Naz Shah’s Point.

Labour MP Naz Shah made a flippant comment on social media suggesting Israel be transported to America and which led to her humbling apology in the House of Commons. Her only mistake was to not make her suggestion as a reasoned argument. In the 1920’s many Jews fled Russian persecution. Around that time America banned Jewish immigration into the country so deflecting it to Palestine. Over the years British policy was to limit this flow into Palestine. Before and after WWll Jewish immigration continued until there was a sizable population in Palestine and suggestions of partition began leading to Arab conflict. American sympathisers funded the purchase of Jewish weapons from Russia. In 1948 the ‘Jewish Council of Palestine’ proclaimed The Jewish State of Israel which was immediately backed by US President Harry Truman. Further conflict resulted in the international recognition of the Israeli state. It is quite possible European Jews would have far rather migrated to the US and that the Jewish state in Palestine would not have succeeded without US funds and the recognition given to it by the US President. Since then American money has continued to pour into Israel to such an extent that Israel could be rightfully called ‘Little America in the Middle East.’ It is against this background that Naz Shah’s made her flippant comment. It is also likely the strong Jewish lobby in the US would welcome their kin and that Israelis would likewise feel at home there. It’s also likely the widely felt xenophobic fear within Israel would feel at home with the similar fear permeating the US. Naz Shah’s comment is not deserving of an apology even though it was flippantly made.