I stand with Israel and its people

The unprecedented terrorist blitzkrieg on innocent Jewish people was like no other since the state of Israel was formed in 1947.

The genocidal butchery so mercilessly inflicted included the beheading of more than 40 babies.

The need to support and offer the hand of condolence from the chief minister, government and people of the Bailiwick was eloquently demonstrated in a statement released from Deputy Ferbrache on 10 October.

The people of Israel and the world were reassured by the bold and reassuring statement that the Bailiwick of Guernsey stood with Israel and all Jewish people at this unprecedented time. The Bailiwick of Guernsey will not shy away from standing with Israel and its people but also defend and support members of the Jewish community within the Bailiwick.

Guernsey is now a multicultural island. This carries geopolitical and cultural challenges. I say to those within the Bailiwick community who support the ideology of this terrorist attack – and there are such people within our community – if you feel strongly about the destruction of Israel, then go to Palestine and take your anti-Semitism mindset with you. Guernsey should never support such people or ideology in the name of political correctness, which does not have any place in a civilised society.

At no time was the statement supporting Israel in a war against the people of Gaza. The statement was clearly a statement of shock, support, empathy and acknowledgement to the people and state of Israel of the genocidal events on 7 October. The statement was also to reassure the local Jewish community, especially with horrendous Jew-hating immediately spreading across western countries.

My late gran was a German Jew and my late father was also Jewish. My late father was a veteran of WWII. He was also a prisoner of war, interned in Stalag 11a/b, until he and a fellow POW escaped towards the end of WWII.

While my late father very rarely spoke of the horrors of war, he witnessed many atrocities on the long road to freedom. Along with him, millions of veterans and civilians experienced the demons and impact of war for decades afterwards.

One can only imagine during my father’s internment, he lived in fear that the Nazis would find out he was a Jew. His christian name and surname saved his life from certain extermination – something I’m sure he carried with him all of his life.

It is said that in war there are three casualties – the truth; civilians; and innocence. I stand with Israel and its people and make no apologies for doing so. The evil of Hamas must be addressed along with the Muslim fundamentalist threat to all who dare challenge such a genocidal ideology.

I must say, I cannot condone any death of innocent civilians regardless if they are Jewish or Muslim.

Shalom aleichem.

Pete Burtenshaw