The level of public hysteria being whipped up around the Israel-Gaza war is seen in the letter issued by British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, instructing British authorities to start arresting people waving Palestinian flags, presumably for the crime of “hate speech” and “inciting violence.” RT reported the letter saying: “It is not just explicit pro-Hamas symbols and chants that are cause for concern. I would encourage police to consider whether chants such as: ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ should be understood as an expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world, and whether its use in certain contexts may amount to a racially aggravated section 5 public order offense….
“Context is crucial. Behaviors that are legitimate in some circumstances, for example the waving of a Palestinian flag, may not be legitimate such as when intended to glorify acts of terrorism,” Braverman added, urging “swift and appropriate enforcement action,” she wrote.
