From: Andrew Johnson
Date: 2006-08-08 11:30:51
www.timesonline.co.u…,,17129-2297096,00.html Cameron is leader of the UK Opposition Party (Tories = Republicans) Cameron faces revolt over IsraelBy Andrew Pierce DAVID CAMERON is facing the first serious revolt within his party after senior Tories disowned frontbench criticism of Israels disproportionate bombardment of Lebanon. The broadside was led by Lord Kalms, a former Tory treasurer, Iain Duncan Smith, the previous leader, and Conservative Friends of Israel. Lord Kalms, a prominent member of the Jewish community, accused William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, of behaving like an ignorant armchair critic for criticising Israeli attacks on Lebanese army units and public buildings, and the high civilian death toll. He said that Mr Hagues remarks were not just unhelpful, they were downright dangerous. An unrepentant Mr Hague reiterates his criticism of Israels military tactics in an article in The Times today. Lord Kalms, in a letter to The Spectator, wrote: William Hagues usual good sense has deserted him. Criticising Israel for being disproportionate without serious consideration of the alternatives merely mouths the buzzwords of the ignorant armchair critic. A tragedy is unfolding; the outcome is life or death to the Israeli nation state. William, your comments are not merely unhelpful; they are downright dangerous. As on other issues, is the Conservative Party changing its ground? Mr Hague, writing in The Times after consulting Mr Cameron, who is on holiday, says that British ministers should have warned Israel of the dangers and injustice of attacks on public buildings. He writes: The Government should have been able to say clearly two weeks ago, as both David Cameron and I did, that elements of the Israeli response were disproportionate, risking unnecessary loss of civilian life and an increase in popular support for Hezbollah. Mr Duncan Smith made a thinly veiled attack on Mr Hague on Conservativehome.com. He wrote: Most observers, including some leading members of my own party, believe that Israel has acted disproportionately. The best thing the world community does is talk . . . But jaw-jaw has not stopped the suicide bomb or missile attacks on Israel. Robert Halfon, political director of Conservative Friends of Israel, said: We do not dis-agree with anything said by Lord Kalms but are confident that David Cameron will be resolute.
