The tragedy unfolding in Israel and Gaza demands serious humanitarian action, not this pointless showing off, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins
Mon 23 Oct 2023 18.01 CESTothing eases pressure on a leader like a foreign trip. Thatcher took herself to Paris the day before her downfall. Tony Blair took himself to Moscow, Delhi and Islamabad before invading Afghanistan. The floundering Boris Johnson could not stay away from Ukraine. Last week, assailed by twoTo what possible end? Blair’s flirtation with great-power diplomacy went to his head, and disastrously so.
Sunak could have conveyed his support for Israel and hope of humanitarian restraint from London. He chose to raise his profile by. He spent an hour with the Israeli leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, and visited Riyadh and Cairo; he met the emir of Qatar and the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. This came on top of Sunak’s, including a hospital ship, and a unit of marines, to “support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation”.
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