Martin Linton MP says he was unaware of the antisemitic connotations of the “long tentacles of Israel” statement he made at a Friends of Al-Aqsa meeting. I suspect the truth is that Linton – whose record of bigotry is well known – was unaware that there were Israel supporters present who would report what he said.
I hear he is likely to lose his seat at the general election. Well, isn’t that a shame. I expect he has already decided whose fault that will be…
Yes, and I’m Kate Moss! If he didn’t know what it meant then I can only conclude that he read the phrase somewhere else and then parroted it, which makes me wonder what he has been reading!
If you are an MP and wish to get involved in the Israel/Palestine debate you should at least be conversant in the history and language of anti semitism. I’m not Jewish and I gasped when I read this story, realising straight away the sinister history behind the use of the word.
He doesn’t deserve to be an MP and I will be giving a cheer when the announcement that he has lost his seat is made on election night.
Well said
I was at the meeting where he said it. There was no doubt whatsoever that (like Ana in this thread) he knew exactly the connotations of the ‘tentacles’ description. He made matters worse by saying – when he was challenged by the JC – that he “does not recognise” the ‘tentacles’ comment.
In five weeks Linton will be an ex-MP. His constituents will throw him out – just as he threw me out from a meeting for protesting about Kasrils’ antisemitic comment.
http://richardmillett.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/ilan-pappe-youre-all-just-brainwashed/#comments
Good riddance.
Thanks for this very informative post.
We will have to go to these things in sunglasses and stick-on moustaches from now on.
This is my take:
http://richardmillett.wordpress.com/2010/04/03/linton-forced-to-apologise-kaufman-silent/
Chas
The extent to which the demonisation and deligitimisation of Israel has infiltrated British consciousness has now reached epidemic proportions. Have a look at the report I have just posted about an especially pernicious example today at the Serpentine Gallery:
http://edgar1981.blogspot.com/2010/04/anti-israel-propaganda-portraying-as.html
Edgar