It's time we stopped thinking of the holocaust as some kind of holy cow.

If people are not allowed to express opinions openly about it then we are in danger of becoming some kind of Stalinesque state; the very kind of state that breeds similar attrocities.

David Ward, the Lib Dem MP for Bradford, is facing disciplinary action after accusing Israel of atrocities against the Palestinians in Gaza similar to those perpetrated on Jews by the Nazis.

Of course you only have to notice that his constituency is Bradford to realise that his motives may be political rather than the result of genuine personal belief but that is hardly the point.

Surely it is better to regard the holocaust as a sad and deeply regrettable part of history and use it to inform our political choices rather than use it as an excuse for the Israelis to behave as they do towards the Palestinians without public criticism.

What is happening in Gaza is effectively genocide by other means.