Attention-seeker Ip shows her ignorance

Executive Council convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has been likened to a comedian by her critics because of her remark on social network site X about the Israeli wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah in the Middle East.

The comparison was inaccurate because a comedian speaks a lot of truth though making fun.

Ip was not particularly inspiring when she said Israel may be winning its wars against Hamas and Hezbollah but losing its country.

She asked Israelis to consider moving to the SAR if they wanted their families to live safely and happily.

Perhaps the Exco convenor genuinely thought that Israelis would agree with her that Hong Kong was a place where they could indeed live well and be happy.

However, it is more plausible that she was just trying to be heard.

She has been out of public spotlight since the passage of Article 23 and risks being forgotten about by the public unless she is heard from now and again.

Ip should forgive the media for not giving her the attention she seeks since the economy is the topical issue of the day - and she is not an authority on the economy.

Prior to Beijing's announcements of stimulus measures that excited the stock markets here and in the mainland, several former officials - including ex-chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah - had been making noises about Hong Kong's economy.

The latter might also be trying to be heard and, while it is a matter of opinion whether or not they should reemerge from retirement to comment on current affairs, their choice of subject was at least timely and of interest to the public.

Although Ip appeared to be calling on Israelis to live in Hong Kong, her remark on X seemed to be more a mockery of Israel.

It is difficult to imagine that an alumnus of Stanford University could be so "intelligent."

Such an "intelligent" remark prompted the Israeli consulate a day later to give Ip a crash course on democratic and liberal values, while wishing her and the people of Hong Kong "Shana Tova" - meaning a good year - on the Jewish New Year that evening.

The Middle East situation is historically and religiously complicated and few in the government can claim to be an expert in the region's affairs.

In the face of such a complicated situation, it would be best for Hong Kong officials to avoid getting involved in the regional conflicts there.

First, they lack the knowledge and, second, Hong Kong would not achieve any meaningful gains from getting involved.

If Ip really believes Israelis would prefer living in Hong Kong to building their country, she should return to school - and one more prestigious than Stanford.

The Middle East situation is fluid.

In the latest developments, Israel keeps signaling retaliation against Iran's missile attack on October 1 and Iran is preparing for an Israeli retaliation that may strike at its oil, or even nuclear, facilities.

It is fine for local politicians to raise eyebrows in order to be heard, but not on a situation that is costing hundreds of lives.