It’s not the end of the world, though it made for a funny blooper despite the subject matter. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated a familiar position about the war in Gaza: ceasefire now and a return of the hostages. Yet, he didn’t say that. In an unfortunate slip of the tongue addressing a Labour Party conference, the prime minister called on Hamas to release "the sausages.” He meant to say hostages and quickly rebounded (via The Guardian):
The UK prime minister Keir Starmer misspoke and call on Hamas to return the 'sausages', rather than the hostages, held in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/R6EN5RaJzm
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 24, 2024
He will set off for the UN general assembly on Tuesday, and he told the conference about the message he would take to New York.
“I call again for restraint and de-escalation at the border between Lebanon and Israel. I call again for all parties to step back from the brink. I call again for all parties to step back from the brink,” he said.
“I call again for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the sausages – the hostages – and a recommitment to the two-state solution: recognized [sic] Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.”
The prime minister quickly recovered from the slip-up, which swiftly went viral. It did not appear to overshadow his message that things would get better for Britain – a country that he said was “no longer sure of itself” – if his government made difficult decisions now.
Starmer was heckled during the speech, which was also attended by the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, by an audience member over Labour’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Again, he won’t lose the next general election over this slip-up. However, the rancor over this war among Labour Party members, which not so recently was engulfed in a tide of antisemitism, might cause some internal conflicts within his government. Over here, we’re dealing with the same issues: we have antisemitic and pro-Hamas members of Congress, our college is overrun with Jihadis, and Jewish people are being targeted by rabid proto-pogroms nationwide.
The slip-up provided a bit of levity, though we all know Hamas won’t release the hostages. And the pro-Palestinian side refuses to see the terror group as inhuman, barbaric trash who must be annihilated. So, we’re back to the initial phase: allow Israel to enter Rafah full-bore and wipe them out.