New York, NY, July 28, 2010 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed "surprise and disappointment" at one-sided remarks by British Prime Minister David Cameron, in which he condemned the Israeli attack on a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza as "completely unacceptable" and described Gaza as "a prison camp."

The remarks came during a speech in Turkey where the British P.M. urged Israel and Turkey "not to give up" on their relationship in the aftermath of the flotilla incident.

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We are surprised and disappointed that Prime Minister Cameron has resorted to the same kind of inflammatory rhetoric that has been used by Israel's enemies to describe the humanitarian situation in Gaza.  We would have thought that given Israel's important relationship with Great Britain, the prime minister would have more carefully considered his words about the complex situation facing Gazans and the security challenges facing Israel.

 

Since coming to office, Prime Minister Cameron's government has underscored that the U.K. is a good friend of Israel.  The prime minister is well aware of Hamas' reign of terror and he has been clear in his condemnations of Hamas in the past.  The lack of context in this case is disturbing, especially in light of the recent Israeli decision to allow significantly more items to enter Gaza.  We hope he will quickly find an opportunity to clarify his unfortunate statements.