Well then let's examine the logical constructions that he used:
"Muslim friends" and "Jewish friends".
Totally down with this. Here are two groups of people with an identity with whom we have no quarrel at all that is any way related to that identity. These groupings are real, and equatable. Anyone can easily accept these concepts of identity based groupings as things that are very much alike.
I have been led by the construction of the logic in this argument to consider that we are now equating things that are, as with the above, very much alike.
So where do we go now? Israel and the Islamic State. The democratically elected government of Israel, and the Islamic State. Before we had two things that were very much alike, and now we have Israel and the Islamic State.
If you are not personally offended by this then cool. Personally I have the same problem with that attitude that I do with those Leave voters who backed a coalition of racists pushing a nationalist agenda saying that they are not personally racist. Yes they are, they looked in the face of xenophobia and fscking shrugged. If the real lives of real people are just collateral damage in your analysis of what you want and how you get it then you're a 2@.
It's not much of a conspiracy to say that when the narrative at that moment in time is on the complete lack of leadership of those who got us to this position, to turn it on yourself because of your spectacular tone deafness on these issues then you're not just not a leader, you're actively damaging to the interests. If you do it in the shadow of a recent smear campaign deigned to discredit you on exactly this issue then you're beyond stupid. Incalculably stupid. Dangerously stupid. The kind of well meaning stupid that shows exactly how you will be derailed from every last item on your agenda.
But he doesn't actually stop there.
Quote Muslim friendsNo one should be expected either to condemn or defend the actions of foreign powers on account of their faith or race. At the same time, we should have the sensitivity to understand how upset many Labour party members and supporters are likely to feel about various human rights abuses around the world.'"
No, fsck you. There is no "at the same time". That first sentence is complete as it stands and needs no qualification at all. No one should be expected to do anything at all, at any time, to satisfy some artificial expectations placed on them because of their faith, race, nationality, gender identification or sexuality.
Do not condemn Jews, the most vilified group in human history, for the actions of a government. Excellent position to take. You do not follow this up with 'At the same time, don't be surprised if the Labour party membership start moaning about Jews and "Zionists" purely because of it'. This is an obscene false equivalence.
Seriously, how stupid is this person? The more I consider the actual words he used, and the constructions of logic that he used, the less charitable I am towards him.
edit: The word of the week is Verschlimmbesserung. Look it up.