Another shooting. Another body on the street. This time in Tel Aviv. One dead, five wounded. The Foreign Office has issued a statement. Condemning the attack. Calling it 'appalling' and 'senseless'.
But here is the real question. Does anyone in Westminster believe this matters anymore? The usual script has been followed. The PM will offer condolences today. The Opposition will nod along. By tomorrow, the news cycle will move on.
The shooting comes at a delicate time. Israel is already on edge. The West Bank is simmering. And here, in London, the government is trying to pass a piece of legislation that would ban protests near the Israeli embassy. Harsh words from the Home Office. But the real game is elsewhere.
Sources inside the Foreign Office tell me there is growing frustration. Not with the violence. But with the lack of influence. The UK is a bystander. We issue statements. We wring our hands. But no one listens. The US is distracted. Europe is divided. And the most hardline elements in Israel's coalition are emboldened.
What does this mean for the PM? Not much, electorally. The public doesn't vote on foreign policy. But it does reveal a weakness. The government is reactive. It has no strategy. It just condemns and moves on.
One dead. Five wounded. And a government that has run out of ideas.
More to follow.
