Letters to the Canary: a poem about Braverman, Israel, and more Tory benefit cuts looming

The Canary is excited to share the latest edition of our letters page. This is where we publish people’s responses to the news and politics, or anything else they want to get off their chest. We’ve now opened the letters page up so anyone can submit a contribution. As always, if you’d like to subscribe to the Canary – starting from just £1 a month – to support truly radical and independent media, then you can do that here:

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This week’s letters

This week we have a poem about Suella Braverman, thoughts on Israel and Gaza, and a response to the news Tories will be attacking the welfare state again. 

A short poem about Suella Braverman

WHERE DIETARY LAWS SHOULD BE OBSERVED:

More unkosher than rancid pork,

Observe Cruella,

The Tory Orc.

Kevan Myers, via email

Israeli state influence on UK politics

How about an article questioning the Israel lobby’s interference in UK politics?

Should MP’s who have accepted donations or are members of pro-Israel groups be allowed to vote on a ceasefire? (Huge conflict of interest).

What is the value of donations made to UK parties/MPs by pro Israeli groups?

Why does anyone think it’s acceptable that we even have MPs in parliament representing foreign state interests with their membership of groups such as Labour Friends of Israel and its Tory counterpart?

Regards

Paul, via email

ED: Thanks, Paul – we’ve covered the Israeli state’s lobbying efforts extensively in the past, here. 

Haunted by, but resolute on, Gaza

Like the Turkish Policeman carrying the pale corpse of Alan Curdy up a Greek beach, there are images from Gaza that will stay with me for what remains of my existence. The lifeless arm of a baby, pock-marked with wounds, his/her name written in biro on the wrist.

The toddler sitting up in a hospital bed with metal pins protruding from his/her thigh. A clearly amputated right arm – smiling wanly.

The distraught father carrying the dripping torso of a child through the streets of Gaza screaming for help.

The blank face of Keir Starmer refusing to demand a halt to the slaughter.

But – I will not look away. Those children deserve our full attention.

My mental health is irrelevant next to their unspeakable suffering.

Like millions of people, I’ve sent money, signed petitions, been on demonstrations of support for Palestinians and written to my MP. What else can I do? How can I assuage my anger?

Write to the Zionist Guardian?

Alan Marsden, via email

Some thoughts on Israel/Palestine

I have thought long and hard about the response in the UK, its politicians, its mainstream media, the Church – particularly the Archbishop of Canterbury, members of the Royal family, and many, many other public figures to the actions of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank over the last six weeks.

With a very small number of honourable exceptions, most of which are hollow words anyway, few, if any, say anything against Israel and there is next no support for the Palestinians. No one, but no one stands up against Israel.

Suggesting a ‘pause’ in the Israeli onslaught is, to me, a limp-wristed and gut-wrenchingly vacuous response to a wholly unjustifiable and unhinged attack. The attack on the Palestinians is creating an unbelievable humanitarian crisis which is so overwhelmingly, it is impossible to grasp.

It has taken years, in fact generations, to arrive at this point. A blind eye has always been turned, and quite clearly is still being turned, to the crimes, the actions and the propaganda coming from Israel.

Can someone please explain this?

How did this come about?

What can be done to remedy what, is to my mind, a very carefully cultivated and utterly corrupt and biased system designed to protect the aggressor and vilify the victims?

I am not sure that it can be undone. Perhaps the scales can never be removed from so many people’s eyes.

I would welcome your thoughts.

Mark Adams, via email

More Tory benefit cuts in the pipeline?

In response to a Canary article on more planned Tory benefit cuts:

If they cut benefits people will starve and be kicked out

The Tories self destruction is beyond anyone who can see further than two weeks or their own lying nose.

Less benefits equals less spending on food people can’t afford, less money for loans, cars etc, less tenants equals less money for Tory landlords they are beyond stupid they can’t even see how it will hurt themselves!

Dan, via email

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