The Double Standards of David Cameron

Abu Juwairiya

Junior Member
As the situation and circumstances envelop close together in Ukraine and Gaza, two different images appear of what stand a Western Head of State should take.

If the aggressor is Russia, the UN has already announced the start of sanctions, spoken with tough words and expressed feelings of anger and hostility towards the downing of a Malaysian airliner. It is not surprising to hear such sentiments, a united voice in condemnation of a large nation with an enormous stockpile of weapons of mass destruction (by definition WMD includes nuclear weapons and highly advanced conventional arsenals that can cause colossal damage to civilian populations) and the facilitation of more talks with other world leaders to discuss greater financial damage to a sovereign state that 'might' have acted aggressively.

Russia is no longer a superpower (although it still possesses nuclear weapons), is now a key ally on the War on Islam (otherwise known by its more conventional yet misleading other name the war on terror) and a far inferior political world player compared to before the cold war.

David Cameron's words on possible Russian involvement echoed such feelings.

'If it were proven that Russian terrorists were behind the downing of the Malaysian jet, Russia would be to blame for having destabilised a sovereign state, violating its territorial integrity, backing thuggish militias and training and arming them.'

He added about the source of arms used on the Malaysian airline-

'The growing weight of evidence points to a clear conclusion: that MH17 was blown out of the sky by a surface-to-air missile fired from a rebel-held area (or from Russia itself - KC)'

His conclusions for Europe on dealing with the Russian involvement were to-

'not compromise its principles ... to make our power, influence and resources count.'

Current sanctions apply to barring Russian government officials to European nations and senior members of the Russian elite connected to the government. Now it may include Russian companies and prominent Russian oligarchs who will be blacklisted who support Russian actions in Ukraine. Remember this is before the establishment of clear evidence on the destruction of one airliner and one attack and even that is based on the likelihood that the Russian State is actually guilty.

So what of the case with Israel and what is the comparison from the perspective of David Cameron? The circumstances are different, but not very much so to see how the reactions and comments are so vastly different by themselves.

Gaza is a State in its own right. There is no direct evidence, even hearsay to say, infer or suggest that it is guilty of killing three Israeli teenagers. Even so, Israel has responded by shelling the State itself for weeks over the killings it knows most Palestinian civilians did not commit. The regularity of the deaths or I might add of the slaughter of Palestinians are apparent for the world to see.

No western country has seen that Israel's leaders should be barred from Europe, its illegal settlements in Gazan territory is met with silence and indifference in European government circles, the fact that Gazan airspace is not within its sovereignty to politically and legally deny Israel the IDF to patrol, fly over, use and drop bombs is treated coldly and without response. Britain continues to reiterate Israel's right to defend itself when the latter rains heavy bombing raids on Gaza while condemning Hamas for doing the same thing.

As the Israelis announce an escalation in the ground and air offensives against Gaza, the UK awarded a contract worth nearly £1 billion to Israeli firm Elbit and its partner company Thales UK to develop Watchkeeper WK450 drones. In addition, David Cameron, himself promised to spend an extra £1.1 billion on military equipment as well as setting up new bodies to promote arms exporters [to Israel].

While some contracts have since been revoked in light of the current Israeli actions in Gaza, 'other equipment from fighter plane components to sniper rifle parts continued to be sold'. This was or rather is during Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza.

This begs the question what kind of 'principles' was David Cameron referring to earlier when he spoke against Russia. Was it specific to anyone other than Israel or were they general policies Europe holds dear to them as moral guidelines.
 
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