It's Just A Deli, Jay...

When I first came across Freddie’s I was excited. For all my lack of faith or observance these dishes, kept alive by a vestigial memory of the shtetl, root me. Then I hesitated. Could I really write about a Jewish restaurant given the current political turmoil? Would I get abuse for doing so? Surely better to keep shtum.

Good grief, you're a food reviewer. This is a new food outlet (and the dishes look amazing) so why wouldn't you want to review it? 

At which point I knew I had no choice: I had to write about it. The horrendous campaign of the government and armed forces of Israel in Gaza cannot be allowed to make being Jewish a source of shame.

And why are they doing what they are doing?  

When Hamas mounted their 7 October attack on Israel, they committed both an atrocity and a provocation.

Ah, so you are aware of the cause for their action.  

With so many hostages taken, there were no good options for the Israeli government. Nevertheless, they managed to choose the very worst one.

Gosh, how sad they never thought to seek the opinion of the 'Guardian's' corpulent food reviewer, I'm sure you'd have steered them better...  

Funny how you don't say what they should have done instead.

They have killed thousands, starved many more, destroyed homes and turned their country into a pariah.

It's not a pariah at all, It's the only country in the Middle East that's not a complete basket case. The only country I'd feel safe to visit.  

As it happens, they have also made life for Jews who live outside Israel and have no responsibility for the decisions its government takes, so very much harder.

I deplore what Israel is doing.

No, Jay, sadly we have done that, the UK, by not clamping down at the first signs of what a fifth column we've been stupid to invite into our country believes and wants. And that is something I feel shame about.