At the sharp end

This is a turn up for the books. Gosh, that’s an old-fashioned expression - it’s supposed to mean ‘an unexpected piece of good fortune’. In that case, scrap that. This is unexpected alright, but it’s not exactly a piece of good fortune. 

Remember Dr Rosena Allin Khan? She was the subject of a couple of our recent posts after she’d managed to generate a flurry of anti-Israeli broadcasts about the Israeli medical profession’s heartless cruelty to Gazans. Babies dying alone? Parents denied permits to accompany child cancer sufferers for treatment? Yes, those.

There was a nasty interview in which deputy Israeli ambassador Sharon Bar-Li was at the sharp end of one of Mishal Husain’s customary tongue-lashings and at the blunt end, Dr Allin Khan was invited to a leisurely stroll on Husain’s personal red-carpet.    

Now you’ve remembered all that, clock this. 

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:

“So, in my quest to improve the permit system, I had a very lively radio discussion with the Deputy Israeli Ambassador - something which continued in the green room at the BBC. Weeks later, she invited me to meet with her to discuss it further. 

So last week, I went to the Israeli Embassy to discuss it, in the hope to get some traction, to improve the permit system - which will benefit thousands of Palestinians waiting for hospital treatment. 

Instead of supporting my work, those purporting to support the Palestinian cause have spouted horrible anti-Semitic abuse. See some examples here - it’s disgusting, these views are abhorrent - but also misguided and ill-informed.”

"This behaviour does nothing to help the Palestinian cause. I have been there, called out what I’ve seen and spoken in the press. Am I now not meant to work to improve this dreadful situation? 

I’ve worked with Palestinians across the Middle East for 10 years - but these racists think they can sit behind a keyboard here in the U.K and troll someone genuinely trying to help. It’s revolting - it’s wrong."

This looks a little like self-pity rather than a genuine dawning of the light, but it’s a start. At least she’ll see what it’s like to be at the sharp end of unfair criticism.