There has been controversy about the line-up chosen by Gordon Brown to form the panel for the Chilcot inquiry. Some of this has been tinged with antisemitism, such as Richard Ingrams’ disappointment that the panel included ‘two Jewish historians’. (His complaint was no surprise: Ingrams believes that Jewish and indeed gay writers should declare their ethnicity or sexuality if they are writing about Israel or gay rights issues. How does he want this to work? A yellow star or pink triangle next to their byline?)
Anyway, George Galloway has now had his say on Chilcot. On his Comment show last night the whiskered-wonder asked: ‘Why wasn’t I put on the panel?’ Good question, George. I suppose those grovelling salutations to Saddam Hussein worked against you. The way you publicly handed money to Hamas probably didn’t help, you know how sensitive people can get about antisemitic terrorism. I doubt your cat impersonations helped much either. The whole business is complicated enough without them having to install flea powder and litter trays at the Conference Centre. Meow!
Shabbat shalom to all my Jewish readers – and a happy weekend to everyone.
Chas Newkey-Burden
Memo to Richard Ingrams: I’m not Jewish but I am gay. Or at least I thought I was until I saw your byline photograph.
22 January 2010 at 2:27 PM
The Fogel
Peas in a pod those two.
22 January 2010 at 3:27 PM
Chas Newkey-Burden
Well, in the interests of fairness I will add that on the Comment show a caller rang in complaining about “Jewish people” on the Chilcot panel. Galloway took them to task firmly about their comment, saying “That’s racism”.
22 January 2010 at 3:29 PM
Brad Brzezinski
Galloway always denounces overt antisemitism, as you describe. I also once heard him tell a caller that protests in Israel against Sabra/Shatila exceeded anything in the Arab world.
The question then becomes, “is it antisemitic to deny Jews their homeland” which he in effect does with his Balfour apology schtick.
22 January 2010 at 3:41 PM
Lynne T
Galloway’s “anti-racism” is as superficially as everything else about the guy except for his greed and ego. Those qualities are miles wide and deep.
22 January 2010 at 5:59 PM
Highnlonesome
“such as Richard Ingrams’ disappointment that the panel included ‘two Jewish historians’”
I don’t think it was Richard Ingrams who said this. It was a former ambassador called Oliver Miles, in a piece that he wrote for the Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/oliver-miles-the-key-question-ndash-is-blair-a-war-criminal-1825374.html
22 January 2010 at 7:55 PM
Chas Newkey-Burden
Ingrams definitely said that, others might have too
22 January 2010 at 11:06 PM
Jonathan S
i love this post, Chas.
24 January 2010 at 11:24 PM