This looks like an interesting film. Does anyone know more about it?
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.Archive for February, 2009
So I did indeed meet up with Ashley Perry, the aforementioned ‘settler’ from Israel who is over in England this week. Sorry Peaceniks, but he wasn’t a monster. Not once – as we sat in a boiling hot Solly’s – did he try and steal my chair from me, for instance. Instead he was exactly what I expected him to be: a brilliant and fascinating man.
It was great to hear the inside story of the Israeli elections and Ashley’s predictions for what will happen next. He worked on the Yisrael Beiteinu campaign and whereas I was aware that Avigdor Lieberman has been unfairly demonised, only listening to Ashley did I realise to what extent this is the case. Lieberman could be a good kingmaker for the next Israeli PM. He could certainly do with more people like Ashley on his side.
We talked on. With the extent of anti-Israel feeling in the UK so high, Ashley asked me how much of this I believe is motivated purely by antisemitism. It’s a good question. I don’t want to think that all Israel basher are antisemites. There are surely other feelings that motivate some of them. But are such feelings any less contemptible?
I believe that a substantial number of European opponents of Israel are motivated out of a sense of guilt from the Shoah. Far from taking that sense of guilt and responsibility and using it for something beautiful, they instead use it for the ugliest of things. Against all evidence, they rush – no sprint – to conclude that Israel is committing war crimes, so they can tell themselves ‘They can be monsters, too - we’re all equal.’
As well as being factually incorrect, this equivalence does the opposite of what its proponents want. It doesn’t wash Europe’s hands of what happened to the Jews in the 20th century. Rather, it reawakens that hatred in the 21st century under a new cloak. So we are back where we started: antisemitism.
Others are motivated out of a ‘bleeding heart’ belief that in aligning themselves with Israel’s enemies, they are backing the underdog against the big bully, the poor brown man against the nasty white man. Never mind that Israel is a tiny state of seven million people surrounded by billions of people who want it wiped off the map. Never mind either that – not that this should matter – numerous Israeli Jews are darker of skin than many of their Arab enemies.
The truth matters not a jot to those who demonise Israel. But why? Why is Israel constantly misrepresented in the media? Why do everyday people who would openly admit to not understanding other conflicts in the world so happily take such a strong stance against Israel despite not knowing even basic facts about the conflict? Why do they consistently overlook egregious human rights abuses and horrific atrocities across the world, while tirelessly – and wrongly – accusing Israel of such crimes?
Always the Jewish state. Is it not the case that all these roads lead to the same thing – antisemitism?
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.“Beware of the fighting Jew – he who commands the few against the many. He is a human being – the son of a Jewish mother, that most marvelous of all God’s creatures, with all the softness of her love and the heavy burden of her concern. The fighting Jew loves all children – Arab children, too. He loves books, loves liberty, and hates war: like Garibaldi. But he is prepared to fight for liberty. And if you ever raise a hand against this people, know this: the fighting Jew is fearless, his heart is of steel, his hands are trained for war and his fingers for battle.”
Menachem Begin, quoted in Ned Temko’s brilliant book ‘To Win Or To Die – A Personal Portrait of Menachem Begin’. Published over 20 years ago, it is not a widely available but it can be found. A can Zvi Harry’s Begin: His Life, Words And Deeds. Both are great reads about a great man. Oh to have more like him today.
Criticize Israel? Certainly. But those who so loudly denounce Israel in its war against Hamas are siding with some of the most virulent Jew-haters on earth. They may tell themselves that that doesn’t make them anti-Semites. But it does. “When people criticize Zionists,” Martin Luther King said in 1968, “they mean Jews. You are talking anti-Semitism.”
From a great article by Jeff Jacoby in the Boston Globe.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.Tzipi Livni’s recollections of her days as a Mossad agent in Paris.
More fascinating samples from Menahem Kahana’s photographic exhibition about the Haredim.
“We don’t take the train after 7 pm, we wear a skullcap only under a hat.” A disturbing account of the rise of antisemitism in France.
A moving letter written by an Israeli who witnessed an IDF swearing-in ceremony at the Kotel.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.Six years ago today, somewhere between one and two million people marched through London against the liberation of Iraq. It was quite a varied crowd: from seasoned leftie marchers to Islamist hardliners and misguided do-gooders. They gathered under the most narcissistic banner: Not In My Name.
Liberating Iraq has not been an easy task – none of its supporters suggested it would be. These things are never easy. It wasn’t easy dealing with Hitler.
But six years on, let’s see where we are:
The genocidal monsters of Saddam Hussein’s regime have been removed from power and tried for their crimes against humanity.
Contrary to the (racist) prediction of the anti-war movement that the Arab world wasn’t ready for democracy, over 80 per cent of Iraqis – a far higher percentage than here – have exercised their right to vote. More than 14 million voted in last month’s council elections.
Exiled Iraqis are flocking back to their home to help build a free vibrant country.
Other Middle East countries – including Egypt and Libya – have responded to this by stepping closer to freedom themselves.
Iraqi children are no longer born into a nation of tyranny and genocide. Instead, they are born into a free, democratic country.
Not in their name.
Christopher Hart of the Sunday Times has penned a mesmeric review of Caryl Churchill’s ludicrous Seven Jewish Children play.
He writes: “Seven Jewish Children isn’t art, it’s straitjacketed political orthodoxy. No surprises, no challenges, no risks. Only the enclosed, fetid, smug, self-congratulating and entirely irrelevant little world of contemporary political theatre.”
Well said. And well said John Nathan who reviewed it in the Jewish Chronicle, concluding: “For the first time in my career as a critic, I am moved to say about a work at a major production house that this is an antisemitic play.”
Shame on the Royal Court Theatre for putting on this pile of deceitful racist crap. They are either very naive, or very bad.
Stay tuned for a possible announcement tomorrow regarding this issue.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.Here is an extract from an excellent article written by a Facebook friend of mine who I am meeting for the first time next week:
“I and people like me are to blame for violence in the Middle East, global terrorism, even tribal warfare in the Sudan. I’m sure that, given time, the hurricanes hitting seacoasts around the world could also be attributed to us.
“If I were to be viciously murdered and hacked to death along with children and old people tomorrow, it wouldn’t be the person wielding the knife who would be at fault, it would be me and us to blame!
“I am an enemy of the world. I am a more nefarious and violent entity than Al Qaeda, the murderers of the school children in Beslan, the Madrid bombers, the Junjaweed in Sudan, Al Zaqaawi in Iraq.”
Sound terrifying, doesn’t he? Find out why he isn’t here.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.George Galloway heads off on his muppets’ convoy to Gaza today. How we’ll miss him. I have written before about Galloway’s The Real Deal show on the Iranian-funded television channel Press TV. He sits in a ludicrous set that makes him look like a garden gnome and prattles on about “Zionists” for half an hour or so. It almost always makes for unintentionally hilarious viewing.
The Scottish Saddam-groupie has another show on the station, called Comment. Here, he responds to phone-calls and emails from viewers. Meanwhile, a ticker at the bottom of the screen publishes text messages from viewers. These constitute taking the words ‘genocide’, ‘war crimes’, ‘Israel’ and ‘Satan’ and putting them into random sentences.
But it’s hard to concentrate on these messages because his callers are such a bunch of entertaining loons. Even Galloway gets fed up with some of them. In the most recent episode, he told one: “Go away, because you really are starting to annoy me.” He snapped at another, advising them: “you need medical attention”. Welcome to your fan-base, George.
One caller railed on about how the Twin Towers were hit by remote-control planes. He was supported by a text message asking Galloway why he won’t report “the truth” about the 9/11 attacks. “Too spicy for you?” asked the texter. It got even spicier when another caller asked Galloway why he was working for a pro-Iranian television station, as Iran is obviously working in conjunction with America and Israel. I kid you not.
But then came Ken from London. His voice dripping with disappointment at life, he complained about the Jewish lobby which he says “influences everything from Coronation Street to Eastenders”. He then started whining about the Israel politician “Zippy Lipman” (sic) and said that the images from Gaza during Operation Cast Lead made the Nazi Holocaust “fall into insignificance”.
A few more 9/11 conspiracy folk messaged in and Galloway began to look like he wanted to pack up and go home. Then it was time for another email, which suggested that Iran should arm Hamas and Hezbollah. There’s an idea, huh?
Someone called Majid then rang in and asked Galloway: “Are you practising Islam?” Galloway snapped: “Why would that be any of your business?” and quickly moved on. This was not the only lifestyle question asked of him. “Do you sing because you look like Tom Jones?” asked an emailer. “He’s considerably older than me,” replied Galloway, obviously flattered.
All good things must come to an end. “Well, it’s been marvellous for me and I hope it has been for you,” concluded Galloway at the end of the show. It was certainly revealing. Galloway is an odious man with odious politics. But as he stood there in that bargain-basement studio, listening to his loony fans, he must have wondered where it all went wrong. The trouble is that when you build your career targeting pond life and whipping them into a frenzy of hate, you end up with fans who think that the Rovers Return is the headquarters of a Zionist plot.
As you sow, so you shall reap.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.Good to see the BBC finally taking notice of the shocking rise in antisemitism this year.
Perhaps the BBC might now address some of the many distortions in their coverage of the Middle East, which have fueled this atmosphere of hatred against British Jews? But I guess there’s as much chance of that as there is their Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen putting his strutting ego and ugly prejudices to one side and actually doing his job honestly.
And calm.
Michael Bookatz is one of the victims of the recent rise of antisemitism, and is interviewed in the link above. He has spoken out bravely and eloquently about his attack. He’s an example to us all.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.My great friend Damian Schogger (pictured with me below at the recent Israel rally) has updated his excellent Daddy Day blog on the Jewish Chronicle website. It’s a great blog that gives engrossing insight into his wonderful, growing family. I haven’t met his daughter yet, but I can guarantee you that his son Ilan is every bit as magical as Damian suggests on the blog. It was Ilan’s birthday this week. Happy birthday little fella, from Oy Va Goy!
Remember those outraged, disbelieving expressions on people’s faces when – during the BBC Gaza appeal controversy – we pointed out that Hamas steals and misuses humanitarian aid?
Well, here’s more news for the handwringers. Hamas took medicine, offered to the people of Gaza as humanitarian aid from Israel, turned the bottles into grenades and used them against Israeli troops.
I doubt this will get much coverage in the Western media – probably too bitter a pill to swallow for Hamas-apologists – so please tell people about it yourself.
Meanwhile, there was further rocket fire on Israel today.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.Lots of people have asked me what I think about the Geert Wilders controversy. I will leave the rights and wrongs of him being banned from the House of Lords for another day. Instead, I want to write about the man himself.
Wilders has called for a ban on The Koran. Billions of people have read that holy book for thousands of years and used what they have read only for joyful good. Yes, the free and civilized world is facing a gigantic threat from Islamism, but talk of banning the Koran is both hideous in itself, and does nothing but harm to the cause of those trying to draw attention to threat of Islamism. Wilders’ argument also implicitly excuses those who promote and commit evil in the book’s name: not their fault, your honour, they just read a bad book.
And heck, surely banning books is always wrong? I thought that was what the bad guys did? Wilders’ call for such a ban is breathtakingly hypocritical, coming as it does from a man who is the first to bleat when he feels his own freedom of speech is under threat. He is skilled at such political gymnastics: he claims to be pro-Israel but is considering an alliance with an antisemitic party in Belgium. Classy.
So many brilliant people work so hard and write so eloquently about the dangers of Islamism. These people want to bring light where there is darkness. They want progress. They want peace. I don’t think peace or progress is what Wilders is primarily seeking. Rather, he appears to crave controversy, conflict, increased division and – above all – his martyred position centre-stage.
I shed no tears for this man. I will save my admiration for the likes of brave Muslims like Ed Hussain, Irshad Manji and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. They are the heroes of the hour and put Wilders’ preening agenda in perspective.
In fact, the more I read about this divisive egotist, the more he reminds me of someone else.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.The hideousness of Caryl Churchill’s 10-minute contemptible play Seven Jewish Children, currently at London’s Royal Court Theatre, has been expertly pulled apart here and here.
Surprise, surprise – The Guardian loves this Jew-bashing play! Its theatre critic Michael Billington – whether out of naivety or bigotry it is hard to know – overlooks the distortions, lies and racism that dominate the play and instead cheers it warmly.
The language he uses in the review is nearly as revealing as that in the play itself. Swallowing Churchill’s lie that Israeli children are taught to hate Palestinians (it’s demonstrably the other way round but never mind), he writes that she “shows us how Jewish children are bred to believe in the ‘otherness’ of Palestinians”.
Bred? Why the deliberate choice of a dehumanising word to describe Jews, Mr Billington? And why did you say Jewish children, not Israeli children?
Billington gets even more farcical. He reviews another play on the same page, and praises it for “getting behind the lazy media stereotyping”. Well, he’d know all about that.
It is easy to shrug off people like Caryl Churchill and Michael Billington as a bunch of silly luvvies, whose Jew-bashing is essentially harmless. But as more and more violent antisemitism sweeps the United Kingdom, this horrible pair should hang their heads in shame.
Be active. If you like this post, please click below to show your support.Oy Va Goy is taking Bibi’s quest to build a coalition to the streets of London.
In other news, the Frank Owen’s Paintbrush blog has done a post on Oy Va Goy. I am described in it as ‘enJewsiastic’ – don’t think anyone has used that word about me before.
I am also described as ‘nuanced’ – I am quite sure nobody has ever used that word to describe me before!
You can read it here.
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