I’ve just been told about a website that has been launched today: CiF Watch, which aims to monitor and expose antisemitism on The Guardian’s Comment Is Free (CiF) blog.
I support any initiative to counter antisemitism but I want to be fair about this. Moderating comments on a site as popular as CiF must be an exhausting and difficult task. As I rarely have the stomach or the time to wade through them, I cannot personally judge what goes on down there, nor how effective the moderators are.
But I can say that I’ve read a number of articles on Comment Is Free that contained what I read as antisemitic statements and statements that excused or even supported antisemitism and terrorism. For instance, last year they commissioned a member of the Hamas terrorist organisation to write for them. Astounding.
Thanks Chas for publicising this great and much needed initiative
We wish CIF Watch every success
I commend CiF watch for what they’re trying to do BUT….
…What’s the point?! CiF is an absolute cesspit. Even grave and serious critics of Israeli policy vis-a-vis the palestinians, the settlements, the army, Israeli society in general but who still support her right to existence are vilified by the ‘anti-peace, pro-’justice” posters there. CiF is completely beyond redemption….
Waste of time. Guardian readers are sandal-wearing Jew-hating fools. What else would you expected of them?
http://cifwatch.com/how-to-get-involved/
That’s pretty defeatist, Daniel and Shmuel. It surely needs to be challenged so that it is marginalised.
Here’s how.
Daniel and Shmuel, that they are Jew-hating idiots doesn’t mean that they have to get away with it.
They are very marginalised. Most of my guardian-reading friends (i occasionally read the print version) have no idea that CiF even exists and of those who do, most don’t give a crap about the middle east. If you’ve read the blogs for long enough you realise that it’s the same 10-20 names that keep cropping up in the comments and the same 5-10 jews that write the article (Seth Freedman, Antony Lerman (i particularly loathe this man’s articles), ‘Klug, Klug and Klug’, Jacqueline Rose, Richard Silverstein etc. etc.).
It’s sad that in general, the articles written by people who aren’t Jewish are often much more moderate.
Chas, it’s not just a question of moderation.
Much of the anti-Semitism at CiF arises not only from the overt actions of the commenters, but also from the extreme, obsessive hyper-scrutiny and double standards to which the Guardian management subjects the Jewsih community (including the Jewish state).
The choice of “above-the-line” articles and of terms amounts to a veritable journalistic jihad against Jews.
The articles have not simply attacked Israel disporportionately. They have also had articles which:
* attacked unassimilated Jews in the UK.
* attack pro-israeli Jews in the UK and on the continent.
* dispute the right of Sephardim to sympathy or compensation.
* repeatedly attack the US Jewish community for “controlling” US policy.
* portray the haredi community as child molesters.
* force UK Jews to write articles denouncing themselves.
etc.
Daniel s
“Most of my guardian-reading friends (i occasionally read the print version) have no idea that CiF even exists and of those who do, most don’t give a crap about the middle east.”
That may very well be with respect to your circle of friends but CiF is one of the most popular blogs of its type and has been the recipient of a number of Webby awards.
What makes the antisemitism so troubling on CiF is that this is a mainstream media platform with a huge following.
I would be interested in the statistics of CiF.
I work in the media and am involved in pro-Israel work yet I reckon of the people I know only a tiny minority have heard of CiF, of those only a tiny minority read it, of those only a tiny minority read the comments and of those (if anyone is left) none have had their views on Israel altered by what they’ve read.
That said, I agree with ‘Pro-Israeli’ that the ‘above the line’ articles are often terrible (as I said in the original post). And heck, antisemitism is antisemitism and should be confronted *wherever it emerges*.
Hawkeye, I’m realy sorry to say this but having read your first article (about that ridiculous Seth Freedman article), I really think you’re going in the wrong direction.
Whilst I agree (generally) with what that blog post said about his uber-annoying, highly inflammatory article it really was just a rant about an article you didn’t agree with rather than an academic study of why/how that article conveys anti-semitism.
* How is it anti-semitic not to mention what the Swedish govt does in the face of Islamist extremists who protest?
* How is it anti-semitic to criticise the way that Israel deals with criticism? [Many would argue that Israel really DOES need to change the way its PR is managed - this surely isn't anti-semitic?]
* So Seth disagrees with LOTS that his country does yet he chooses to live there because he believes that he can ‘help to change Israel’ – how is that revealing anti-semitism in articles?
I don’t mean to appear overtly critical because this is a new venture but I really think that if you’re going to attack articles, it should be in a much more academic way pointing clear violations of the EUMC and not just stupid articles that you disagree with.
I would like to announce my new blog, OyVaGoy watch. It is to highlight Israeli-Cowell-Arsenal bias on the popular blog OyVaGoy.
Damn, Jonathan S, you got me bang to rights! (Ouwogh!)
It’s true that CIF seems to repeat the same anti-Israel articles ad nauseum and the same commentators on both sides repeat the same arguments. It just gets boring after a while. I don’t buy the Guardian but if I did I would use it to line my cats litter box.
The CiF commenters get away with saying the worst antisemitic things that are disguised as anti-Zionist. I doubt any of them have ever been to Israel before, they’re completely clueless about what it’s like. Scary evil soldiers everywhere and settlers and hawkish right wingers and the Orthodox, aaah!!
Yet, strangely, the ‘moderators’ at CIF always manage to remove pro Israel comments…
I’m very interested to know: given that you write for the Guardian, and given that you are so pro Israel, do you ever get any fair material about Israel into your pieces for this newspaper…?
Surely, as a writer for what is arguably the most unfair newspaper re coverage of Israel, you’re in a great position to counter the Israel bashing…
I wrote one article for the Guardian print edition 10 years ago. It was about football. I also ghosted the Dutch footballer Dennis Bergkamp’s column during Euro 2000.
Since then I have written six blogs for their music and books pages.
I just can’t help wondering why – given that you do contribute to several Guardian sections – you don’t try and get more pro or at least *fair* coverage OF Israel into this newspaper…?
It’s a fair point to raise, don’t you think?
***Please don’t misunderstand me. I think you’re a great advocate for Israel – truly.
I just find it frustrating that your passion for the Jewish state doesn’t find its way into the ONE British newspaper that is most biased AGAINST Israel.
I work very hard to support Israel and combat antisemitism. I have tried to get such things into the Guardian several times. Why do you assume I haven’t tried?
I didn’t assume you have not tried – I’ve simply asked why there is nothing in the Guardian, by you, that discusses Israel.
And as I remarked in my previous post, I do appreciate your staunch support of Israel.
I just find it very distressing that the Guardian is contributing to aggression towards Jews. Given that they clearly like your writing, it just seems a tremendous shame that you don’t/can’t help to counter their blatant anti Israel bias and lies.
Thanks for your kind general words – appreciated.
Look back at the first line of your previous comment. You *did* assume I don’t try. And as I say, I *have* tried.
I too find the Guardian’s stance on Israel and antisemitism disgusting. I’ve written widely (including in Not In My Name) about this. You first raised this issue with me three months ago. As I say I’ve tried, but I’m afraid I don’t have the sway you imagine: I am someone who has written one article for their print edition (about football, 10 years ago).
Why don’t *you* pitch them some articles about Israel? Hope you have better luck than me!
Thanks for responding to my comments.
I have indeed pitched several pieces to the Guardian re Israel – all were topical and accurate.
Ditto for several other freelance writers I know in the UK. Without exception, we were all totally ignored – by which I mean we didn’t even receive the courtesy of a ‘no’…!
Other writers tell me they find this a general problem with British papers – very rarely does *anything* that is fair to Israel get accepted.
I appreciate you responding to my comments. Maybe we *all* need to start bombarding the Guardian with:
a) vocal complaints about their anti Israel bias
b) fairer pieces on Israel
I think that, along with the BBC, the Guardian is responsible for some of the most egregious lies about the Jewish state.