A message to Sir Gerald

I suspect that the message below will leave the Hon. MP's brain and heart untouched. However, it says a lot to many other people. Posted with kind permission of the author.

FAO G Kaufman M P

Do you not realise how much hurt your speech has caused - both mild mannered dovish and left wing Jews and old people who take little notice of day to day affairs are disgusted by your latest outburst . Could you NOT have said ANYTHING MORE CONSTRUCTIVE than this collection of hateful comments?

As a politician do you want YOUR antecedents to be blamed for your present actions -- as you are implying by referring to Mrs Livni 's father's actions in the 1940s? WE all know you hark back to the old days of Mapai led governments [many of us do ] but we are in a new age, and by allying yourself with the anti Zionists, anti Israel fanatics and in effect the anti Semites you are NOT doing your cause or beliefs any favours.

YOU KNOW FULL WELL THAT ISRAEL WAS NOT BORN OUT OF " JEWISH TERRORISM " - many of the points you make about that period are grossly distorted and out of context and can only be construed as being designed to cause anti Semitism amongst the British public .

If you do disagree with Israeli actions or policies there are many much better ways of trying to influence matters than by making this sort of speech, with its self congratulatory justification for allying yourself with those who would deny your rights if given half the chance.

The fact that your party never gave you a senior Cabinet post which many felt you deserved is evidence that even your anti Israel outbursts of recent years has not overcome the incipient anti Semitism prevalent in Western Society in general and the Labour Party in particular. That was a boycott. More fool you. If you think " your friend " Arafat wanted peace why did he walk away in Camp David in 2000?

yours in great sorrow, Frank Baigel [ Manchester ]