Paddy O’Connell

The thing that's happened in the last couple of days because of the attack is that it has become an intensely political issue.

So we've talked about what it's like in the community and it's been really valuable to hear those voices that you spoke to this morning, Paddy, and also Judith, all the conversations that you've had in the last few months.

The political question on this issue has been for quite some time what to do about the marches.

What to do about the many thousands of people who've gone into our city centres to demonstrate about their strong feelings about what is happening in Gaza and how many politicians and many people, particularly but not exclusively in the Jewish community, think that there are elements who have used those marches to express anti-Semitism.

They've been talked about as an incubator for Jewish hatred rather than just a purely peaceful way of demonstrating against the actions of Netanyahu's government.

All of that has led the prime minister himself to come out and say, I think, with more punch and more clarity than he said before, that in his view, actually, what happens at some of those marches is completely intolerable.

There are particular things at those marches that are chanted that should lead to people being prosecuted.

And he told our colleagues at the Today programme yesterday.

late yesterday in an interview that was played this morning, that actually, in his view, perhaps some of those marches actually should not be allowed to go ahead.

And that's why I say...

It's really interesting to hear that because after the Heaton Park attack, there was a call that weekend from the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary and other political leaders just to say to people, think again about going along to this.

We understand if you have deeply held feelings against what Netanyahu's government is doing, but think again, listen, understand what's happening in the Jewish community.

And understand that there may be people in part of this movement who are expressing something that is different to what you are expressing.

But frankly, this whole thing has been very, very difficult for the government, not least because there are very strong feelings on the left about...

about what Netanyahu does.

There are very strong feelings on the left and have been for a long time about how important it is to recognise Palestine.

That's something that this government did.

But in terms of handling this issue of how you protest in such a charged environment, it's been very, very difficult for them indeed.

There's no question about that.

particularly with the Labour Party's recent history of what happened under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, which, you know, is now going back a decade.