Let us not hear any more pieties from him about his great love of Israel and the Jewish people. The hypocrisy is simply nauseating. Blogs: Clive Davis | Stephen Pollard | Americano | Coffee House | Trading Floor Actions: Print this article | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (50) Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
The Mild-Mannered British Desire For The Annihilation Of Israel
The British sociologist Frank Furedi reports what he has heard from Britain’s educated classes since the Gaza crisis began:
Repeatedly, Gordon Brown has said, as here, that ‘too many innocent people’ have died in Gaza without acknowledging these crucial points: that while all deaths of innocents in war are to be much regretted, the vast majority of those killed have been Hamas operatives; that Hamas deliberately falsify these figures by classifying terrorists as civilians; and most crucial of all, that Israel has gone to extreme lengths to avoid killing innocent civilians – lengths to which the British and Americans most certainly are not going in Afghanistan. For Brown to avoid stating any of this, and instead to lend credence to the libellous claims about Israel’s behaviour which have incited this wave of anti-Jewish bigotry and violence makes the British Prime Minister effectively an accessory to that bigotry and violence.
Monday, 19 January 2009
I am standing in a queue waiting to buy a train ticket from London to Canterbury. A well-dressed lady standing behind me informs her friend that she ‘can’t wait till Israel disappears off the face of the earth.’ What struck me was not her intense hostility to Israel but the mild-mannered, matter-of-fact tone with which she announced her wish for the annihilation of a nation. It seems that it is okay to condemn and demonize Israel. All of a sudden Israel has become an all-purpose target for a variety of disparate and confused causes. When I ask a group of Pakistani waiters sitting around a table in their restaurant why they ‘hate’ Israel, they casually tell me that it is because Jews are their ‘religion’s enemy.’ Those who are highly educated have their own pet prejudice. One of my young colleagues who teaches media studies in a London-based university was taken aback during a seminar discussion when some of her students insisted that since all the banks are owned by Jews, Israel was responsible for the current global financial crisis.
This shocking anti-Jewish bigotry and violence – according to the Community Security Trust, Anglo-Jewry is in the middle of the worst outbreak of Jew-hatred since records began a quarter of a century ago, with more than 150 incidents across the country recorded since the beginning of the Gaza war -- has erupted in Britain as a direct result of the British media and political class giving the impression that the Israelis are deliberate child-killers. Both politicians and journalists have accepted at face value the Hamas claim that the dead in Gaza were mainly civilians, whereas the Israelis maintain that the vast majority were terrorist operatives. The British elites have accepted all claims of Israeli atrocities as well-founded, even though as far as I can see there is not a shred of evidence for any of them. They have also treated the word of the UN as objective holy writ, even though there are serious grounds for suspecting that the UN are the patsies of Hamas. For example, the UN has been screaming that Israel committed a ‘war crime’ when it shelled its Gaza HQ last Thursday; few in Britain know that Israel’s Prime Minister Olmert, no less, told UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon that the IDF returned fire after terrorists inside the compound fired anti-tank weapons and machine guns during the humanitarian daily pause:
‘We don't want this event to happen again,’ he told Ban, ‘and I don't know if you know, but Hamas attacked from within the UNRWA compound during the humanitarian cease-fire.’
What is so terribly shocking is that in the face of this unprecedented wave of hatred and bigotry, Britain’s senior politicians have been all but silent. They have a duty not merely to condemn the anti-Jewish violence but also to condemn the blood libels about Israel that have been inciting it. Instead, ministers such as International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander have breathed upon the flames by condemning Israel’s behaviour as ‘disproportionate’ and regurgitating as fact the distorted propaganda of Hamas and its patsy, the UN, about the number of civilian casualties.
Posts
Dave M
January 19th, 2009 1:53amWe've known where New Labour's loyalties lie for some time, I think. This has also finally dawned on the Americans so now, unlike in the Reagan era, the special relationship is now between America and Israel, with the U.K. pretty much frozen out. I suppose the U.K. has never really been in a war like this one Israel has been involved in since WW2. The Americans and Russians, however, do have some idea of what it involves. I think what shocks the British public is to see so many wounded children being aired by the Beeb. This hardly happened in the Falklands but the situation in the Middle East is a totally different scenario. Faced with potential suicide bombings, rocket attacks and a fanatical ideology on their borders, Israel has to take the gloves off. Sadly, there will be innocent victims caught in the crossfire.
gary
January 19th, 2009 1:55amnauseating kinda sums it up.
Frank P
January 19th, 2009 2:22amProblem is Melanie, even the Magazine that hosts your blog allows the egregious Tacky (sic) – yes, very sic - Theodoracopalus to spew anti-Semitic mendacity from its own pages; his tirade in this week's issue speaks volumes about Mr D'Ancona and the his own string-pullers and paymasters. I sometimes wonder whether you were given this slot to enable the Jew- haters to have a forum for their propaganda through your commentary box. You do seem to have more than your fair share of them infesting it and it seems the 'mediator' gives them more rope than your supporters at times. I can understand that it does expose the level of hatred that exists in Western societies, particularly the UK, but when the staff columnists give vent to their own baleful attitude to Jews it can hardly be regarded as cathartic. The BBC propaganda machine does indeed seem to have infected a very large segment of the population with its anti-Israel bias and the refusal of the MSM at large to expose the cant and treachery of our national broadcasting service is most disturbing evidence of the rout of the Left's counter-cultural campaign of the last half-century. The contradictions and hypocrisy are mind-boggling.
Lynda
January 19th, 2009 2:57amHear, hear, Melanie.
Its appalling and all around the globe too!
That people think Hamas is legimate because of a 'democratic' election is myopia in the extreme.
John Brailsford
January 19th, 2009 3:05amI agree 100%. For once I hear a voice speaking some sense on this issue. It frightens me how biased the media has become.
Roger R
January 19th, 2009 3:08amEven here in New Zealand we have a wave of anti-Jewish sentiment being expressed in refusals of cafe owners not serving Jewish or Israeli customers as well as well as the expected Left/ Islamo alliance's demonstartions.
I am not Jewish but men of good will must make their voices heard. Stand with the Pro-Israel lobby and declare that as for me and my house we ask the Lord to Bless the Jewish people, to Bless Israel and bring confusion to her enemies.
Mike from Texas
January 19th, 2009 3:10amThe liberal, left-wing, "educated", elites in Britain and the US are spoiled and comfortable and ignorant. They do not know who their true enemies are and hate their fellow countrymen and women who protect their sorry asses. I despise them and their ilk, including Brown and Obama, and hope our civilization survives their cowardice.
Dan Schwartz in NJ
January 19th, 2009 3:30amGordon Brown is merely reflecting the views of his Arab masters, who have heavily invested in the British financial industry. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton get their money the old fashioned way: Through their Presidential foundations.
Since the UK has become so hostile to Israel, then perhaps the Mossad should halt intelligence sharing with MI5 & 6.
Alcuin
January 19th, 2009 6:20amRight again, Melanie. The silence of our leaders is both cowardly and deeply dangerous, This is the Londonistan syndrome, failing to realise (like a weak parent) that bad behaviour requires instant condemnation, while not wanting to "offend" a culture containing significant numbers of thugs. When our leaders realise their mistake, it will be far harder to constrain a group grown confident in the face of our weakness. Enoch Powell would have spoken up, but he had seen where such behaviour (on both sides) leads.
Paul
January 19th, 2009 7:29amPlease have more faith in the British public Melanie. Most of my friends accept Israeli action in Gaza as justified. No Government can stand by and watch its citizens blown up and rocketed and do nothing. If it did so it would soon be deposed.
I am not Jewish or Arab but a white English male and can see full well what Hamas is- just a maniacal terrorist organisation screaming codswallop. They have brought this upon the Gazans. If the IDF were targeting civilians there would be none left by now.Most of this is perpetrared by our useless Government who cannot solve the problems of this country and like to divert attention away from this and to the Middle East. We are not so gullable.
Andy Leeds
January 19th, 2009 7:41amWhile I am no friend of Israel like yourself (Israel behaves in rather stupid ways at times) I'm afraid I have to agree with much of what you write. One has been shocked at the hostility not only of the main stream media to Israel but also the hostility of many ordinary people. Underneath it all lurks the demon of anti-Semitism which has been neatly repackaged and redressed as 'criticism of Israel'.
Grumpy the Real
January 19th, 2009 8:04amI am at once appalled and at the same time almost resigned to the fact that the Britain of today, has been almost warped and bent out of shape completely.
I am further reminded of the words of one of your posters - an American - who posited the idea that in fact there was/is very little difference between the mentality of the Brit viz a viz the German prior to WW2, and that the only reason Britain got into the fray, related to the land expansion (Prussia/Sudatenland/Poland) of the Nazis, RATHER than their anti-semetic stance.
I'm sure that there were also many 'well dressed ladies' then, waiting in line, mouthing off the same 'mild mannered' hatred, in a matter of fact way. (possibly the same type of solid burgher, who was amazed to find out that there was a death camp at the bottom of the street)
Gordon Brown - what can one add, without becoming personal. Suffice to say, that Israel has already allocated him a space in the box marked - Irrelevant (but make nice).
Thank G-d Israel does'nt rely on Britain for its survival.
Britan is there to merely blow in the wind, certainly not to take a stand, that would somehow prejudice a deal being done with the Saudis etc.
Maybe they (the arabs)will bail out the banking system and in the process introduce sharia banking to Britain - to go along with sharia law.
You're at the gates...just knock
Mehran
January 19th, 2009 8:07amI recently confronted this new anti-Semitism in a forum affiliated to an arch conspiracy theorist and rabid Jew-hater (sorry, a critic of Israel), and the response was the canard that any criticism of Israel is seen as Jew-bashing by Israel's supporters and as such was 'not allowed'.
If I were to describe Arabs in crude and derogatory terms in a mainstream medium, I'd no doubt be reported to the hate-speech police. Yet it seems perfectly acceptable to portray Jews (and I mean Jews not 'Israelis') as being behind every calamity in the world today, with not so much as a squeak of protest from the right-on brigade.
It is disgusting that the Jews, who themselves were the victims of one of the most appalling calamities ever, should have to go inventing the wheel again, and have to defend themselves from pernicious anti-Semitism, not only of the Islamist thugs, conspiracy nutters and Galloway-type loony left, but 'respectable' Middle England opinon too.
Neil Turner
January 19th, 2009 8:17amSpot on as usual
The irony, here though, is that despite all the UK's protestations against Israel, Islamists / Hamas / Al Quaeda etc all see the UK very much in bed with Israel.
Thus terrorist attacks on the UK will continue, and the Union Jack will still be burnt alongside the Stars and Stripes
Whether the UK likes it or not, Israel is in the vanguard of a fight we are up to our necks in, despite what the BBC and Sky spout
Maurice, MD
January 19th, 2009 8:22amI suggest this goes deeper than mere strategic or financial issues.
For 2000 years, Europe tried to subdue or crush or destroy the Jews. Now when Western European society is in a self-induced decline, it cannot endure that the Jews are free of them and flourishing in their own land and have the valor to defend it.
Basically, the issue is just plain envy and spite.
Mike
January 19th, 2009 8:32amYou've brought it all on your own head Melanie........pages and pages have foretold how the policies of Israel would threaten the security of the Jewish people wherever they are. I don't have a solution, but I know what ought to happen.......Israel should bring an end to the Zionist project.......it has achieved its objective of providing a homeland for the Jews....it's continued expansion via the settler movement should cease bringing an end to the occupation......enough is enough. The sooner you face up to that, difficult as it may be, the sooner you will end up with an Israel at peace with itself and the world........it will have achieved the impossible....the co-existence of Jews among Arabs. Unlike Zionism......this isn't an impossible dream.
(PS: for phil, Adam B, and the others. I'm not taking any questions on the foregoing. I'll leave you to fight it out among yourselves). I'm out.)
Richard
January 19th, 2009 8:55amWell done Melanie...... as per usual!
Margaret Muller-Johansson
January 19th, 2009 9:21amWe should go to the streets and protest against the media, the sleep walking left wing liberals, who are very dangerous people, they are Anti God, anti Religion, anti civilization, and one of the reasons they don't like Israel is, Israel is very civilize country
Carl
January 19th, 2009 9:34amMelanie, over 300 Palestinian children have been killed by the IDF in the past few weeks. What was your point again?
Vision Aforethought
January 19th, 2009 9:38amRe Brown's comments. Well, like most of the events going on outside of Israel world-wide, the media's focus on Israel provides a distraction from criticism of these other events - such as the war in Afhganistan, which is more about resources (oil) than a nation fighting for it's survival. Brown is a popularist (hence he writes to X Factor contestants) and will swing in the wind. Conviction politician? Hmmm.
Lizzy
January 19th, 2009 9:44amIn New Zealand, Roger R... and in Australia. Caroline Overington in her blog at The Australian cleverly refutes a vile little column by a Michael Blackman published in The Age here:
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/coverington/index.php/theaustralian/comments/the_jews_are_to_blame/desc/
The Age pulled the column after numerous protests including from the Jewish Council of Victoria. It should be up to all of us to complain.
Gruntson
January 19th, 2009 9:44amOne receives the impression after listening to the ubiquitous UN spokesmen that it is not so much a question of war crimes - rather it is war itself that is being criminalised.
It is not clear whether this is because Israel is waging a war of self-defence (this is simply unacceptable because of the Jewish dimension!) or whether in the UN's simplistic and utopian universe war is contrary to all 'elf and safety procedures.
Indeed, it is all quite peculiar.
Louise
January 19th, 2009 9:55amI’m afraid that this decline in the average Brit’s sympathies for Israel will not be reversed as long as the BBC is allowed to continue its demonisation of the Jewish State with impunity. The poisoning of listeners’ and viewers’ minds owing to the BBC's despicable failure, from 1967 onwards, to present facts fairly, and to accept and present with increasing zeal the narrative of Israel’s enemies, has had – and is having – its deletrious effect.
Although the appalling Orla Guerin no longer reports on the Conflict, her contributions, demonising Israel over many years, have their echoes in the received wisdom of the BBC, spearheaded by Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen, that everything Palestinian spokespeople say is can be accepted at face value and everything Israeli spokespeople say must be subject to the most sceptical analysis and close scrutiny. Bowen’s book on the Six Day War is riddled with historic inaccuracies and half-truthes. Ditto his appalling documentary last year to mark Israel’s 6oth anniversary. He accepts the Arab narrative and shows scant knowledge of the complex history of Palestine, of the Jewish presence there, and of the Zionist and proto-Zionist movement.
As Trevor Asserson so painstakingly pointed out in his several reports on BBC bias, Al Beeb gives far more publicity to the Palestinian viewpoint and to images of Palestinian suffering than to the Israeli equivalents.
I think we’ve all noticed how, whether during the Gaza crisis or any other event involving Israel, the BBC takes Hamas’s casualty figures for granted, usually reports the Hamas or anti-Israel case first, followed, almost as a postscript, by the Israeli case (as in “Israel claims…” or “Israel says…”).
Another major factor in the decline of public support for Israel is the secularisation of society, and the lack of familiarity with the Bible. As the Rubinsteins show in their book “Philosemitism” (pub. 1999), which is about Britain and other English-speaking countries, after the Reformation many Christians of all social classes identified with Jews and sympathised with Zionism owing to a shared “Old Testament”. Here, for instance, is what Colonel Wedgwood, who before the Second World War wrote a book “The Seventh Dominion” (which argued for the inclusion of a re-established Israel in the British Commonwealth of Nations) had to say. The tragedy is, few people read the Bible now, and so few Britons identify (so to speak) with Israel against Pharoah.
Wedgwood: 'The Anglo-Saxon, more than any other race, wants to sympathise with the Jews. . . no doubt we understand the Jew better than can those to whom the Old Testament is not familiar from infancy. To the foreigner the word Jew is a hissing in the street; to us the word suggests Solomon and Moses, and a thousand cradle stories. So often have we used their names for our own children that they seem now to be our fathers, especially our Puritan forefathers. . . Towards such a people one has a feeling almost of awe. . .'
http://www.ccjaustralia.org/ge/?item=208
fellow traveller
January 19th, 2009 10:08amDan:
"Gordon Brown is merely reflecting the views of his Arab masters, who have heavily invested in the British financial industry."
Somewhat ironic. The blog rightly complains about prejudice against Jews using the example of an idiotic student complaining that Jews own the banking system. But you support it by complaining that British politicians are biased because Arabs own the banking system.
Adam
January 19th, 2009 10:09amMelanie, you are far too prejudiced to give a balanced view. The reason so many in Britain think the Israeli response was disproportionate with some acts bordering on war crimes is simply that it was. The vast majority killed were not Hamas but women and children. Any other so called democracy behaving in the manner Isreal has would be condemned and sanctions would be placed on it and no one except a few hard hearted zealots would complain..
seb
January 19th, 2009 10:16amMuch of the anti-Israel chest-beating is moral preening, people with no genuine understanding of the issues at all parading their credentials as partisans of whomever it is the press has told them is today's underdog. Causes that fall out of this category - Darfur, Burma and many others - for any length of time appear to be forgotten.
The United Nations accepted the de facto establishment of Israel not long after World War Two. It takes a cretin of Olympic standing, not a member of our 'educated classes', to come up with the Let's Annihilate Israel sentiments expressed by the woman Mr. Furedi encountered in the queue for train tickets. Fortunately, for the next four years at least there is going to be in Washington an Obama team that is obviously not interested in this vicious, racist woman's neo-nazi option, which means that it is more rather than less likely that the inevitable peaceful and difficult compromise the Middle East awaits will be arrived at. That is to say, people like the soon-to-be-unpopular Rahm Emmanuel will ensure that the opinions of our bien pensant horde of anti-semites will be, thank heavens, ignored.
Edward
January 19th, 2009 10:17amThe UK has been warped and bent out of shape on account of two factors:
a) Internalisation of the Palestinian people as a sacred entity (a sort of compensation for wholesale adoption of secularity);
b) Dhimmitude of the Ruling Elite - Islam as a strong belief system will probably be good in the long run for the feckless underclass, so the reasoning might go.
Of course adopting Islam as the official state religion may bring many disadvantages including no more Starbucks skinny latte.
Ed
January 19th, 2009 10:33amAdam - you consistently fail to understand. In fact you are beyond belief.
yankel
January 19th, 2009 10:35amSeems to me that there is no future for a vibrant Jewish community in the UK. British Establishment Jews already behave as though they were dhimmi's -just look at Kaufmann- so why should any self respecting Jew want to bring up their children in such a threatening and demeaning environment? Why should British Jews feel obliged to apologise for Israel? I'm not necessarily advocating Jewish emigration to Israel since the political establishment there are just as clueless as the British, but UK Jews should definitely be making contingency plans to leave - think Germany 1937/8 and make plans whilst the goings good.
Vision Aforethought
January 19th, 2009 10:43am@Adam: The reason for the number of (non combative) victims is because the 'system' that part of the world (Israel excepted) has chosen to adopt simply does not function. Believe me. For example, when there is an earthquake in Pakistan or Iran there are vast number of casualties. On the other hand, in the US (or here), when disaster strikes (whether man made or natural), because money is not 'stolen' by the corrupt leaders it can be used to protect or take care of the citizens through sound management. While it looked at the time as if the US government did not care for the people when Katrina struck, it was poor LOCAL management that lead to the appalling state of affairs. Likewise, what happened to the billions given to the Palestinians by the world - the US and UK included? I can tell you, it was used to purchase luxury cars - which is why you see expensive vehicles all over Gaza and other Palestinian enclaves. The Palestinian people are as much victims of their own poor leadership as all parties are victims of an incomplete job by the British et all over 60 years ago. That is why the whole sorry mess is so tragic.
(If you go live / stay in Israel for a few years, you'll experience a more accurate perspective as to how they live and notice that while there is a lot of fear, there is little educated hatred - the country is based on our same liberal values - ever seen a Knesset session in action? Just as noisy and opinionated as our parliament.) Living there is a better alternative to propaganda. And there is a lot of that about - mainly from those (of various nationalities) who really would like to see Israel - and the Jews, gone. The Palestinians are their perfect 'tool' both as a weapon and as a propaganda machine. Appalling! I could go on.
phil
January 19th, 2009 10:48amJUST FOR ADAM -ANOTHER VIEW ------------
The Threat of the Human Shield Strategy Hamas Uses Extends Beyond Israel, Gaza
By Abraham Cooper , Harold Brackman
US News and World Report
January 9, 2009
What if President Obama were presented by CIA Chief Panetta with this "actionable intelligence": Osama bin Laden and company are holed up in a Hitler-style bunker underneath a hospital in Afghanistan occupied by women and children deployed as shields? Would he launch an immediate strike with cruise missiles or hesitate because of the hostages? Would such a move thwart future 9/11’s and be viewed as the death knell of al Qaeda? Or would there be a firestorm of international protest from the Arab and Muslim world and beyond that the American response was a "disproportionate" violation of humanitarian international law and even a "war crime"?
Such is the real dilemma currently faced by the Israeli high command, which reportedly has intelligence that exactly locates the shaken Hamas war cabinet in Gaza in a bunker beneath a hospital, where it is shielded by women and children. How should Israel act? Destroy the terrorist high command or do nothing, to avoid being blamed for loss of innocent lives by an international community indifferent to the threats from Hamas rockets targeting Jews from Sderot to Tel Aviv's suburbs?
In the lethal "fog of war," even the most-disciplined, best-intentioned armies errantly kill civilians caught in the crossfire as well as their own soldiers who die from friendly fire. Does anybody remember the thousands of French civilians killed by the Allies during World War II's Normandy Invasion? In their current asymmetrical war with Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces have used cellphone messages, leaflets, and other measures in the attempt to decouple civilians from military targets placed in their midst by the terrorist organization. The flow of hundreds of trucks laden with foodstuffs and medicine into Gaza from Israel has now been expanded into a daily corridor in order to allow further humanitarian supplies to reach noncombatants, even when that means some military activities are suspended for hours. For its restraint, Israel gets nothing but a global diplomatic and media chorus of boos from those willfully blind to the ultimate outrage against humanitarian international law occurring today in Gaza.
Shields protect honorable combatants in the midst of battle. Human shields are the weapon of cowards who violate every principle of humanitarian international law. As Prof. Louis Rene Beres points out, the use of human shields constitutes "perfidy" under Article 147 of the Geneva Convention IV defining the laws of war. The international criminals who use human shields are hostes humani generis: "common enemies of humankind."
The Gaza conflict is likely to be remembered as a terrible watershed, not because the IDF has unintentionally killed Palestinian civilians but because Hamas has made the use of human shields a primary military strategy. Buoyed by the unforgivable silence of leading international NGOs, Hamas deploys two complementary tactics that mock and debase the humanitarian core of international law: thousands of indiscriminate rocket attacks targeting Israeli civilians and the massive use of Palestinian civilians—including women and children—as human shields.
Why this willful blindness? For some, it is the romanticized image of Hamas, the pitiful underdog David confronting the giant Israeli Goliath. Yet, in truth, Israel is a sovereign member state of the United Nations that has no need to apologize for creating a military strong enough to defend it from multiple regional threats, including Tehran's genocidal promise to "wipe it off the map." Those who dismiss genocidal threats from Iran and Hamas as mere rhetoric should take a closer look at history. As Ron Rosenbaum recently pointed out, the most significant difference between Adolf Hitler's and Hamas's plans to annihilate the Jewish people is that the Nazis hid their full intent until World War II while Hamas has been promising to do exactly this since its founding charter 20 years ago. And while Hamas does not possess the power of an Adolf Hitler, a nuclearized Iran may be positioned to further the fuehrer's vision of a Judenrein world. It is important to remember that the Nazi leader was incapable of perpetrating the Final Solution until he was empowered by the tacit complicity of a world community that retreated from reality rather than confront the rising tide of evil that was Nazism.
In one sense, the world community is right. The future of international humanitarian law could be at stake in Gaza. But the deadly menace stems not from the IDF but from Hamas's twin campaign of terrorism against both Israeli and Palestinian innocents. The Gaza terrorist state that turns its own people into human shields also threatens to strip the entire civilized world of the protections of international law. Ultimately, Israel will safeguard its own citizens and secure its own destiny, but if the nations of the world do not speak out against Hamas's barbarities, they should be prepared to see such tactics unleashed beyond the borders of the Holy Land, cheered on by the puppet masters of terrorism in Tehran.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom
January 19th, 2009 10:50amHeard on Saturday in lovely, oldie-worldie Bath during a demonstration against Israel, regular and repeated chants of ‘Kill the Jews!’ and ‘All Jews are bloodsuckers!’ And this from ordinary, white guardian-reader-looking types. Happy days are here again….
Sanchez
January 19th, 2009 11:01amTo a certain extent, people filter what they get from mainstream media so blaming BBC and the like for the surge in anti-Israel sentiment is ridiculous. Just as reading your articles and taking them for an unbiased, well researched piece of work would be a mistake. Most people in Britain are unaware of the historical facts of the conflict not to mention the part Britain has played in creating and fueling most conflicts in the region. Israel is mainly responsible for it's image in the eyes of the public as is America for its own image. The recent escalation is just another example of Israel's choice to resolve all issues with violence. The 2006 attack on Lebanon is another, the list is endless. There has to come a time where Israel uses diplomacy, real diplomacy followed by real commitment and action to try and resolve it's differences and stop playing the victim card. The paranoia that Britain as a whole wants to see Israel wiped is ludicrous and a symptom of fear politics that serves no good. Unfortunately, your column is one aspect of this type of politics and serves no real purpose except to misinform, divide and incite hatred. The readers who sypathise with your views just rant more hatred towards Palestine, Arabs, and anyone who dares speak out against the violence. Those who disagree just feel more frustration at the situation and begin to exhibit the same traits only on the side of the Palestinians and Arabs. I say again, this column serves no real positive purpose. It does not bring people together, it does not inform, it does not contribute to the real discussion for solutions. IF Israel actually wanted peace and it's politicians had the balls to act in that vain, you would see an immediate change in peoples views. You'd also see a fall in support for Hamas in the region. It's sad that you Mel cannot take a step back and use your column to more positive use. You and people like you are part of the problem and certainly not the solution.
Norman
January 19th, 2009 11:02amIt is impossible to have a rational debate on the Arab Israel conflict or Anti semitism in the UK . THat is anti semitism.
I believe in pro Israel spokesman being tougher and more vociferous on the TV and calling a spade a spade. People have been too soft and easy going for too long.The pro Terror lobby are not mealy mouthed. I am British -sad at our present decadence or failure to think. I say God Bless America-it is truly the world's only hope in this mess.
Louise
January 19th, 2009 11:04amEdward, and don't forget Crufts - and the royal corgis, "unclean beasts" like the most unpampered of curs.
nosmo29
January 19th, 2009 11:04amEdward; " Of course adopting Islam as the official state religion may bring many disadvantages including no more Starbucks skinny latte.....
And no more pubs and breweries?
N. Simon
January 19th, 2009 11:04amfellow traveller, it's the Saudis who are lending McBroon the bank bailout money!
Don't you read the news?
N. Simon
January 19th, 2009 11:08amAdam,
"Any other so called democracy behaving in the manner Isreal has would be condemned and sanctions would be placed on it and no one except a few hard hearted zealots would complain.."
Then, by your logic, the Hamas trained British homicide bombers who blew up on the London underground on 7th July were fully justified!
[NGUK]
January 19th, 2009 11:21amDear Melanie,
I agree that the BBC's news coverage and some elements of the British press are slanted against Israel and the IDF, and that that needs to be addressed.
But really, is the way to counter them to suggest that 'the mild-mannered British' desire 'the annihilation of Israel' on the Spectator's website? Do you genuinely believe that?
On the basis of what evidence? An anecdote, however distressing, from Frank Furedi? Gordan Brown's factual statement the innocent people have died in Gaza and advocacy of a ceasefire?
Are you saying that anyone who fails, on some given occasion, to back IDF tactics to the hilt may have an anti-Israel agenda?
In terms of Realpolitik, Brown and the EU may not be as staunch in their support of Israel as the US, they do not give as much backing as Israel deserves, even.
But why on earth would they wish to have a major ally and trading partner in the Middle East 'annihiliated' ---to be replaced by some unstable unknown entity under the sway of powers inimical to the West?
These are difficult times for Israel's friends, and it is correct that there are anti-Jewish forces stirring on the Left that have allied themselves to radical Islam.
They need to be watched and their antics exposed. But they are still a tiny fringe element and do not have widespread public support.
To give the impression that those forces
are close to permeating the British political establishment, let alone the population at large is rather insulting to British readers of your column, and not a good way to influence opinion, do you not think?
Regards
[NGUK]
Gene McG
January 19th, 2009 11:25amCarl - two observations. (1) how do you know? (2) what is your point? Finally, the deaths of the children (whatever the number, and I assure you it's a tiny fraction the number you offer)are the fault, responsibility and design of the the evil hamas who placed them in the direct line of fire. So I ask you again: what is YOUR point?
Daibhidh MacAdhaimh
January 19th, 2009 11:36amMost guys that I encounter and chat to in my line of work have been sympathetic to Israel. One of these, an Indian, had nothing but contempt for Ken Livingstone and Galloway's anti-Israeli views. Therefore, Melanie, beneath the media formed scum that has risen and sits stubbornly upon the surface of public discourse exists a healthy diet of level-headed rationality.
marco
January 19th, 2009 11:39amIn 23 days 1300 Palestinians killed by Israel including 417 children & 108 women, 5320 injured. Enough?
Carl
January 19th, 2009 11:53am@Gene - I understand, it is painful to think that a country that calls itself civilised can unleash it's Army against women and children.
lw
January 19th, 2009 12:05pmwell said Melanie, I don't think I have anything to add! only that, of course, the reason for all that is blatant antisemitism and fear of upsetting Muslims.
sandra
January 19th, 2009 12:10pmMarco...unless you count them yourself HOW DO YOU KNOW? Oh I know, its because Hamas told you. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say "How sweet and gullible!"
phil
January 19th, 2009 12:16pmJulian you are obviously an ignorant person or one who enjoys hating Israel .You can tell us which , I say ignorant because you will not be able to come up with one reason why Israel would want a fight with any of its neighbours -I will ask you is it territorially beneficial? they did leave Gaza you know and saw all the infrastructure they had left destroyed by the insane vandalism of hamas -they are at peace with Egypt,having left the SINAI--.Is it economically beneficial?-do I really need to answer that ? Does it make it more popular ?crass -SO why do you think it fights these people other than in defence of its citizens -I look forward to a learned piece from you ASAP .On a very personal note Julian ,I would like to think I do not waste my time like this but sadly I am pretty sure I do -If I change one mind like yours I will feel I have changed the world to a better place .
lw
January 19th, 2009 12:20pmAdam you're an idiot and you just prove Melanie's point, that people have been brainwashed by the anti-Israel (and antisemitic) media! Where do you get your facts from - Hamas??! they claim we killed less than 50 of them, that they kidnapped and killed dozens of soldiers, that they buy kittens for their children. did you know that Hamas use men, women, children and the elderly to do their bidding? if the IDF kill an old man or woman suicide bomber who's about to blow up a soldier, do they count among the innocent???!!!
David
January 19th, 2009 12:21pmThere will always be a ´reason´for hatred of the Jews. People have a hatred that not even they understand. I honestly dont know how the story of the Jews and Israel can be explained without reference to the Bible.
Said
January 19th, 2009 12:31pmCarl - you're right - and to be sure you're talking about the Arabs aren't you - when you say it is painful to think that a country that calls itself civilised can unleash it's [sic] [fighters] against women and children.
patricia
January 19th, 2009 12:53pmFrank P - "Jew Haters are 'infesting' this blog"?
That's not very nice is it?
Especially as the most perspicacious antagonists of your considered writings on t