This is my latest column for Jewish News:
As a vocal supporter of Israel and an active blogger in defence of the Jewish state I long ago realised that some critics of Israel are so consumed with blind hatred that they might never emerge from the darkness of their self-imposed intellectual dungeons. However, I fought to remain optimistic that such cases formed only a small number of Israel’s critics. In the last few weeks this optimism has been truly shaken.
I’d always hesitated to jump to extreme conclusions about what motivates people to be so strongly, ignorantly and uniquely hostile to Israel. I told myself that they were usually not motivated by antisemitism or any other evil inclination, they were simply a little bit misguided and very ill-informed. If only they could be shown a more balanced picture, I hoped, they might quickly begin to develop a more sensible approach.
But people around the world saw the videos and photographs of what the Israeli commandos faced on those boats and still many refuse to accept what happened. When they were shown videos filmed by the flotilla passengers themselves proving that at least some on the fateful boat were proudly determined to provoke a violent confrontation and become ‘martyrs’ they still saw no evil and heard no evil. Even when relatives and friends of some of the dead confirmed what their motivation had been their words were broadly overlooked.
Then at the weekend we had photographs of the passengers’ brutality which they took and published themselves, but still it was not enough. It’s as if a suspect is in court pleading guilty to a crime and producing compelling evidence to prove his guilt and yet people are sitting shaking their heads in the jury box and saying: “No, he doesn’t mean it, he’s not really guilty”. Israel, meanwhile, faced a different but sadly familiar standard of treatment in the court of public opinion: guilty until proven guilty.
In attempting to defend Israel one becomes accustomed to struggling through an obstacle course of double standards. These include that, unlike any of the world’s other conflicts or disputes, Israel is the one on which people who know little nonetheless speak lots. One rarely hears people commenting about, say, Sri Lanka’s war with the Tamil Tigers, the nomadic hostilities in Sudan or India’s battle with the Maoists unless they have a decent grasp of the issues involved. But people who know almost nothing about what is going on in the Middle East nonetheless feel not just permitted to comment on the matter but absolutely compelled to.
These ill-informed comments are nearly always hostile to Israel, but it is not just the ignorant who are making such disturbing noises. Politicians from all parties joined in the dishonest flotilla narrative and they should hang their heads in shame for their cowardice. It is because of their chorus of hatred that the solidarity demonstration arranged by the Zionist Federation last week was so important. In an upsetting week it proved comforting and inspiring to be among 700 other supporters of Israel, making our voices heard and proudly waving our Israeli flags.
We are a movement of wonderful people but let’s be honest, our level of activity and noise is generally put to shame by the other side. The more shows of strength we make the less inclined our politicians will feel to turn their backs on Israel as they did last week. We need to get our message spot on. Language is vital, so although it is perfectly true that Israel has a right to defend herself I feel this is too meek a statement, because the truth goes a lot deeper than that. Israel has an absolute duty to defend herself.
For the way it so morally and courageously does just that, the IDF has my wide-eyed respect.
You can read Jewish News online here.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/charlesmoore/7803919/Why-has-Israel-disarmed-itself-in-the-battle-for-world-opinion.html
Excellent article by Charles Moore
And I agree Chas; we need to make more noise in support of Israel’s interests.
Like-minded bloggers could perhaps start to coordinate their activities in some way ?
Nice idea Wendy. We kind of do already but we can do better. Thanks.
This is from today’s mail-out from the Zionist Federation:
Should we do more demos? – Following our successful rally last week (see report below) we want your opinion. It’s always a difficult decision to know how often to call for rally’s / demonstrations. This email is going out to the 20,000 people on our email list, as we are interesting in gauging the opinion of our readership. Please email office@zfuk.org with your thoughts, along with age bracket (below or above 35) – but please do keep them brief… there’s going to be a lot of emails to read!
To the demo question I (gleefully) answered “yes”. To the age question I (almost tearfully answered) “I am above 35″.
Hi Chas and Wendy.Very thought-provoking article and comments. Please don’t forget JBlog Central is doing a great job:
http://www.israelforum.com/blog_home.php
You can even ‘rate’ my posts at JBlog if you wish! http://www.israelforum.com/blog_sources.php?do=show_posts&source_id=3813
I’ve answered yes too. We have to bring more people on board so that when something happens, we can be out in the streets, peacefully making our voices heard. Let our politicians and the media know that we have voices and opinions and those opinions need to be listened to.
I also agree that we should do more demos and be more vocal in our support of Israel – although the only reason we’re put to shame is because there are just so many of them. I think the majority of British citizens are either pro Israel or pro Palestinian (or they think they are), and the latter will vastly outnumber the rest of us.
I also think a lot of people need to stop being so scared of showing support for Israel. Despite the number of times we’re told that Israel is wrong and bad, we know that in nearly every case the opposite is true. We know that by supporting Israel we’re supporting peace – and even what’s best for the Palestinians, sometimes more than the ‘pro Palestinians’ do.
Eva Gerrard has an excellent post at normblog today: http://normblog.typepad.com/normblog/2010/06/israel-human-decency-common-humanity-by-eve-garrard.html
And speaking of Norm, the two posts immediately before Eva’s are also excellent:
http://normblog.typepad.com/normblog/2010/06/voice-of-restraint.html
and
http://normblog.typepad.com/normblog/2010/06/flotilla-inquiry.html
I live in the sticks so I will just be going out my way to buy Israeli produce. I’m also considering volunteering with sar-el http://www.sar-el.org/index-2.html. Wonder what the wife will say…
If you are there in October, I’ll see you. You’ll have a great time, meet some terrific people and come home feeling like you’ve done something really worthwhile. The cameraderie is wonderful too.
Chas – you’re a mensch!!!
I believe it takes an increasing amount of courage for people to own up – not that choice of phrase, as if it’s a guilty secret! – to being pro-Israel. I really believe that the “other side” have been so remorseless in their onslaught, so successful in stigmatising Israel, that saying “I support Israel” by your average Brit is becoming tantamount to saying “I support South Africa” during the apartheid years. It is fast becoming only what consenting adults say in private. Then too, the perceptions of violence by members of the opposition – remember those Starbucks windows, etc – is probably deterring people in certain areas from writing letters to newspapers in Israel’s defence for fear of a brick through their window or worse. Yet a proactive approach is sorely required. Jon I. Cohen’s blog on the JC website quotes a letter from an Israeli official asking we who support Israel to make our voices heard. I live five and a half hours from Euston by train, so I could seldom join demos – yet demos there surely must be. As we all know, our numbers electorally are now outnumbered, and this is becoming a problem in winning the fight for justice at Westminster, though we must somehow engage in a fight for people’s hearts and minds. Easier said, it seems, than done.
I mean, how many time have you encountered people who obviuously think that there was once a sovereign state of Palestine, and that wicked European colonisers in the mid-twentieth century stole it away!
Sorry for the typos! “Not” in the top sentence should be note …
Excellent piece Chas. I too live too far from London, out in the sticks, away from even one of the major Jewish population centres, so I can’t come to them all, but I have been to a few. As I have said before, just keep chipping away at the talkative bigots. It is not a question of persuasion, as the fault is not in their thinking or logic. The problem is in their souls, fed by many centuries of drip feed antisemitism. Something bad about Israel is immediately and unthinkingly accepted because, “Israel & Jews = bad” is as much taken for granted as “water is wet”. There is an old saying, something like, that if you want to destroy a man, tell him he is useless every day for 20 days…
Grat post Chas.
We need to be far more aggressive in our vocal support of Israel.Palestinian supporters are on the attack while we remain well and truly on the offensive.
Were is our George Galloway -i am talking about his aggressive debating skills. Whatever else he might be (and I could be in trouble if I mentioned them hear ) his ability as an orator is not in question.That is what we need. Attack is the best form of defence
Grat post Chas.
We need to be far more aggressive in our vocal support of Israel.Palestinian supporters are on the attack while we remain well and truly on the defence.
Were is our George Galloway -i am talking about his aggressive debating skills. Whatever else he might be (and I could be in trouble if I mentioned them hear ) his ability as an orator is not in question.That is what we need. Attack is the best form of defence
I too think we need to be much more active, and reach ouside the Jewish community to get more people active (there are many Christians, amongst others, who support Israel but simply aren’t contacted about events and demos). I don’t live in London, but one way I show my support for Israel is by buying Israeli at the supermarket (you will find Israeli produce in almost any supermarket – and excellent produce it is too). I also write literally dozens of complaints to the BBC to protest the bias and lies that they broadcast daily. Most people believe the rot they hear from the MSM, and the BBC is the principal player, having the greatest reach out of all the media. We need a concerted campaign against the lies and distortions – only when the media stops spewing its hatred will people begin to think differently.
Israel also needs to establish a TV channel to counter Al Jazeera and Press TV.
Yes Adam -an English speaking one
Could not agree more about that much-needed broadcasting initiative!!! Isi Leibler, WJC vice-president, and one of the most charismatic and perspicacious Jewish leaders of our time, advocated such a thing years ago. Evidently his words fell on deaf ears.
I heard about Israel planing so, but so far, nothing concrete
Hope the project becomes reality soon. Israel cannot stay longer without balancing the distorted info broadcasted by EU media!
The irrational anti-Israel media coverage of the flotilla incident is not restricted to the usual suspects from the liberal left. Most worrying of all has been the coverage in the Sun which persistently refused to recognise Israel’s side of the story despite the overwhelming video evidence. The Sun is by far and away the most read newspaper. Until it was the only British newspaper that could be relied on to be sympathetic to Israel’s cause.
I have summarised the Sun’s persistent anti-Israel bias about the flotilla incident in an article and complaint to the Pess Complaints Commission – note especially the blood libel from ‘comedian’ Frankie Boyle:
http://edgar1981.blogspot.com/2010/06/forge-guardian-its-sun-we-really-have.html
Edgar Davidson
http://edgar1981.blogspot.com
Edgar, good for you for complaining – I was the complainant who took Frankie Boyle to task at the BBC Trust over his antisemitic “jokes”. I see he is now dealing in blood libels. Unbelievable that the Sun have given this hater writing space. Good luck to you!
Like many others posting here I live far away-(in Cornwall)-and take great pleasure in buying large bags of Israeli potatoes !
I would consider making the journey to London to participate in a large demo provided I could be sure of not having to stay in London for more than 1 night :too expensive!
http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/27980
A very good analysis here-worth reading
Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.
Sir Winston Churchill
Thanks for your comments everyone.
A reminder to anyone who leaves menacing, harrassing or threatening messages that their comments and details are passed straight to the police and CST.
Thanks.
You need to try and get your articles into the mainstream media, Chas. You speak on the radio too. Maybe you can rally the troops at Radio London. I find it peculiar that Vanessa Feltz is very, very ‘Jewish’ but won’t make a stand on the Israel/Palestine thingy, even though her daughter spent a year there with Magen David Adom. Maybe she’s frightened of the BBC’s pro-Palestinian henchmen, coming to take her job away. Yet if you speak to any other Jews who work at the BBC, they are astounded that one could even ‘think’ that the BBC was anti-Israel! I had dinner with a very well known BBC ‘face’ quite recently and he disagreed vehemently with me. When I asked him ‘so what about the Balen report then? Why doesn’t the BBC publish it? Why have the BBC spent over £200,000 to keep it under wraps?’ – he had no answer for me.
Israel most definitely needs an English speaking answer to Al-Jazeera. I don’t know how many times I’ve written this. There are enough hugely wealthy Jews who could invest in such a station. WHY DON’T THEY THEN?
Great post, Ros!
http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/hamas_e111.pdf
Here is an update on future flotilla preparations : methinks we need to start a seriously organised protest,with as many people as possible : have you got time to rally the troops Chas?
Here’s that letter I mentioned earlier:
State of Israel
Ministry of Public Diplomacy & Diaspora
3 Kaplan St. Jerusalem, Israel
Tel: 972-2-6587120 Fax: 972-2-6587125
____________________________________________________________________
Dear friends around the world,
In the wake of yesterday’s interception of a flotilla of ships and activists bent on lifting Israel’s blockade of the Hamas regime, a regime whose charter, rhetoric and behavior are all aimed at Israel’s destruction, we find ourselves yet again in the center of a perfect media storm.
We are sure that you, like us, are frustrated with the situation. The simplistic images and narratives that appear in the media do not reflect the complex facts on the ground in Israel or in Gaza. Few media outlets discuss Israel’s position that the blockade is based on the Hamas regime’s refusal to end its state of war against our country, and fewer still have shown the chilling footage available on the Internet of the Gaza-bound activists on one of the flotilla’s ships beating, stabbing, lobbing firebombs toward and even throwing overboard IDF troops sent to enforce the blockade on Hamas. Nor do these outlets note the fact that Israel sends 15,000 tons of goods and supplies into Gaza each week, a figure that makes the flotilla’s cargo a mere drop in the ocean. For all the discussion of a terrible “humanitarian crisis,” there is no hunger in Gaza, no starved children and no famine deaths. There is only tyranny, extremism and endless war sustained by the brutal rule of Hamas.
We know that you, in the Diaspora Jewish communities, often feel that Israel fails to present these facts adequately, and that Israel’s bad image is projected onto you. We also know that Diaspora Jews are passionate defenders of Israel in its darkest hours.
Therefore we say that this is not the time to talk about what should have been done. This is the time to act!
You too can take part in Israel’s public diplomacy, in showing clearly that while Israel may make mistakes, it is Hamas, Iran and other enemies who are perpetuating the war and thriving from the bloodshed they instigate.
In response to the calls to isolate Israel and the efforts to place all responsibility for the violence on our soldiers, we must offer substantive and clear answers, including the reason that the flotilla was intercepted and the need to continue to prevent open shipping lines to the vicious tyrants of Hamas.
Some important talking points:
1. The Palestinian people are not under blockade. In the West Bank, Israel has worked hard in the past year to bring prosperity and lay the foundations for peace. Most of the roadblocks are down and the West Bank’s economy is now one of the fastest-growing in the world. There is only one reason that the blockade was instituted: to prevent the rearming of the brutal tyrants of Hamas, who would use those arms against Israeli civilians and their own people.
2. Civilians on the flotilla were cynically exploited by extremist organizations. Five ships did not act with violence toward the soldiers, and were peacefully brought to port. Only the ship that had planned in advance to brutally attack the soldiers and endanger their lives were, in turn met with deadly force.
3. There are ways to help the residents of Gaza that do not also help the Iran-backed Hamas regime and terror organizations in the Gaza Strip. Supplies can be donated to UN agencies, for example. But Israel cannot allow open supply routes for war materials into Gaza.
We urge you to share videos, photographs and articles about Israel’s complex situation with your friends and family around the world. Write letters to your local newspapers, comment on blogs and news websites, call in to radio programs and post links to social networking sites, to help spread the real version of events. The more knowledge people acquire, the more accurately Israel’s position is represented.
Let us be clear. We are not asking for blind support for the government’s position. Even within Israel there is criticism over the handling of the flotilla operation and the policy that led to it. We are a country that cherishes as our highest ideal the freedom to speak one’s mind and criticize. We are however, asking for help against the effort to delegitimize and dehumanize our country, an effort led by those who would deny us our very right to exist. The flotilla was a political act, not a humanitarian one and the ultimate goal of those who choose violence is not peace, but our destruction.
Thank you for your help,
Sincerely,
Ronen Plot
Director General
This is from an aid to Hasbara efforts provided by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre:
LIE#1
Israel was created by European guilt over the Nazi Holocaust. Why should Palestinians pay the price?
Three thousand years before the Holocaust, before there was a Roman Empire, Israel’s kings and prophets walked the streets of Jerusalem. The whole world knows that Isaiah did not speak his prophesies from Portugal, nor Jeremiah his lamentations from France. Revered by its people, Jerusalem is mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures 600 times – but not once in the Koran. Throughout its 2,000-year exile there was continuous Jewish presence in the Holy Land, with the modern rebirth of Israel beginning in the 1800s. Reclamation of the largely vacant land by pioneering Zionists blossomed into a Jewish majority long before the onset of Nazism.
After the Holocaust, nearly 200,000 Shoah survivors found haven in the Jewish State, created by a two-thirds vote of the UN in 1947. Soon 800,000 Jews fleeing persecution in Arab countries arrived. In ensuing decades, Israel absorbed a million immigrants from the Soviet Union and thousands of Ethiopian Jews. Today, far from being a vestige of European guilt or colonialism, Israel is a diverse, cosmopolitan society, fulfilling the age-old dream of a people’s journey and ‘Return to Zion’- their ancient homeland.
LIE #2
Had Israel withdrawn to its June 1967 borders, peace would have come long ago.
Since 1967, Israel has repeatedly conceded, “land for peace.” Following Egyptian President Sadat’s historic 1977 visit to Jerusalem and the Camp David Peace Accords, Israel withdrew from the vast Sinai Peninsula and has been at peace with Egypt ever since.
In 1995, Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel but neither the Palestinians nor 21 other Arab states have done so. In 1993, Israel signed the Oslo Accords ceding administrative control of the West Bank to the Palestinian Authority(formerly the PLO). The PA never fulfilled its promise to end propaganda attacks and drop the Palestinian National Charter’s call for Israel’s destruction.
In 2000, Prime Minister Barak offered Yasser Arafat full sovereignty over 97% of the West Bank, a corridor to Gaza, and a capitol in the Arab section of Jerusalem. Arafat said NO. In 2008, PA President Abbas nixed virtually the same offer from Prime Minister Olmert. In 2005, Prime Minister Sharon unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. Taken over by terrorist Hamas, they turned dismantled Jewish communities into launching sites for suicide bombers and 8,000+ rockets into Israel proper. In 2010, Prime Minister Netanyahu renewed offers of unconditional negotiations leading to a Palestinian State, but Palestinians refused, demanding more unilateral Israeli concessions, including a total freeze of all Israeli construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
LIE #3
Israel is the main stumbling block to achieving a Two-State solution.
The Palestinians themselves are the only stumbling block to achieving a Two-State solution. With whom should Israel negotiate? With President Abbas, who, for four years, has been barred by Hamas from visiting 1.5 million constituents in Gaza? With his Palestinian Authority, which continues to glorify terrorists and preaches hate in its educational system and the media? With Hamas, whose Iranianbacked leaders deny the Holocaust and use fanatical Jihadist rhetoric to call for Israel’s destruction?
Today, it is a simple fact that while the State of Israel is prepared to recognize all Arab States, secular or Muslim, these states adamantly refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish State and demand “the right of return” of five million so-called Palestinian “refugees” – a sure guarantee for Israel’s demise.
LIE#4
Nuclear Israel not Iran is the greatest threat to peace and stability.
Though never acknowledged by Jerusalem, it is generally assumed that Israel has nuclear weapons. But unlike Pakistan, India, and North Korea, Israel never conducted nuclear tests. In 1973, when its very survival was imperiled by the surprise Egyptian-Syrian Yom Kippur attack, many assumed Israel would use nuclear weapons–but it did not. Contrary to public condemnations, many Arab leaders privately express relief that Israeli nuclear deterrence exists. While Israel has never threatened anyone, Tehran’s mullahs daily threaten to “wipe Israel from the map.” The U.S. and Europe can afford to wait to see what the Iranian regime does with its nuclear ambitions. But Israel cannot. She is on the front lines and remembers every day the price the Jewish people paid for not taking Hitler at his word. Israel is not prepared to sacrifice another six million Jews on the altar of the world’s indifference.
LIE #5
Israel is an Apartheid State deserving of International Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaigns.
On both sides of the Atlantic, church groups, academics and unions are leading deceitful and often anti-Semitic boycott campaigns demonizing what they call the Jewish “apartheid” State.
The truth is that unlike apartheid South Africa, Israel is a democratic state. Its 20% Arab minority enjoys all the political, economic and religious rights and freedoms of citizenship, including electing members of their choice to the Knesset (Parliament). Israeli Arabs and Palestinians have standing before Israel’s Supreme Court. In contrast, no Jew may own property in Jordan, no Christian or Jew can visit Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia.
LIE #6
Plans to build 1,600 more homes in East Jerusalem prove Israel is ‘Judaizing’ the Holy City.
Enemies of Israel, exploit this phony issue. Jerusalem is holy to three great faiths. Its diverse population includes a Jewish majority with Muslim and Christian minorities. Since 1967, for the first time in history, there is full freedom of religion for all faiths in Jerusalem. Muslim and Christian religious bodies administer their own holy sites. Indeed, the Waqf is allowed to control Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, even though it rests on Solomon’s temple and is holy to BOTH Jews and Muslims.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem’s municipality must meet the needs of a growing modern city. The unfortunately-timed announcement during U.S. Vice President Biden’s visit of 1600 new apartments in Ramat Shlomo, was not about Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, but for a long established, heavily populated Jewish neighborhood in Northern Jerusalem, where 250,000 Jews live (about the same population as Newark, N.J.) — an area that will never be relinquished by Israel.
LIE #7
Israeli policies endanger U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The charge that Israel endangers U.S. troops in Iraq or the AF-Pak region is an update of the old “stab in the back” lie that Jews always betray their own friends, and the libel spouted by Henry Ford and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion that “Jews are the father of all wars.”
U.S. General Petraeus has stated he considers Israel a great strategic asset for the U.S. and that his earlier remarks linking the safety of U.S. troops in the region to an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal (which 2/3 of Israelis want) were taken out of context. A resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would benefit everyone, including the U.S. But an imposed return to what Abba Eban called “1967 Auschwitz borders” would endanger Israel’s survival and ultimately be disastrous for American interests and credibility in the world.
LIE #8
Israeli policies are the cause of worldwide anti-Semitism.
From the Inquisition to the pogroms, to the 6,000,000 Jews murdered by the Nazis, history proves that Jew-hatred existed on a global scale before the creation of the State of Israel. In 2010, it would still exist even if Israel had never been created. For example, one poll indicates 40% of Europeans blame the recent global economic crisis on “Jews having too much economic power,” a canard that has nothing to do with Israel.
The unsettled Palestinian-Israeli dispute aggravates Muslim-Jewish tensions, but it is not the root cause. During World War II, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, a notorious Jewhater, helped the Nazis organize the 13th SS Division, made up of Muslims. Unfortunately, in addition to respectful references to Jewish patriarchs and prophets, the Koran also contains virulent anti-Semitic stereotypes that are widely invoked by Islamist extremists, including Hezbollah (whose agents blew up the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires in 1994), to justify murdering Jews worldwide. The disappearance of Israel would only further embolden violent Jew-haters everywhere.
LIE #9
Israel, not Hamas, is responsible for the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza. Goldstone was right when he charged that Israel was guilty of war crimes against civilians.
The Goldstone Report on Israel’s defensive war against Hamas-controlled Gaza, from which 8,000 rockets were fired after Israel’s unilateral withdrawal in 2005, is a biased product of the UN’s misnamed Human Rights Council. The UNHRC is obsessed with false anti-Israel resolutions. It refuses to address grievous human rights abuses in Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and beyond.
Faced with similar attacks, every UN member-state including the U.S. and Canada would surely have acted more aggressively than the IDF did in Gaza.
Yet, Richard Goldstone, a South African Jewish jurist, signed a document prepared by investigators whose main qualification was rabid anti-Israel bias. He accepted every anonymous libel against the IDF. But he insisted that hearings in Gaza be televised, guaranteeing that fearful Palestinians would never testify about Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields and their hiding of weapons in mosques and hospitals. Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz denounced Goldstone’s Report as a modern “blood libel” accusing Israeli soldiers of crimes they never committed.
LIE #10
The only hope for peace is a single, bi-national state, eliminating the Jewish State of Israel.
The One-State solution, promoted by academics, is a non-starter because it would eliminate the Jewish homeland. However, the current pressures on Israel are equally dangerous. In effect, the world is demanding that Israel, the size of New Jersey, shrink further by accepting a Three-State solution: a PA state on the West Bank and a Hamas terrorist state controlling 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza. All this, as Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, stockpiles 50,000 rockets, threatening northern and central Israel’s main population centers.
In 2010, most Middle East experts believe that the only hope for enduring peace is two states with defined final borders. But too many diplomats, pundits, academics and church leaders ignore the fact that current polls show that while most Israelis favor a Two-State solution, most Palestinians continue to oppose it
Ros:
You need to try and get your articles into the mainstream media, Chas. You speak on the radio too. Maybe you can rally the troops at Radio London.
Of course I am trying. I’ve had some success to this end – particularly on radio – but as you know the media and publishing worlds are dominated by liberal anti-Israel types so it’s not easy. I work hard behind the scenes too, making sure mainstream journalists are shown Israel’s side of the argument. I know I’ve been able to influence some. I probably could do more but I also need to keep a roof over my head.
Israel most definitely needs an English speaking answer to Al-Jazeera. I don’t know how many times I’ve written this.
I agree, so what are you going to do to make it happen? I know someone who is working hard to make this a reality. Would you like me to put you two in touch?
I quite understand Chas how difficult it is for you to swim against this onslaught and appreciate everything that you do. I’d be very happy to be put in touch with someone who is trying to organise an English-speaking tv station and see what I can put his/her way. You have my email address.
I just wanted to mention that I haven’t seen the point made anywhere that the “blockade of Gaza” is a military blockade. Huge amounts of food, medicine and other humanitarian assistance enters Gaza every week through Israel.
As Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak, said, “There are 1.5 million people living in Gaza and only one of them really needs humanitarian aid,”. “Only one of them is locked in a tiny room and never sees the light of day, only one of them is not allowed visits and is in uncertain health – his name is Gilad Shalit, and this month four years will have passed since he was kidnapped.”
and on the same topic http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/stephaniegutmann/100041991/was-gaza-in-urgent-need-of-food-aid-in-the-first-place/
On a lighter note…
We spoke about films the other week, so I thought I’d let my UK readers know that Sixty Six is on ITV tonight. It’s a feelgood film with themes of football and Judaism. So you’ll be flabbergasted to learn that I love it! It’s on ITV at 10.40 tonight (Thursday).
Here is the trailer:
By the way, the star of the film Gregg Sulkin is now a bit of a big deal over Hollywood way. Mazel tov to him!
Fantabulous!
Chas,
Have you looked at the coalition government’s foreign affairs policy statement? People can provide feedback and a lot of it is VERY pro-Israel.
http://programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk/foreign-affairs/
Could I just plug my friend Eleanor’s charity venture too?* Take a look if you have a minute: http://www.justgiving.com/Eleanor-Segall
*Why am I asking permission? It’s my blog!
The Donate link doesn’t work… I’ll try again later. Please tell me what you think about the above link – will it change any minds up there?
Also wondering how long it’ll take the “other side” to hijack it.
I’ve posted a comment Matt; I was pleased to read all the pleas for support for Israel.
Thanks Wendy. Let’s hope they take some notice. I think that the flotilla incident has caused a lot of people to take more interest and to start asking more questions of what the media presents to us. I hope something changes soon.
Great find Matt. Thanks so much for bringing it to our attention. Will distribute.
The closing date for contributions is today so it may be a bit late, but I only discovered it this afternoon.
Between my Facebook groups, the Oy Va Goy Twitter account etc I’ve got this sent immediately to 10,000+ Israel supporters. I’ve explained the urgency of the deadline. Thanks!
By the way, has anyone seen the ‘cartoon’ by Garland in the Daily Telegraph today? I’d appreciate someone explaining it to me, otherwise I might just believe that it’s an absolutely vile piece of pro-Hamas propaganda.
An unfathomable image. Let’s see. A mighty Ahmadinejad and two puny figures of non-Middle East appearance wrestling unsuccessfully with a huge serpent labelled Israel, which has entwined itself around the limbs of the three figures. A small snake labelled Sanctions watches. If there’s irony in there somewhere it’s surely going to go over everybody’s heads.
It’s a bit too much like those Jews-with-tentacles-round-the-globe images that were around during the Dreyfus Affair, in 1930s Germany, and in 1950s Russia for comfort.
Quite, Yvetta. Thanks for your analysis. I still can’t get my head around it.
I’d like an explanation too. Seems to me that Garland has it the wrong way round – Israel is the figure engulfed by the tentacles of Hamas, Hez B’Allah and Iran.
http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/hamas_e112.htm
videos of interviews with some officers from the Marmara.
Not strictly related to this thread, but some may not have seen them.
There’s also this
Helsinki Principles on the Law of Maritime Neutrality http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=382&post=2012&uid=121348851234252#post2012
This is from an articel in Ha’aretz. It is very interesting – though will sadly make no imapct on tose with closed Israel hating minds.
“The captain and first mate of the Mavi Marmara, the ship which led the Gaza flotilla raided by Israel Defense Forces special forces last week, had attempted to prevent premeditated violent clashes between activists and the Israeli military, evidence released Friday showed…………….
According to the clip, released by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, the ship’s captain Mehmut Tuval had attempted to prevent a violent altercation by disposing of metal bars and chains IHH activists had cut ahead of the IDF takeover.
Mehmut said that “once we see that the boats [were] around us…actually not us, but around the total ships…about two hours [before the takeover]… I see they were cutting the steels…chains. And I said to the chief officer, he collected all of them and also we put it in the radio room in the bridge.”
The captain also indicated that he had thrown some of the bars and chains into the sea, while adding that he also asked IHH activists to pass over the bars and chains that had collected later on.
Tuval said he sent his chief officer to ask for the bars, “saying …he cannot take directly from the guys..he spoke with the IHH to collect the [steel bars and chains]…we asked them to drop them, drop in the sea, because if they take it from the bridge that’s when we have a problem…and [after that] we didn’t see any in their hands.”
The Mavi Marmara captain said he was indeed worried that the presence of the makeshift weapons would worsen the situations, adding he thought that nothing would eventually happen since the IHH commanders were at hand to prevent any violence.
“I was worried but if their [leader] on the ship that there would be no effect, nobody will fight… I said many of times because I know the end,” Tuval told investigators, adding that he thought that nothing would happen since there were civilians on the ship/
“I worried [that's] why I collected the things to the bridge and I take how many I see in their hands and I drop them in the sea.”
Asked whether or not he knew if the IHH activists were preparing a violent welcome to the IDF takeover, Tuval said that “they were preparing to violence against the soldiers: Yeah from what I was informed.”
The ship’s first officer, Gokkiran Gokhan, told his investigators that he was sent by the ship’s captain to look into an unusual commotion near the life-boat section of the Mavi Marmara.
Once he got there, Gokhan had noticed that bars and chains had been cut off by IHH activists from the deck using rotary saws, which he claims were no part of the ship’s equipment.
Asked whose equipment were they, the first officer said: “I don’t know, not the ship’s. There is no such equipment on the ship. The deck has rods with hooks for chains, and when I got there the rods had been cut.”
Gokhan added that this had happened after dark, and when he had asked one of the activists who had cut the rods, he answered that he didn’t know. The first officer also said that the IHH activists did not allow anyone but members of their group to pass through their section of the ship.
When asked how the IHH activists communicated with each other, Gokhan told his investigators that “they brought walkie-talkies along with them when they got on board in Istanbul. The radios were distributed to the IHH people and to the ship’s crew.”
The first mate added that other non-IHH passengers were allowed to move freely, with the exception of the control center which was located above the ship’s bridge, saying that the IHH group was made up of 40 people who boarded the ship in Istanbul.”
Chas are you not in Tel Aviv for gay pride?
Thanks for asking but to be honest gay pride events are not my cup of tea wherever they are held. Good luck to them in Tel Aviv, I hope they have a fun weekend. Generally I often find such events a bit embarrassing. I also feel that to be proud of one’s sexuality is as silly as being ashamed of it. It just is what it is – the best thing is not to define oneself by such a thing.
I did write about the 2007 pride controversy here, if anyone is interested: http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/7245,news-comment,news-politics,gay-pride-rally-is-not-appropriate-for-jerusalem
Check out this piece of shocking Hamas propaganda that Channel 4 are carrying on their website:
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/international_politics/drained+to+the+last+drop+by+the+gaza+blockade/3667927
Channel 4, home of the biased Jon Snow and his biased Snowblog, which attracts some awfully dubious posts.
Jon “nobody gets injured by rockets” Snow: http://www.oyvagoy.com/2009/12/23/my-latest-jewish-news-column-3/
Gret blog, Chas. Wish I’d seen it earlier, but didn’t look in regularly then. I look in several times a day now ;~)
And I very much appreciate you!
I think this is becoming a new form of propaganda and we’ll no doubt see more of it in the months to come – ‘personal’ stories by residents of Gaza. I read this week, can’t remember where, an article about the day to day life of a journalist in Gaza and his travails with his car, his work etc., you no doubt get the picture. What he didn’t write was ‘I didn’t think it would be like this when I voted for Hamas’. I wonder how many would own up to voting in this bunch of Islamofascists?
Following the Second World War, it was interesting to learn how few Germans said they supported the Nazis.
Likewise in France, it was fascinating to discover how many were members of the Resistance. So many apparently, it’s surprising the Germans didn’t surrender years earlier.
The Melbourne “Age” isn’t known for warm and fuzzy feelings towards Israel, but in this Israeli blogger, an academic there, it has a sound pro-Zionist voice; note, however, the comments from the antipodean equivalents of the type we all know and love:
Dvir Abramovich http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/blogs/chutzpah/a-flotilla-of-demonisation/20100611-y0zr.html
On the ball and to the point as always:
The perfidious UN
by Isi Leibler
June 9, 2010
http://wordfromjerusalem.com/?p=2232
http://carolineglick.com/
See this link for an inmportant appeal for Latma :removed from YouTube. Donations needed.
Once again, I’ve gone ‘off-message’, but in a good cause.
Me too, Wendy! This really belongs with Chas’s previous thread but seems more likely to be read here:
Optical radar could bring sight to the blind | News | The Engineer
http://www.theengineer.co.uk
Israeli students have developed an optical radar system that helps blind people manoeuvre around obstacles.
And, finally …
Did you all know about this?
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