Iain Dale: Something Interesting on 18 Doughty St

I would like to congratulate Iain Dale for conducting and presenting this interview (taster above) on 18 Doughty Street tonight (8pm).

Not altogether happy with Mr Dale's 30-second elevator pitch. But I haven't seen the programme, so perhaps it is spot on. We'll see later on.

Iain's rather rabid commentators seem to have taken their clue from their host. They might instead consider what a spokesperson for the State of Israel might say if pressed on their nearest equivalent of the three issues Iain highlights. The first answers in italic are the Palestine Ambassador's positions, verbatim as mediated by Dale. The rejoinder in bold is what an Israeli Ambassador might say:

* That rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, the West Bank or Lebanon are justified - even if innocent civilians are killed;
That strafing of innocent people in Gaza, Cana, anywhere really is justified for Israel's Security.

* That the famous footage of Palestinians dancing for joy on the streets on 9/11 was faked by the Israelis;
That XY and Z have been faked by Arabs and anti-semites (and I'm not saying that either assertion is true or untrue before anyone starts).

* That Hamas should apologise to the Palestinian people; and says that while the Taleban may have been a little excessive in their modus operandi, at least they kept order.
That Hamas should apologise. And that while the wall, the border crossings, the shooting of peaceniks, the strafing of Lebanon, the potential nuking of Teheran are a little excessive in their modus operandi, at least they kept or will keep order.

As so often in these cases the discourse is horribly similar on both sides of the argument. We can say there is no equivalence as loudly and as often as we wish as we choose to promote one side or the other.

But the discourse is mirrored.

If we want progress we need to break that cycle. [touch of irony]Which is where honest brokers like Daniel Pipes and Tony Blair come in.[/touch of irony] I wish Blair luck by the way and don't think Pipes is quite as bad as people say ...

Well done to Iain Dale and His Excellency the Ambassador for producing this. I'm not sure about the 30-second elevator pitch. And clearly the programme is in a well known context of Tory TV. But I will be watching this one with interest.