But Israelis survive because their government prioritised their safety, whilst Hamas has spent its millions building tunnels under Israeli borders, instead of protecting the lives of their citizens. 

Meanwhile Israel is a pariah state, according to John Prescott; Greg Dyke accuses us of crying anti-Semitism, and Jon Snow tells us "the rockets from Gaza are mere fireworks". The reportage is obsessive, hysterical and 24 hours a day, but seldom pauses to consider the truth of who really fired and from where. I recently met a 15-year-old Israeli girl who had 15 seconds to get a class of primary school kids to a shelter 100 yards away. Who is interested in her story? 

Alexei Sayle has publicly labelled the Jewish state: "The Jimmy Savile of nation states." Forgive my confusion, but is he calling Israel a perverted, necrophiliac, child-abusing . . . country? It's a strange analogy from a grown-up. Furthermore, using children to perpetrate terrorism is surely a form of abuse? The media have so far failed to investigate the report that 160 child labourers died in the construction of those tunnels.

Recently the Tricycle theatre in Kilburn refused to host the Jewish Film Festival unless the organisers reject their £1,400 of Israeli embassy sponsorship. With no hint of irony the theatre offered to make up the shortfall. Blood money? The theatre also asked to view every film in the schedule in advance. What were they looking for? This is a cultural, apolitical festival, which has been bringing all faiths together to dialogue, debate and celebrate the art of filmmaking for 26 years. They have since rescinded their ban under concerted pressure from what will undoubtedly be called "the Jewish Lobby".

It brings a wry smile to my lips to remember that during 20 years of supporting the beleaguered Burmese as they were repressed and terrorised, we could never get a single item on a front page unless The Lady herself was being flung into Insein jail. Anti-Semitism sells. The Hamas leaders and their PRs in their five-star Qatar hotels must be laughing into their non-alcoholic beverages. 

Nor does the UN bring any resolutions against these perpetrators of war crimes — the real ethnic cleansers who constantly contravene and disrespect human rights. How can they, when so much of their time is taken up with creating fresh resolutions against Israel? To date, there have been 56. 

The United Nations operates on the same lines as the Eurovision Song Contest: bigoted blocs of interested parties. One has Ban Ki Moon as compère, the other has Graham Norton. The people who make the decisions are partisan. Reforming either would be, to say the least . . . challenging.

Meanwhile, all those Israeli tourists who had planned a fortnight's vacation in Bradford will have to think again. Thanks to George Galloway it might be considered an unsuitable challenge. And inappropriate.