Grant Shapps’s daughter confronted anti-Semitic chants by ‘rampaging’ protesters at college | Politics | News | EUROtoday
Grant Shapps has stated his daughter confronted anti-Semitic chants at her college within the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 terror assault on Israel.
The Defence Secretary, who’s a practising Jew, stated his daughter had instructed him she felt “uneasy”, with folks “rampaging” by way of her campus chanting the controversial slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. Mr Shapps instructed The Times: “She was telling me people were rampaging through the campus shouting: ‘From the river to the sea’, which is clearly an anti-Semitic trope, and it puts her under pressure and makes her feel uneasy.”
His feedback got here forward of a march in central London the place hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters referred to as for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as they marched from Bank to Parliament Square on Saturday (December 9). The march follows the British Government selecting to abstain on a United Nations Security Council decision demanding a right away humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza – a movement which was vetoed by the US.
Mr Shapps instructed The Times he’s British first, Defence Secretary second and “thirdly” his faith “happens to be Judaism”. He added: “But most of all I am a human being. Whether someone dies in Gaza or dies in Israel, to me there is no difference. It shouldn’t be happening in either. I think that sense of humanity should be at the forefront of everybody’s minds.”
The Defence Secretary has additionally warned the Israel-Hamas battle might get even worse and presumably spark an “enormous” battle within the Middle East. Mr Shapps is predicted to debate efforts to hurry up supply of humanitarian assist into Gaza throughout a forthcoming go to to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) and Israel.
He is because of meet inside minister of the Palestinian Authority, General Ziad Hab Al-Reeh within the OPTs, and Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv throughout his journey on Wednesday and Thursday. Mr Shapps can even focus on how the UK can assist the Palestinian Authority and efforts to stop additional escalation within the Middle East, in keeping with the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The Defence Secretary can even discuss efforts to get well hostages – together with plenty of Britons – who have been taken by Hamas fighters in the course of the group’s bloody incursion into Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel continued to pound areas of the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and artillery on Saturday. Two hospitals in central and southern Gaza obtained the our bodies of 133 folks killed in bombings over the previous 24 hours, the Health Ministry within the Hamas-run territory stated.
Seventy-one our bodies have been delivered to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital within the central metropolis of Deir al-Balah. The hospital additionally obtained 160 wounded folks. Dozens held funeral prayers on Saturday morning within the hospital’s courtyard, earlier than taking the our bodies for burial.
In the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, which has been the main target of Israel’s navy operations over the previous week, Nasser Hospital obtained the our bodies of 62 folks, in keeping with the ministry.
An Israeli neighborhood introduced on the identical day {that a} man who had been taken hostage by Hamas militants died in captivity. His captors stated Sahar Baruch was killed throughout a failed rescue mission by Israeli forces early on Friday (December 8).
The Israeli navy has solely confirmed that two troopers have been significantly wounded in an tried hostage rescue and no hostages have been freed. Mr Baruch, 25, was amongst greater than 240 folks taken hostage on October 7. His brother was killed within the assault on their neighborhood, Kibbutz Be’eri. The kibbutz confirmed Sahar Baruch’s loss of life on Saturday.
More than 130 hostages stay in captivity.
In Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man within the West Bank on Saturday whereas one other succumbed to his wounds from an Israeli raid the day earlier than, in keeping with native well being officers.
The deaths delivered to 274 the variety of Palestinians killed within the occupied territory because the begin of the Israel-Hamas battle. Most of the Palestinians have been killed in shootouts that the Israeli navy says started throughout operations to arrest suspected militants.
The Palestinian Health Ministry stated a person, 25, died of his wounds on Saturday after being shot throughout an arrest raid within the Faraa refugee camp on Friday, bringing the loss of life toll there to seven. Among these killed was a neighborhood commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade.
Also on Saturday, Israeli forces killed a 25-year-old Palestinian throughout a raid on his dwelling close to town of Hebron. The navy stated the person shot at a navy publish earlier within the week. During the raid on Saturday, the navy claimed he attacked troopers with a knife, injuring one.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1843810/grant-shapps-daughter-anti-semitic-chants