-8, 1973-4 etc, was to raise duty (or VAT rate) on petrol & diesel not lower it. Plus prepare for rationing at a minimum by stocking up on ration books.

Guy Stallard 4

Quite - it looks like an utterly failing political class. Who speaks honestly or did Brexit in 2016 teach everyone that lying and avoiding trade offs is the recipe for success It’s the opposite in business

Chris Worthing3

Sadly not, Stephen. 5 parties & not one spelling out the awful situation we're in: partly Brexit; partly Trump; & due to our electoral system no one is prepared to change anything in case it goes wrong, so they just carry on phibbing.

Matthew Powell3

No let’s spend our supply before we need it in the Winter cos those evil capitalists???

David3

They don’t understand the principles of the market. If you want to maintain supply, you allow the price to rise to dampen demand as long as the retailers don’t take advantage.Also if you are pushing an Ev agenda you’re going to let prices rise to encourage transformation.

externalyflamey.bsky.social3

More depressingly I think they all understand, and want to try pushing some blame onto ememies. But there is already someone who they can blame who is already unpopular, and actually responsible. PM, FM I understand to an extent (NATO, whisky) but why are people out of power not blaming Trump?

ronit-b.bsky.social3

Isn't grounding private jets exactly the kind of demand destruction we should be doing?

chimpman.bsky.social3

1940, U-boats prowl the North Atlantic, all available cargo vessels are prioritised for essential goods. Churchill… we must subsidise chocolate or the government will fall

depdawginim.bsky.social2

On the plus side, if we all get our holidays cancelled this year then thats a shit ton of money to put into getting solar panels (of course many will put it towards a new fancy petrol car instead).

TMurr2

Amazingly incoherent - perfect examples of when simplistic populist rhetoric (which is apparently the only kind the populace can process) smashes into a pretty simple reality

Howell Harris2

No, not yet. There's an election on, so they can't afford to be either intelligent or honest about this.

Aldous Gray2

They probably do understand but also understand the public will be unable to take the message and will demand an unrealistic response The current government would be slaughtered for talking about it without a miracle solution

LaindonFeminist: Labour led by Keir for me
@viviane49.bsky.social

We’ve got to see past the media. They’re distorting everything. Keir Starmer is doing a great job. As is Rachel Reeves. April economic figures were excellent. They’ve got the answers. It’s just not instant. Ignore the media. See what Thursday brings. Keir Will Still be PM

40744d ago
Lucy37

Starmer is very good at demonising trans people, migrants, the disabled and anti-genocide protestors.

TryingMyBest16

Omg are you people actually for real!?

16

He will. You just have to wonder why the billionaire press & their clients are so terrified of Keir Starmer & this Labour Government! Oh.

josurrey.bsky.social14

He's calm in the face of ravings from Trump and attacks on places he used to live and a car he used to drive. The men who set the fires are in court now but this is barely in the media. So yes, personally and politically he's doing a great job.

Pete Hudson 🇬🇧🇨🇵🇪🇺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇳🇱🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇮🇳 #FBPE9

I’d say Keir Starmer is doing an OK job despite the constraints he places on himself that prevent him from doing a great job. The list is lengthy, Gaza, Israel, EU membership, freedom of movement, safe routes for refugees, making stupid statements about opposing parties, tax the rich, are a few.

Old Man Yao Guai8

He has the majority. He should reform the press. That, and his fucking utterly dog shit comms department are his two biggest problems.

janemick7

wish their communications were a bit better though!

jackmoli.bsky.social6

Don’t they have control of the government? By huge margins? If this is a problem, why not fix it?

vincitamorpatriae.bsky.social6

Propaganda here in the U.S. Won the 2024 Election, along with Oligarch shenanigans (Musk) in Pennsylvania's illegal Lottery he did...Keep the Truth and Facts going in the UK !!!

Dave6

I don't understand why so many people think Labour should have been able to repair the damage of 14 years of the Tories. Perhaps they should just borrow £700 billion (the cost of covid and the Ukraine war oil shock) and spend it on public services

Mr Swell Fella 🌎🇬🇧🇺🇦🇫🇮🇸🇪🇩🇰🇬🇪🇺🇲🌎5

Shame on the press! Too busy kissing Sir Nigel the Grifters ass

chestermarx.bsky.social5

Be careful....(a warning from the US)

Richard Hernaman Allen4

You can complain about the media treatment & recognise that he's done a decent job in some areas (not least given the inheritance). BUT there are policies and mistakes which are driving erstwhile supporters away. He has lost a lot of trust. Ask yourselves: can he recover that trust? And how?

joesoap.bsky.social4

In relative terms compared to the last administration Labour have done an excellent job with the cards they have been dealt. Media have gone for Labour from day one, but it is all trivia and speculation. Endless media narratives on Mandelson and Starmer's resigning have fallen flat with the public.

John Swinney's Smarter Brother2

I wonder if the naysayers are running out of steam and now, finally, turning their attention to Farage and Polanski.

Sarah G2

I’m just so frustrated that they’ve shown such poor planning. They had all that time to think about their strategy and then the first thing they do is muck up the reform of the benefits system and get a whole load of bad press for it. Why didn’t they start with the positives?

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