As the conflict in Gaza continues, there is increasing division over the crisis here in the UK. Keir Starmer continues to resist those in his party calling a ceasefire; Home Secretary Suella Braverman has labelled pro-Palestine rallies as ‘hate marches’; and Jewish columnist Lord Finkelstein told Trevor Phillips that he wonders whether it is safe for him or his children in central London. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden partially agreed with Braverman, telling Laura Kuenssberg there was hateful conduct occurring on the marches. He said he had ‘grave concerns’ about the pro-Palestine rally planned for Armistice day.
Labour’s John Healey – a ceasefire leaves Hamas in place
Speaking to Trevor Phillips, the Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey defended Starmer not calling for a ceasefire, arguing that it would leave Hamas fighters and weapon systems in place and would therefore prolong the conflict. However he stressed that humanitarian pauses were necessary to allow aid to get into Gaza and negotiate the release of hostages. Phillips asked him if that meant in practice Israel would have to stop fighting but Hamas would carry on. Healey argued that ‘small steps might lead to a breakthrough’.
Dowden – ‘in broad terms, I think we had the right plans in place’
The Covid inquiry is shedding light on the toxic and chaotic environment of the government during the beginning of the pandemic, with Dominic Cummings and Helen MacNamara giving evidence this week. It is clear preparations were catastrophically inadequate and the government’s response far too slow. Dowden admitted to Kuenssberg that the government’s preparations had ‘an excessive focus’ on a flu-style pandemic, but said he would not give a running commentary on the ongoing inquiry.
Hossam Zaki – ‘the cycle of violence needs to stop’
The Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki argued that a political solution was the only way to end the conflict. Laura Kuenssberg asked him how Israel could talk to Hamas after their actions on October 7th. Zaki argued that ‘indefensible’ actions have been committed on both sides, but that Israel is an occupying power, and if the conflict is spoken about only as a ‘security problem’, no progress could be made.
Sarah Snook – potential of deepfakes is ‘terrifying’
Lastly, Laura Kuenssberg asked Succession star Sarah Snook about the ongoing writer strikes in the entertainment industry. Snook said her biggest fear was AI. She argued the industry needed to set a precedent with stringent regulations to protect against things like ‘deepfakes’, where realistic videos or photos of a person are created artificially. Snook is concerned about the potential of a company owning a celebrity’s image and voice and using them to create whatever content they wished.
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