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Archive for January, 2009
The Ynet News website has a political compass whereby you answer questions and it tells you where you stand in the Israeli political landscape and which party you should support. I know these things are not at all scientific but I filled it in all the same. It turns out I’m a hawk (surprise surprise) and should be supporting the National Union (HaIchud HaLeumi) party. Coincidentally – or not? – I’ve been chatting with a worker from that party on Facebook this week. I must do more research on the National Union. You can take the test yourself here.
While UK liberals confidently spout off about the ‘Israeli atrocities’ that took place during Operation Cast Lead, a man who is there now paints a more informed portrait:
I knew Gaza well before the attacks, so when Israel ended its ban on foreign journalists reaching Gaza on the day the ceasefire was announced, I was able to see for myself.
One thing was clear. Gaza City 2009 is not Stalingrad 1944. There had been no carpet bombing of large areas, no firebombing of complete suburbs. Targets had been selected and then hit, often several times, but almost always with precision munitions. Buildings nearby had been damaged and there had been some clear mistakes, like the firebombing of the UN aid headquarters. But, in most the cases, I saw the primary target had borne the brunt . . . .
But, for the most part, I was struck by how cosmetically unchanged Gaza appeared to be. It has been a tatty, poorly-maintained mess for decades and the presence of fresh bombsites on streets already lined with broken kerbstones and jerry-built buildings did not make any great difference.
(Tim Butcher in today’s Daily Telegraph.)
Finally, following on from the earlier post about BBC bias and Gavin Esler’s hilarious naivety, I have been sent this brilliant YouTube clip. I don’t know what I enjoy more: Colonel Richard Kemp’s calm, informed analysis, or the growing panic of the BBC woman that Israel might accidentally be getting a fair hearing.
Well done to Colonel Kemp, Tim Butcher and the glorious Israeli Defence Force.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.I see Shas chairman Eli Yishai has spoken out against the idea of another gay pride rally in Jerusalem. Believe it or not, I largely agree with him.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.The bias of the BBC against Israel had been very well-documented for some time. Their Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen has long since gave up any pretence of neutrality in his coverage. I actually heard him speak at a literary event a few years ago and I’ll never forget how each time he said the word ‘Palestinian’ his eyes glazed over wistfully, and each time he said ‘Israel’ he spat it out. And who can forget BBC reporter Barbara Platt who cried on air when murdering terrorist Yasser Arafat died?
However, this video of Newsnight reporter Gavin Esler interviewing Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev is astonishing. Esler is absolutely incredulous when Regev points out that Hamas routinely kills its own people. “Oh you’re not serious that Hamas is killing Palestinian children, are you?” asks Esler.
How could Gavin Esler have achieved such a senior post in news broadcasting and yet be so hopelessly naïve of the well-documented tactics of Hamas?
Still, thank goodness for Mark Regev, who has been a wonderful ambassador during this conflict. Benjamin Netanyahu, too, has been a star. My favourite ‘Bibi’ moment came when he was interviewed on the BBC during the 2006 Hezbollah conflict and made mince meat of his quizzer:
Interviewer: “How come so many more Lebanese have been killed in this conflict than Israelis?”
Netanyahu: “Are you sure that you want to start asking in that direction?”
Interviewer: “Why not?”
Netanyahu: “Because in World War II more Germans were killed than British and Americans combined, but there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the war was caused by Germany’s aggression. And in response to the German blitz on London, the British wiped out the entire city of Dresden, burning to death more German civilians than the number of people killed in Hiroshima.
“Moreover, I could remind you that in 1944, when the RAF tried to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen, some of the bombs missed their target and fell on a Danish children’s hospital, killing 83 little children.
“Perhaps you have another question?”
Perhaps indeed! And perhaps Gavin Esler should find some time for some rudimentary research before spouting off at Mark Regev.
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This is a photograph I took at that great day last summer, when Central London turned blue and white. We should do it more often.
“By any constructive political logic, Hamas’ action serves no aim that might benefit the people of Gaza. Whatever they might legitimately want was given to them by the Israelis in 2005. Israel withdrew. It was a painful act, and one that caused deep divisions, as well as personal suffering, within Israel itself.
“In effect, Israel said to the Palestinians of Gaza, the land is yours. The farms, the buildings, the factories our people built – they are all yours. If you need aid, we will give it or facilitate it. We hereby give you everything. That was when the terror should have stopped. Instead, that is when a new wave of terror began.
“Israel left Lebanon. That is when Hizbollah started stockpiling and firing Katyushas. Israel spent seven years in a peace process with the Palestinians. The Palestinians responded by an unprecedented wave of suicide bombings. Israel withdrew from Gaza. Hamas responded with missiles.”
From the mail-out of the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks
“When my father was a little boy in Poland, the streets of Europe were covered with graffiti, ‘Jews, go back to Palestine,’ or sometimes worse: ‘Dirty Yids, piss off to Palestine.’ When my father revisited Europe fifty years later, the walls were covered with new graffiti, ‘Jews, get out of Palestine.’”
Israeli author Amos Oz
News emerges of Palestinians being tortured. I wonder why the ‘pro-Palestinian’ bandwagon in the UK aren’t making any noise about it? Aah, that’ll be why.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.They say that today is officially the gloomiest day of the year. So let’s have a giggle watching George Galloway grovelling up to his hero Saddam Hussein and lying about it.
I think the Elder Of Ziyon says it best.
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Old school anti-semitism = Jews are a fundamentally Middle-Eastern people who don’t belong in Europe. If they won’t understand this, we’ll just have to teach them the hard way.
New anti-semitism = Jews are a fundamentally European people who don’t belong in the Middle East. If they won’t understand this, them over there will just have to teach them the hard way. And oh what the hell, let’s have a go at them here too.
From a great thread on Harry’s Place.
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I’m currently reading The Righteous by Sir Martin Gilbert. It’s an incredible book about the unsung heroes of the Holocaust who saved the lives of Jews. It’s astonishing how many great things were done by ordinary people in those dark, dark times.
Anti-semitism is on the rise again as bigots use Operation Cast Lead as an excuse to attack Jewish people. Pro-Hamas demonstrators arrived armed with bricks and knives to confront Jews who wished to peacefully support Israel. One of them spat at a Jewish child. At their pro-Hamas demonstrations they routinely chant anti-semitic and pro-terror slogans. Afterwards, groups of them smash up Jewish business, vandalise synagogues and beat Jews on the streets of London. In more than one European capital Jews have been officially advised not to wear religious headgear in public.
Then there is the less aggressive but insidious poison of the everyday Israel basher. Those who condemn Israel for defending itself against Hamas terror but who ignore other conflicts (Turkey and Sri Lanka have both bombed opponents in recent weeks) and continue to overlook the genocide in Darfur. As I’ve said before, these people don’t give a toss about the Palestinians, they just want to bash Israel.
Again – so much darkness, but I know that for all these bigots and bullies there are good people too. We don’t need to make even a fraction of the sacrifice that the people featured in The Righteous made. We just need to speak up. Let’s keep being heard.
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Julie Burchill has written about George W Bush in The Sun today. It’s a brilliant article and I don’t only say that because I’m quoted at the beginning and end of it! Good to see Not In My Name getting another plug, too.
Gerald Kaufman compares Israel’s self-defence with the Nazi holocaust. Here we seem him smiling alongside a terrorist.
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