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	<title>FrontPage Magazine &#187; Rob Harris</title>
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		<title>The Music World Goes Anti-Israel &#8211; Part III</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-iii/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-iii</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FrontPage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=65856</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Who is driving the hate-campaign to strip Israel of credibility and defenses? ]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/aisraeli-apartheid.gif"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65858" title="aisraeli-apartheid" src="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/aisraeli-apartheid.gif" alt="" width="375" height="306" /></a></p>
<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the final installment of a three-part series. Click the following for <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/14/the-music-industry-meets-the-anti-israel-movement-part-i/">Part I</a> and <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/15/the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-ii-2/">Part II</a>.]</em></p>
<p>The campaign to pressure artists to boycott is part of a highly <a href="http://palestinereview.com/activism.htm">organised</a> mass movement. As with pro-Palestinians generally, the so called BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanction) Movement continually draws parallels between apartheid South Africa and Israel. Although some try to qualify this by saying they aren’t <em>exactly</em> the same, comparisons between these states are clearly absurd. Yet the effort to label Israel as “apartheid” continues to grow.</p>
<p>The commonly stated aim of this endeavor is to improve the conditions of Palestinians. However, a sinister motive can be found behind the humanitarian language. When referring to the success in dealing with apartheid South Africa, they are of course talking about the successful role boycott played in destroying the state as it was. While few would think this was anything other than a good thing, the same “successful” methods are being applied to Israel, indicating the same conclusions are envisaged: the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state. This stance is evident in the inferred or explicit opinions of those supporting boycott and found in boycott documentation. To quote an average (relatively moderate) BDS <a href="http://www.badil.org/en/documents/category/10-campaign-for-boycott-divestment-sanctions-bds?download=587%3Adivestment-and-sanctions-lesson-learned-in-effective-solidarity">document</a> by the “MA’AN Development Center” (sic) called “Boycott, Divestment, &amp; Sanctions &#8211; lessons learned in effective solidarity”:</p>
<blockquote><p>The similarities between apartheid South Africa and Israel are, sadly, well known. However, one analogy may prove particularly useful: South Africa’s resistance history offers useful lessons around local and international civil protest and more notably regarding the potential impact a coordinated campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) could have. Just as occurred in South Africa, existing solidarity for Palestine needs to be galvanized to transform current feeling. By increasing awareness of the movement and drawing upon the successful South African experience, the report aims to inform civil society movements of how to better harness the mass outrage felt by so many over Israel’s violations of the rights of the Palestinian people. … these efforts must occur at all levels; locally, regionally and internationally. Moreover, boycott, divestment sanctions is a tactic that can be adopted by individuals, companies and governments, meaning we all have the agency to make a difference.</p></blockquote>
<p>There is a peculiar assertion in the document: “Boycotting Israeli products cannot be successfully accomplished without a transition to, and promotion of, Palestinian products.” Numerous organisations have been established such as PalTrade, which promotes trade of Palestinian products locally and internationally. Thus the aim is not only to weaken Israel. They want a strong Palestinian economy that could eventually shift the balance of power from a weakened Israel. This is clearly going beyond the stated aim of forcing Israel to improve the lot of the Palestinians.</p>
<p>The BDS campaign often crosses into outright bigotry by using anti-Semitic imagery. It attacks Israel’s essence as a Jewish state despite the presence of its explicitly Islamic neighbours. It condemns, à la extremist Palestinianism, instead of attempting to change policies in a constructive fashion. It is part of the strategy adopted by NGOs during the infamous Durban I Conference, which was supposed to combat racism but turned into an anti-Semitic hate-fest.</p>
<p>The prime figure of the boycott movement is <a href="http://www.naomiragen.com/Columns/Who%20is%20Omar%20Barghouti.htm">Omar Barghouti</a>, who is a founding member of PACBI (Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel) and one of the movement’s principal strategists and advocates. His words are a telling indicator of the extremism of the movement. For example, at a conference at London University he stated: “Those who imagine they can wish away the conflict by suggesting some forums for rapprochement, détente, or ‘dialogue’ &#8212; which they hope can lead to authentic processes of reconciliation and eventually peace &#8212; are either clinically delusional or dangerously deceptive.”</p>
<p>Barghouti opposes any association with Israel and seeks a one-state solution &#8211; the destruction of Israel: “It is not the occupation of the West Bank that is the problem, but the existence of Israel itself.” He also has links with <a href="http://www.naomiragen.com/Columns/Who+is+Omar+Barghouti.htm">terrorists</a>, such as a family connection with Marwan Barghouti, who committed some of the more depraved acts of terror in the history of this conflict.</p>
<p>Omar Barghouti condemns academic and artistic <a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/conflict-debate_97/against_2934.jsp">collaborations</a> between Israelis and Palestinians as “providing Israel with a figleaf covering up Israel’s relentless colonisation of Palestinian land and its crimes against the Palestinian people.” Palestinians who have engaged with Israelis are “guilty of moral blindness and political shortsightedness.” He thinks such people are tempted by the “lure of project funding, prestige and personal gain.” Thus, it should be a source of great amusement to know that he is studying a postgraduate degree in philosophical ethics at Tel Aviv University, at least partially to enhance his own prestige, and is reportedly being funded by Israel, the very same state he seeks to annihilate.</p>
<p>When an Israeli newspaper asked him for comment about his never-ending degree, he said: “My studies at Tel Aviv University are a personal matter and I have no interest in commenting.” It caused an understandable level of anger in Israel, but Tel Aviv University refuses to expel him despite a 65,000 signature petition. This is the same university that allows its academics to frequently cross the line by advocating the boycott of its own institutions, and of Israel generally. Their philosophy department houses the likes of Barghouti, lecturer Anat Kam, who presented herself as a heroine after stealing classified military <a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3891616,00.html">information</a>, and other lecturers that campaigned to prevent Colonel Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, formerly of the IDF law division and the target of a sustained pro-Palestinian smear campaign, from lecturing on law. Playing the victim card, PACBI called the Barghouti petition “McCarthyist,” and argued the accusation of hypocrisy is “an absurd position, given the complete lack of alternatives available” for Palestinians who endorse BDS, but study at Israeli universities. Peculiar then that this “Palestinian” was born in Qatar, grew up in Egypt, and moved to the West Bank in adulthood.</p>
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		<title>The Music World Goes Anti-Israel &#8211; Part II</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-ii-2/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-ii-2</link>
		<comments>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-ii-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FrontPage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=65761</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is Elton John the only musician impervious to Palestinian propaganda? ]]></description>
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<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the second installment of a three-part series. Click the following for <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/14/the-music-industry-meets-the-anti-israel-movement-part-i/">Part I</a> and </em><em><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/16/the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-iii/">Part III</a></em><em>.]</em></p>
<p>It has been observed that BDS groups, which seek the boycott, divestment, and sanctioning of Israel to isolate it internationally, target artists with an interest in human rights. This is an aim for the early phase of this movement, from which it can gain a foothold. Peculiar then, that even before the boycott success of 2010, they decided to target Leonard Cohen, who has expressed his support for Israel publicly, and performed for Israeli troops during the 1973 Yom Kippur war. He is clearly one of the least likely to support a boycott. Yet he experienced considerably more pressure from pro-Palestinian groups than anyone else has thus far to cancel his 2009 show in Israel. Perhaps he was targeted being one of the most prominent Jewish musicians touring at this time. Maybe pro-Palestinians just fancied flexing their muscles to make Cohen an example to others. In an <a href="http://www.indymedia.ie/article/93146">article</a> by Raymond “defending Israel is like defending paedophilia” Deane, of the rather extreme Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), he states:</p>
<blockquote><p>Plans to supplement this [concert in Tel Aviv] with a performance in Ramallah in the occupied Palestinian West Bank two days later may now have been abandoned. … we will be standing outside the venue each evening singing chants, distributing leaflets and Palestinian flags, and encouraging concert-goers to send Cohen the message: DON&#8217;T VISIT ISRAEL! This message has been heard at every concert in this tour, from New York City to Berlin. Last May at Radio City Music Hall a loud and colourful demonstration was held by ADALAH New York, a coalition of organisations including the National Council of Arab-Americans, and Jews Against the Occupation; on 2nd July Cohen&#8217;s concert at O2 World Berlin was picketed by EJJP (European Jews for a Just Peace), an unprecedented event in Germany. Jews have been noticeably prominent in this worldwide campaign to dissuade the singer from visiting Israel. In the UK, BRICUP (British Committee for the Universities of Palestine) published an open letter signed by 4 Jewish academics who wrote: “You will perform for a public that by a very large majority had no qualms about its military forces’ onslaught on Gaza&#8230; You will perform in a state whose propaganda services will extract every ounce of mileage from your presence&#8230; And you are telling the Palestinians &#8230;that their suffering doesn&#8217;t matter.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Here we see every venue and probably every concert was targeted. Whilst it is probable that few Israeli-hating Jews needed encouraging, there still appears to have been a strategy of wheeling out Jews to pressure Cohen, due to his strong connections with the faith, notwithstanding his race. For example, Deane mentions no less than four Jewish academics, as if this is the sum total of Jewish academia in Britain. Pro-Palestinians are continually trying to present an anti-Zionist authentically Jewish voice but it is unrepresentative of Jews generally. As is seen elsewhere with this movement, there is the absurd inference that performing in Israel means “you are telling the Palestinians… their suffering doesn’t matter.” This is an example of the idiocy often seen in academia (Jewish and otherwise), as is the notion Israeli “propaganda services will extract every ounce of mileage from your presence.” They certainly did not.</p>
<p>In Ramallah, PACBI, the Palestinian Association for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, wrote: “We consider your performance in Israel a form of complicity in its grave violations of international law and trampling on human rights principles.” Concerning the proposed Ramallah concert, PACBI added:</p>
<blockquote><p>Such attempts at ‘balance’ not only immorally equate the oppressor with the oppressed, taking a neutral position on the oppression; they also are an insult to the Palestinian people, as they assume that we are naive enough to accept such token shows of ‘solidarity’ that are solely intended to cover up grave acts of collusion in whitewashing Israel’s crimes.</p></blockquote>
<p>Dean closed the article with the call:</p>
<blockquote><p>If Cohen sings in Tel Aviv, whether or not he “balances” it with a Ramallah concert, he will be within a stone’s throw of people who are suffering precisely such horrors because of the Israeli occupation. … We are calling on Cohen fans to influence their hero not to break the growing boycott campaign against Israeli apartheid.</p></blockquote>
<p>So an unprecedented performance by a major artist in Ramallah would be an insult to the Palestinian people? Many would have thought it significant but it is deemed to be a mere “token” gesture of solidarity. They rejected the idea, insisting that Cohen should first cancel his Tel Aviv gig to be welcomed in Ramallah. According to PACBI’s own words, they do not desire a “neutral position” or “balance” but rather condemnation. Thus no sensible neutral evaluation of the facts is sufficient. As is common with extremists, there is no grey area, only black and white “with us or against us” posturing. Thus if Cohen performs in a non-political sphere in Israel, they view it with a comical melodramatic intensity as “collusion in whitewashing Israel’s crimes,” “complicity in its grave violations,” etc., etc.</p>
<p>Let us push a little more the extreme boycott logic that pro-Palestinians employ. If I knowingly buy an Israeli orange today, am I also complicit in the alleged crimes against the proud Palestinian people? Sounds absurd but it would appear so because I am funding “Israeli terror.” If Cohen is complicit in criminal activity, should he expect a knock on the door from Interpol? Will this artist have to share a cell at the Hague with Radovan Karadžić? Dean states: “He will be within a stone’s throw of people who are suffering precisely such horrors because of the Israeli occupation.” His stone throwing metaphor is apt but being clever strategists wouldn’t PACBI have taken the opportunity to “educate” an artist of renown about Palestinian suffering? Then again maybe he would have realised the notion of genuine suffering in the West Bank is a sham as they mainly have a superior quality of life to neighbouring states.</p>
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		<title>The Music World Goes Anti-Israel &#8211; Part I</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/the-music-industry-meets-the-anti-israel-movement-part-i/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-music-industry-meets-the-anti-israel-movement-part-i</link>
		<comments>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/the-music-industry-meets-the-anti-israel-movement-part-i/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2010 04:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FrontPage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=65446</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[More and more artists are canceling their performances after digesting Palestinian lies. ]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/aLu-free-gaza2.gif"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65627" title="aLu-free-gaza2" src="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/aLu-free-gaza2.gif" alt="" width="375" height="280" /></a></p>
<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the first installment of a three-part series. Click the following to read <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/15/the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-ii-2/">Part II</a> and </em><em><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/07/16/the-music-world-goes-anti-israel-part-iii/">Part III</a></em><em>.]</em></p>
<p>In the aftermath of the Gaza flotilla incident, a significant number of musicians have refused to perform in Israel. Performance withdrawals are attributed to <em>changes of heart</em>, scheduling issues, etc., but these moves are more likely to be driven by pro-Palestinian BDS campaigners, who are targeting artists aggressively in an effort to isolate Israel.</p>
<p>Prior to the flotilla incident, jazz performer Gil Scott-Heron gave in to pro-Palestinian pressure in April, and in January, Carlos Santana cancelled a performance reputedly due to pressure from anti-Israeli groups. Scott-Heron had his <a href="http://www.counterfire.org/index.php/news/1-latest-news/4764-gill-scott-heron-cancels-israel-gig">performance</a> in London disrupted by pro-Palestinians who heckled him throughout to force him to cancel his Israeli performance. Pro-Palestinian pressure had been building on the Internet to make him cancel the date. Security was called, but Scott-Heron gave in to their demands on the concert stage, stating that he “hated war.” Fifty-plus boycott groups sent a <a href="http://boycottisrael.info/content/thank-you-letter-gil-scott-heron-over-50-organizations">letter</a> to him stating, “You have chosen to stand on the right side of history” – a rather sinister thing to say.</p>
<p>Santana’s Israeli performance in early June, being promoted by the seemingly ill-fated Shuki Weiss, was to take place in a large soccer stadium in Jaffa. With excellent ticket sales, the addition of another show was being mooted until Santana’s management suddenly announced that the show would be put on hold for an unspecified <a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3841916,00.html">period of time</a>. They cited “unforeseen scheduling conflicts” despite other dates on the tour going ahead as normal. A senior member of Weiss’ production team stated that Carlos Santana had received messages telling him “&#8217;it’s better&#8217; not to perform in Israel.” Such communications can easily be seen as threatening. The promoter added: &#8220;Our clarifications revealed that he received messages from anti-Israel figures who pressured him to cancel the performance. Of course, no one there claimed that any connection between these pressures and the show’s cancellation, but we are certain there is a very close connection.&#8221;</p>
<p>Heron and Santana are by no means unusual in organising concerts and then suddenly deciding to quit. Since the manufactured outrage over the Gaza flotilla incident, <a href="http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/06/08/pixies-klaxons-gorillaz-join-growing-boycott-of-israel/">indie bands</a> like The Pixies, Klaxons, and Gorillaz decided not to perform at Tel Aviv’s PiC.NiC Festival. The Pixies stated that “events beyond all our control” led to their withdrawal, but apparently the Israeli naval boarding of the flotilla affected the decision. This is a common theme in the statements of performers quitting Israel. In reality, pro-Palestinian campaigners probably got to them, especially with the surge of public outrage at the flotilla incident. Festival promoter Shuki Weiss issued a statement describing the decisions of these headlining bands as “a form of cultural terrorism which is targeting Israel and the arts worldwide.”</p>
<p>Elvis Costello’s cancellation a few weeks earlier was perhaps the most significant, as it garnered a lot of attention. On the 15<sup>th</sup> of May, Elvis Costello issued a <a href="http://www.elviscostello.com/news/it-is-after-cosiderable-contemplation/44">statement</a> where he wrote “It is after considerable contemplation that I have lately arrived at the decision that I must withdraw from the two performances scheduled in Israel…” He asserted, “There are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act that resonates more than anything that might be sung and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent.” This assertion is absurd since his concert will principally be seen as a political act by extremists who try to politicise such shows in the first instance. Israel is a society that affords all citizens free speech. Many of those citizens are in fact enemies of the state who hold important influential positions in that society, one of the most famous examples being Ilan Pappe. A large, and in fact, rather worrying group of Israeli Jews side with the Palestinian movement, and their freedom of expression is not curtailed. Consequently, a performance in Israel need not be seen as advocacy.</p>
<p>Costello stated:</p>
<blockquote><p>I must believe that the audience for the coming concerts would have contained many people who question the policies of their government on settlement and deplore conditions that visit intimidation, humiliation or much worse on Palestinian civilians in the name of national security. I am also keenly aware of the sensitivity of these themes in the wake of so many despicable acts of violence perpetrated in the name of liberation. Some will regard all of this an unknowable without personal experience but if these subjects are actually too grave and complex to be addressed in a concert, then it is also quite impossible to simply look the other way.</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Allied in Anti-Semitism &#8212; The Irish Connection Part IV</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iv-5/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iv-5</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:03:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FrontPage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=63807</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hate finds a home in Ireland's pro-Palestinian movement.]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/afree_gaza_17.gif"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-63808" title="afree_gaza_17" src="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/afree_gaza_17-300x202.gif" alt="" width="300" height="202" /></a></p>
<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the final installment of a four-part series. To read earlier segments of &#8220;Allied in Anti-Semitism &#8212; The Irish Connection,&#8221; click </em><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/18/allied-in-anti-semitism/"><em>Part I,</em></a><em> </em><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/21/allied-in-anti-semitism-%E2%80%93-the-irish-connection/"><em>Part II,</em></a><em> or </em><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/22/allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iii/"><em>Part III</em></a><em>.]</em></p>
<p>Justin Kilcullen is head of Trócaire, which is one of the largest charities in Ireland. It receives funding from the Irish public, the Irish government, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. Kilcullen repeatedly calls for economic sanctions against Israel. Trócaire is far from a fair player when it comes to the Middle East, failing to report Hamas’ obvious terrorist behaviour while very frequently attacking Israel and never acknowledging its needs. This NGO Monitor <a href="http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/tr_caire_misdirected_catholic_aid_from_ireland_fuels_conflict_">report</a> attests to this.</p>
<p>Kilcullen frequently announces that Israel’s policies are illegal. He seeks the political legitimisation of Hamas and their inclusion in peace talks. Eóin Murray, former co-ordinator of the IPSC, is Trócaire’s “Palestine Programme Officer.” With Palestinian NGOs, they sought to implement the Durban I strategy of isolating Israel, attacking the Jewish lobby and the Anti-Defamation League, supporting the BDS Movement, and Palestinian right of return. They have engaged in many pro-Palestinian activities including the promotion of this cause in summer camps for children. Trócaire gives money to groups like the IPSC while repeatedly refusing to call for military assistance on the far graver issue of <a href="http://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/why-i-dont-care-for-trocaire-48094.html">Darfur</a>. They must have little moral difficulty when Arab Muslims orchestrate mass butchering campaigns against black Muslims. Being Christian, they also refuse to advocate contraceptives in AIDS ridden Africa where, again, millions have died.</p>
<p>Ireland is notable for having one of the most extreme anti-Israeli union movements in the West. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) supports a boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel. They held a Dublin conference in April 2010 which, with one exception, featured speakers that were all extreme critics of Israel in order to develop strategies to bring their BDS campaign into effect. ICTU said that they hoped the event would strengthen their links with the Middle East labour movement, and further <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0415/1224268371697.html">discuss</a> “how international trade union solidarity can contribute to a peaceful solution that respects both the UN resolutions and human and trade union rights.” Is it not remarkable, then, that a trade union is trying to boycott one of the very few countries in the Middle East with its own trade union, a trade union which some have described as “flourishing”? Odd that when it comes to Israel, demonisation seems to be the only method at their disposal. Furthermore, there was no condemnation of Iran and Hamas for repressing their regional trade unions. Additionally, there was little or no mention of the appalling abuses to workers in the Arab areas of the Middle East.</p>
<p>The political party “éirígí” is a rather notorious anti-Semitic pro-Palestinian group from Northern Ireland aligned to Irish republicanism. They have often been found flyposting and protesting outside Jewish owned businesses. They have focused on supermarket chain Marks &amp; Spencer, a Jewish owned firm, which no longer supports Israel, and they have attempted to disrupt its business. During Operation Cast Lead, they attacked Jewish student workers who were selling Dead Sea beauty products in a Belfast shopping centre. On that occasion, éirígí members <a href="http://sluggerotoole.com/2009/01/11/good-god-gaza-and-gonzo/">threw</a> a vast number of leaflets on the students from above the stall. A large crowd surrounded the workers waving Palestinian flags, and threw more leaflets and chanted “boycott Israeli goods.” The staff of the stall were visibly distressed. Such activity constitutes harassment and assault, but as often seems to be the case, the pro-Palestinians got away with it. Interestingly, a similar event in very similar circumstances occurred a few weeks earlier in Denmark where two Israelis were <a href="http://www.jihadwatch.org/2009/01/muslim-who-shot-two-jews-in-denmark-mall-was-once-hailed-as-model-assimilating-immigrant.html">shot</a>. The éirígí group also targeted Starbucks coffee outlets in Belfast, which were re-branded with similar logos carrying the term ‘<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uysPbQRpyA&amp;feature=player_embedded">Zionist Coffee,&#8221;</a> as the corporation’s chief executive Howard Shultz sympathises with Israel.</p>
<p>Pro-Palestinian obsessiveness seems infinite. Police in Galway have been removing these people from a store called Woodies on a weekly basis. IFPAL (Irish Friends of Palestine Against Lisbon) was formed to oppose the European “Lisbon Treaty” Referendum, although it had nothing to do with Israel. One such character from Galway is Tommy Donnellan, who repeatedly put up huge IFPAL posters outside the Israeli Embassy that stated that Israel killed 300 children.</p>
<p>One example to illustrate the hatred and dishonesty of these people, is an <a href="http://www.indymedia.ie/article/94880">article</a> by Donnellan entitled, “Hebron : A Snakepit of Hate and Israeli War Crimes?” It is a grandiose account of his experiences, using arguably racist animalistic/demonic imagery:</p>
<blockquote><p>[A] number of internationals from the village of Bil&#8217;in journeyed down there last week to take up the slack with night patrols, checkpoint monitoring and especially the safeguarding of Palestinian children to and from school from stone throwing, spitting Israeli “settler” children and adults. Four in number, we found accommodation in the homes of the Al-Awawi and Egnabi families, previously fire bombed by the colonising “settlers”&#8230; The nadir of our human rights mission there occurred last Saturday when some 150 “settlers,” shepherded by heavily armed IOF soldiers and rooftop snipers, did their Garvaghy Road power trip through the Old City, overtly intimidatory, menacing and triumphalist, spitting and hissing at all who met their paranoid displeasure &#8211; in my case with a: “F&#8211;k you, f&#8211;k you, f&#8211;k you” before being spat at with the accuracy of a spitting black cobra and the intervening supportive approval of his fellow travelers.</p></blockquote>
<p><img title="Next page..." src="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" alt="" /><br />
The embedded <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quj9ehmPQ1A">video</a> is a joke in the leftist tradition of exaggeration. In this inept piece of propaganda, his statement is undermined by the contrasting reality presented in his video. Donnellan keeps filming three Israeli youths that look back, since he is being quite provocative by trailing them with his camera. One says quite weakly, “f&#8211;k you” three times. There appears to be a spit, and cue the outraged shouting voice of Donnellan crying out. In truth, you would get much worse in most estates in Ireland. Later, he goes into a darkened area where Scottish Eric says to an Israeli soldier holding a rifle, “you’ve nothing to hide have ye?” I doubt this brave Scot would be as haughty if he were talking to soldiers in a place were grave human rights abuses actually occur (e.g. China and Darfur).</p>
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		<title>Allied in Anti-Semitism &#8212; The Irish Connection, Part III</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iii/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iii</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:00:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FrontPage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=63588</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The growing network of hate on the Emerald Isle. ]]></description>
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<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the third installment of a four-part series. Part IV of &#8220;Allied in Anti-Semitism&#8221; will appear in our Wednesday issue. Click the following for <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/18/allied-in-anti-semitism/">Part I,</a> <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/21/allied-in-anti-semitism-–-the-irish-connection/">Part II</a></em><em> and <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/23/allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iv-5/">Part IV</a></em><em>.]</em></p>
<p>Sein Fein’s anti-Israel stance is echoed by numerous pressure groups in Ireland calling for the Ambassador’s expulsion, an absolute boycott of Israeli products and companies, and the shunning of Israeli artists and academics. The Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) is the biggest pro-Palestinian group in Ireland. They have offices on one of the most expensive streets in Ireland (Dame Street). The IPSC was founded in November 2001 and has had considerable success. Besides featuring “Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide by Ben White (Signed)” their <a href="http://www.ipsc.ie/IPSC_online_store.php">online store</a> features such items as Christmas cards of Madonna and Child in a Palestinian flag (rewriting history yet again) and the three wise men being blocked by the “Apartheid Wall.”</p>
<p>The IPSC has been accused of anti-Semitism many times. They cover their backs with a single line on their website: “The IPSC condemns all forms of racism including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.” Like many anti-Israeli organisations, basic observation of their behaviour betrays a different sensibility. For example, a World Cup qualifier match between Israel and Ireland in 2005 led to very unpleasant scenes in Dublin. The IPSC organised a <a href="http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2005/06/jihad-in-dublin.html">protest</a> that was supposed to be “peaceful” but wasn’t: “Mostly it was a tame affair … Until the baying crowd scented their blood: passing Israeli fans.” Sadly, this is one of many examples of the hate filled aggression that Israeli fans and athletes confront when they visit Europe. By contrast, when Ireland faced Israel in Tel Aviv, many Irish fans enthused about the exceptional welcome.</p>
<p>One of the few pro-Israel journalists in Ireland <a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/ian-odoherty/not-antisemitic---just-antiisraeli-1598683.html">reported</a> his own experiences of such protests:</p>
<blockquote><p>[O]n the night of Israel’s 60<sup>th</sup> birthday party  &#8211; everyone attending, according to the people we had to go through, were “filthy Jews” and more than one protestor made hissing sounds, the international shorthand for the noise of the gas chambers.</p></blockquote>
<p>Unsurprisingly, the IPSC supports extremist Palestinian groups like Hamas and Hizbullah whose flags have been seen at numerous protests. In 2009, during Operation Cast Lead, <a href="http://hurryupharry.org/2009/01/07/children-dressed-as-hamas-soldiers/">children dressed as Hamas soldiers</a> led an IPSC protest in Dublin aping what goes on in Gaza.</p>
<p>The intimidation doesn’t only occur at protests. There are a number of small pro-Israel groups in Ireland such as Irish Christian Friends of Israel. The largest group is Irish Friends of Israel. These groups seem to keep a low profile due to threatening behaviour. In 2007, a well known pro-Israel supporter received several days of threatening emails and phone calls after publishing a rather moderate <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/boycotting-the-boycotters-1.218665">critique</a> of the IPSC in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.</p>
<p>The IPSC spread their hate on Irish leftist site <a href="http://www.indymedia.ie/">Indymedia</a> which is probably the principal pro-Palestinian site in Ireland. Its moderators usually ban those who offer quite mild support for Israel as &#8220;trolls,&#8221; &#8220;Israeli hasbara&#8221; &#8220;Zio-Nazi’s&#8221; etc., if initially they can’t be abusively shouted down à la CIF (Comment is Free) etc.</p>
<p>While Ireland isn’t exceptional in terms of international Jewish/Israeli hatred, it is worth describing some of these humanitarians. One of the most high profile pro-Palestinian campaigners in Ireland is Raymond Deane. He is a state-funded composer, as well as a founding member of the IPSC, a former chairman, and “Arts, Cultural and Sports Boycott Officer.” He wrote a letter to a prominent newspaper claiming the Israeli medical team landed in Haiti to take pictures for the purposes of <a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/myers-protestants-fiddling-miracle-2053024.html">propaganda</a> and promptly went home. Like many pro-Palestinians, Deane has an extraordinary capacity to sling mud at anyone who dares defend Israel, but objects strenuously to its return. Historian Dermot Meleady challenged his assertions in the letters pages of the <em>Irish Times</em> newspaper, which led to Deane threatening libel.</p>
<p>A quote from Deane in 2008 shows how extreme he really is – perhaps even supporting a nuclear assault: “President Ahmadinejad has repeatedly expressed hopes for an end to the Zionist regime, a hope shared worldwide &#8211; including within Israel &#8211; by people of more impeccable democratic credentials than the Iranian president. “The provision of training and logistical support to Hamas” &#8211; nominally, the democratically elected government of the Palestinian people &#8211; is to be welcomed as a small counterbalance to US and EU support for the murderous Israeli regime.”</p>
<p>Deane has also compared the defence of Israel with the defence of <a href="http://www.indymedia.ie/article/81745">paedophilia</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>However, I’ve problems with the concept of “People who genuinely support Israel.” Of course there are such people, just as there are people who genuinely support paedophilia. Israel is a criminal state in every respect, a state that exists in a suspension of international law enabled by its US (and now EU) protector(s).</p></blockquote>
<p>In a perhaps deliberately confused article called “Dissident Jews: Unwanted in Germany?” he discussed anti-Israeli Jews, such as Ilan Pappe and Norman Finkelstein, who attempted to speak in Germany, but had difficulty obtaining venues of prestige because some objected. Double-standards are a characteristic of the pro-Palestinian movement in many ways, but I suppose we have to believe pro-Palestinians wouldn’t dream of objecting to pro-Israel campaigners. The objections were by a Zionist “anti-German movement” which supposedly rejects German nationalism but are in fact “more thoroughly German” in a fascistic sense. He tried to establish that the Germany of today is quite similar to the conditions in the 1930s for Jews. He likened Zionism to a form of Jewish hatred akin to the anti-Semitism of the Third Reich: “The antics of the anti-Germans and their ilk whip up racial tensions that can only lead to a climate reminiscent of the 1930s.” So, I guess the poor old Jews are bringing it on themselves. The “Jewish” speakers he was defending are most probably self-hating, as they knowingly peddle lies about Israel. This, in turn, has given and continues to give a great deal of ammunition to folks like Deane, who wish to see the Jewish State annihilated.</p>
<p>Presently, David Landy, a sociology lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, holds the chair at the IPSC. Mr. Landy is one of a very small number of Jewish people living in Ireland. In his 2005 master’s thesis at Trinity, he made explicit reference to using his Jewish ethnicity for the political purpose of harming Israel. Apparently, he interviewed a number of people in the Jewish community for the thesis before he came out as a pro-Palestinian. While any Jewish person critical of Israel is not necessarily self-hating, for Landy to assert that he will use his ethnicity to harm Israel must surely indicate a strong dislike of his own identity and a rather baleful attitude toward his own race. If he felt he should use his identity to aid Palestinians, he could have appealed to the sense of justice that many Jewish people possess around the globe, instead of using it with such odious ill-intent.</p>
<div>When the Dublin City Council passed a motion refusing to do business with a company involved with Israel recently, Landy said &#8220;&#8230;victories for the BDS Movement have been seen in Sweden, Holland, Australia, Iran&#8230;&#8221; Odd how he mentions BDSM victories in Iran in the same breath as nations in Europe. I expect their success in Iran had nothing whatsoever to do with it being an Islamic dictatorship aiming to wipe Israel off the map.  Among other things he was an organiser of the public letters from Irish academics campaign in 2006 and 2009 seeking an end to EU funding that involves Israeli universities.</div>
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		<title>Allied in Anti-Semitism – the Irish Connection Part II</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/allied-in-anti-semitism-%e2%80%93-the-irish-connection/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=allied-in-anti-semitism-%25e2%2580%2593-the-irish-connection</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FrontPage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://frontpagemag.com/?p=63415</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why did former Irish President Mary Robinson help provide a global stage for Jew-hatred? ]]></description>
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<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the second installment of a four-part series. Click the following to read </em><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/18/allied-in-anti-semitism/"><em>Part I,</em></a><em> <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/22/allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iii/">Part III,</a></em><em> or <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/23/allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iv-5/">Part IV</a></em><em>.]</em></p>
<p>Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson has probably done more harm to Israel than any other Irish citizen. She was United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002 and was the architect of the Durban I anti-racism conference in 2001. Last year pro-Israel groups expressed concerns when she was going to be awarded the <a href="http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/former-irish-president-mary-robinson-bullied-by-proisrael-lobbyists-14441753.html">Presidential Medal of Freedom</a> (the top US honour for civilians) by Barack Obama. She said “There&#8217;s a lot of bullying by certain elements of the Jewish community. They bully people who try to address the severe situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Archbishop Desmond Tutu gets the same criticism.”</p>
<p>How legitimate were the concerns of these Jewish bullies? Durban I was probably the most serious anti-Semitic event in decades. Although the UN has long been anti-Israel and the Internet has also been a significant contributor, Durban I can be seen as the singular event that turned anti-Semitic Israeli bashing into the zeitgeist of our times. The Durban I conference composed of UN groups and NGOs, developed several strategies to demonise Israel. It would be described as an apartheid state which could be undermined through isolation akin to South Africa. They emphasised calling Israeli actions in response to Palestinian terror “war crimes,” in breach of international law, etc.</p>
<p>Robinson was the principal organiser of the event. Robinson was criticised by Tom Lantos (a member of the U.S. delegation) <a href="http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&amp;x_outlet=2&amp;x_article=1706">who said</a> there were obvious signs the conference was headed for trouble months before. At preliminary meetings in Tehran, Israelis and pro-Israel states and NGOs were at first prevented entering Iran, and later, effectively excluded from participating in the meetings. The delegates present declared the intention of using the conference as a propaganda weapon to harm Israel. Robinson condoned their behaviour in a statement where she congratulated the Tehran delegates on their productive work. Her stance encouraged the hijacking of the event. In effect, it became as a weapon against Israel.</p>
<p>Jews were openly discriminated against at the conference itself. Pro-Palestinian extremists were allowed to incite hatred of Israel on an international stage and legitimise the Second Intifada which had resulted in a massive loss of Israeli lives at the time. Resolutions were passed accusing Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The American delegation headed by Colin Powell tried to remedy the situation by using diplomacy to isolate hard-line states and NGOs but Lantos stated that Robinson actually undermined these efforts which shocked their delegation. She would not reject the concept that the horrors of the Holocaust are equivalent to the suffering of the Palestinians – in fact, she legitimised it by describing them as opposing issues. She knowingly allowed the hate filled conference to take its course and the issues for which Durban I was intended to be were largely ignored. Powell announced that the <a href="http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34754.pdf">US would withdraw</a> from Durban I, stating,</p>
<blockquote><p>I know that you do not combat racism by conferences that produce declarations containing hateful language, some of which is a throwback to the days of ‘Zionism equals racism’; or supports the idea that we have made too much of the Holocaust; or suggests that apartheid exists in Israel; or that singles out only one country in the world, Israel, for censure and abuse.</p></blockquote>
<p>Robinson latterly condemned the extreme anti-Semitism at the events, but by that stage, it was akin to sprinkling water on an inferno after having built it up with petrol. She erased most of the objectionable content in the final document. However, the document was almost meaningless, as the conference throughout was the scene of extreme hostility toward Jews and Israel, which helped legitimise such conduct under the guise of human rights. This was a devastating propaganda victory, the consequences of which could well lead to the destruction of the Israeli State. Has Robinson come to regret her conduct and come to the aid of Israel? Not even a little. Although she expressed upset at the events of the time, she stated last year “I am extremely proud [of the conference.] It was the third attempt to have the conference and was the first to be successful. In the final document there was not one word of anti-semitism.”</p>
<p>If Durban I was an anomaly in an otherwise good record, Robinson’s behaviour could be put down to stupidity, but she has consistently adopted an anti-Israeli stance which at times could be described as destructive. The so called “massacre” in Jenin in 2002, where the Palestinians hugely exaggerated the death toll of Palestinian civilians, was used by the United Nations as an excuse to attack Israel in an extremely hostile fashion without being in possession of the facts. They jumped to serious conclusions as they have done repeatedly since, and equated the military action in response to the death of over 100 Israeli civilians with that of the terrorists without addressing the reasons for those actions. Robinson pre-judged the situation: “It cannot be right to wage war on civilian populations.”</p>
<p>A resolution by Robinson’s Human Rights commission that condoned terrorism generally (unspecified forms) as a means to resist occupation and achieve independence was passed. There was no real condemnation of 100+ Israeli civilian deaths. The death of seven Palestinian civilians and 47 Palestinian militants was of greater consequence.  To quote <a href="http://www.adl.org/israel/jenin/jenin.pdf">a 2002 report</a> by the Anti-Defamation League:</p>
<p>&#8220;Question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine&#8221; Resolution 2002/8, adopted by the Commission on Human Rights, April 15, 2002 (&#8216;France, Belgium, and four other EU countries yesterday supported a UN Commission on Human Rights resolution that includes a thinly veiled endorsement of Palestinian terrorism,&#8217; The Jerusalem Post, April 16, 2002; notably, this resolution endorsed a 1982 U.N. resolution that &#8216;reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity, national unity, and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle&#8217;).&#8221;</p>
<p>Robinson was offered the job of investigating Israeli “war crimes” in Gaza by the UN. She rejected the biased terms of the UN mandate that singled out Israel. This may have been due to prior criticism of her very oppositional stance toward the Jewish State. Justice Richard Goldstone, head of the UN Gaza fact-finding mission, had the terms changed informally. This had no authoritative standing at the UN since it was not voted on. Thus the original terms of the mandate stood as it turned out. This did not stop her voicing support for the anti-Israel Goldstone Report when it was being voted on. She is now part of an NGO group comically entitled “The Elders,” which includes other anti-Israeli luminaries such as Jimmy “Israeli apartheid” Carter.</p>
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		<title>Allied in Anti-Semitism &#8211; the Irish Connection</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[The IRA and the PLO have more in common than you think. ]]></description>
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<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the first installment of a four-part series. Click the following to read <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/21/allied-in-anti-semitism-–-the-irish-connection/">Part II,</a><span style="color: #000000; text-decoration: none;"> </span><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/22/allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iii/">Part III,</a></em><em> and <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/23/allied-in-anti-semitism-the-irish-connection-part-iv-5/">Part IV</a></em><em>.]</em></p>
<p>Many may be aware that the pro-Palestinian movement in Ireland played a particularly significant role in the Gaza flotilla incident as well as previous attempts to penetrate the Gaza blockade. After the death of nine on board the <em>Mavi Mariner,</em> there was a very substantial fallout with the Irish Government which prompted <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/06/07/confronting-anti-israel-propagandists/">my letter</a> to Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin.</p>
<p>Tensions remained high throughout that week due to the delayed approach of the “Irish” ship, the <em>Rachel Corrie</em>, which was in itself something of an international incident. Martin is continuing to agitate against Israel. He called again at a European Union gathering for an international enquiry into the Gaza flotilla incident. On the June 15<sup>th</sup>, he requested that the Israeli Embassy remove a member of staff due to suspicions that <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0615/breaking32.html">Irish passports</a> were used by Israel in the killing of Hamas’ Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai in January. However, he said their investigations had not discovered any links with Israel and the staff member being expelled is not suspected of wrongdoing. He asserted Israel’s involvement was an “inescapable conclusion” as the passports were used by the same group who forged British and Australian passports.</p>
<p>After the capture of the <em>Rachel Corrie,</em> it was disappointing to hear Israeli representatives state in the media that they considered the members of the ship to be human rights activists in contrast to the crew of the <em>Mavi Mariner</em>. This sentiment was repeated by Benjamin Netanyahu, who took the unusual step of making a statement to the Irish media released via the Israeli Embassy in Ireland on June 7<sup>th</sup>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Yesterday, the entire world saw the difference between a humanitarian flotilla and a hate flotilla by violent, terrorism-supporting extremists. … Only on one ship, on which dozens of thugs from a terrorist organization &#8211; or, to be more precise, an extremist, terrorism-supporting organization &#8211; had prepared in advance, armed with axes, knives and other &#8216;cold&#8217; weapons were our soldiers compelled to defend themselves against a tangible danger to their lives. According to the information currently in our possession, this group boarded separately in a different city, organized separately, equipped itself separately and went on deck under different procedures. In effect, they underwent no checks. The clear intent of this hostile group was to initiate a violent clash with IDF soldiers. … This is a continuous process that enemies of Israel have been orchestrating for years in order to deny Israel&#8217;s right to defend itself. It began in 2001, with an attempt to arrest Israeli officers abroad, and continued in 2004 with similar attempts. Then there was the Goldstone report, which was born after Operation Cast Lead.  This process continues today with the attempt to prevent Israel from stopping the smuggling of missiles and rockets into Gaza.</p></blockquote>
<p>I agree with Netanyahu’s statement, but with one important exception. The opening line describes the <em>Rachel Corrie</em> as being part of a “humanitarian flotilla.” In the latter part, he seems to be associating the Turkish ship alone with an international movement to prevent Israel from defending itself. While I understand he wants to emphasise the difference between the <em>Rachel Corrie</em> and the <em>Mavi Mariner</em>, this is drawing too much of a distinction. The spirit of the pro-Palestinian movement in Ireland is very far from “humanitarian,” as I will illustrate.</p>
<p>I don’t take any pleasure in bashing my fellow countrymen, but I have to say with some regret that Ireland’s impact on Israel has been extremely negative, particularly in recent years. The conduct of the Irish participants of the Gaza flotilla and the behaviour of their allies leads only to this conclusion. This has origins in the history of the Irish state.</p>
<p>Ireland never had a large Jewish population &#8211; at its height, they numbered 5,000, mainly descended from immigrants fleeing the Eastern European pogroms of the late 19<sup>th</sup> Century. They are just one-fifth that number today. The Irish people inherited the Roman Catholic credo of the “perfidious Jew.” There was a common Catholic fear of Jews, Communism and freemasonry. Anti-Jewish sentiment was also very common in Irish trade unionism and amongst the working classes as in many other parts of the Western world. Jews were seen as economic aliens who exploited the Irish people as moneylenders, and as labourers preventing Irish workers from obtaining employment.</p>
<p>These negative stereotypes were inherited by many in the Irish republican movement which was as strongly tied to Catholicism as British Unionism was associated with Protestantism. Arthur Griffith, the founder of Sinn Fein, was notoriously anti-Semitic. He supported the most serious episode of violence towards Jews in Irish history, the Limerick Pogrom. This was a two year boycott of Jewish businesses, organised by a priest, Fr. John Creagh, in 1904, although there had been intermittent protests and attacks since 1884. The small Jewish community fled Limerick, never to return. Griffith asserted, “When Catholics &#8211; as Catholics &#8211; are boycotted, it constitutes undoubtedly an outrageous injustice, and similarly, if Jews &#8211; as Jews &#8211; were boycotted, it would be outrageously unjust. But the Jew in Limerick has not been boycotted because he is a Jew, but because he is a usurer.” His claim of just boycotting moneylenders is false, since the great majority of the Jews affected were, in fact, tradesmen, shop keepers, and tailors. It clearly echoes the “not because they’re Jews but because they’re Zionists” pro-Palestinian stance of today.</p>
<p>Some IRA members, such as the high ranking Sean Russell, collaborated with the Nazi’s. Many were interned during the war. Writer and IRA member Francis Stewart assisted the Nazi propaganda machine in Berlin. He was an overt anti-Semite who never regretted his role in the Third Reich. He was elected leader of Aosdána (an elitist government-funded arts group which boycotts Israel) in 1996. There was never any real confrontation with the vicious anti-Semitism of mainland Europe, and so, Ireland remained surprisingly unsympathetic even after the Holocaust. Only a tiny number of Jewish refugees were granted sanctuary in Ireland. By contrast, quite a number of shady individuals connected with the Nazi’s took refuge there. Even Nazi wartime propagandist, Lord Haw Haw, a Unionist who blamed the Jews for the expulsion of the British from Southern Ireland, was welcomed back (then deceased) for reburial in 1976. Sinn Fein still regard Russell as a patriot and commemorated him with a statue in 2004.</p>
<p>Many in Ireland identified with the <a href="http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2005/03/13/story3021.asp">Palestinian cause</a>, albeit mistakenly in my view, not just in moral terms but also because Irish history bears significant similarities with that of the Jews. “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland intensified in the late 1960s around the same time the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) became more active. In the 70s, Sinn Fein publicly supported the Palestinian cause and identified the PLO as kindred spirits. The IRA and the PLO became extremely close. They learnt a lot from each other (strategy and terrorist technique) and often <a href="http://www.analyst-network.com/article.php?art_id=637">trained together</a>. The IRA received substantial funding and military aid from Colonel Gadafi, and also collaborated with Hamas and Hizullah.</p>
<p>After Sinn Fein gained political acceptance in the 1990s, they remained extreme in their criticism of Israel. They have demanded the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland and advocated boycott. Aengus O&#8217;Snodaigh (MP) described Israel as “without doubt one of the most abhorrent and despicable regimes on the planet.” When the Israeli Ambassador explained the cause of Operation Cast Lead in 2009, O&#8217;Snodaigh repeatedly compared him to Goebbels. He was one of the politicians who attempted to sail on the flotilla, but was turned away by the Cypriot authorities.</p>
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		<title>Confronting Anti-Israel Propagandists</title>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:05:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[What do you say to an Irish Foreign Affairs Minister who thinks the Jewish state is tormenting Palestinians? ]]></description>
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<p><em>[Author&#8217;s introductory note: The following is a letter I wrote to the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Martin, a pro-Palestinian supporter and vocal critic of Israel.  I did not initially intend to submit this letter for publication. However, I felt that publishing it might encourage others to do the same where their representatives or government ministers are taking an unreasonable stance in relation to the Gaza Flotilla incident. Since I wrote the letter, Minister Martin published <a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/micheal-martin-pressure-must-be-stepped-up-against-israel-2203281.html">an extreme article </a>in a prominent Irish newspaper which indicates he will try to influence the EU to break the blockade on Gaza.  But he seems to think nothing of courting communist China. It should be obvious that Israel is facing an existential crisis. The extraordinary hysteria in the media internationally and on the streets is a timely reminder of this fact. Israel needs more sensible vocal support from those who truly care about its future.]</em></p>
<p>Dear Minister,</p>
<p>As an Irish citizen living in Ireland I feel it is my duty to provide some observations on the stance taken by yourself and An Taoiseach [the Prime Minister] Mr. Brian Cowen with regard to the Gaza flotilla. Although I am not really a political campaigner I still decided to write to you because I feel your approach to this issue has been deeply unbalanced and damaging.</p>
<p>I have listened to your comments on the Irish media since the Gaza flotilla crisis erupted on Monday the 31<sup>st</sup> of May 2010. On that day, I listened to your interview on the RTE Radio 1 “News at One” show. You objected to the way Israel had characterised the members of the flotilla as extremists. You stated that they were legitimately protesting. Firstly, there is the issue of the legality in attempting to break a military blockade which I understand you believe is in itself illegal &#8211; I will return to this point later. Secondly, your assertion failed to address the accusations that Israel made regarding the violent conduct of certain activists. You had previously stated in an interview on the RTE1 TV &#8220;News at Noon&#8221; that the military action was completely unnecessary. I found that a remarkable thing to say since you would not have been in possession of many facts at that stage and as a result unable to ascertain with certainty that there had not been a violent response to the boarding of the ship. You claimed in the “News at One” interview that other strategies by the Israeli’s could have been adopted. Subsequently, on TV interviews you stated they could have shadowed the vessels to Gaza. I do not understand what good this would have done in terms of allowing Israel to ensure that the cargo was legitimate humanitarian aid rather then a source of harm to its citizens. You also stated that such violence did not occur before when ships went to Gaza. That is true, but your assertion ignores the obvious point that unlike before, there may well have been a very violent response as the Israeli State has repeatedly alleged.</p>
<p>The flotilla was led by a group called Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief (IHH). IHH is a radical Islamic Turkish NGO. Sources going back to the 90’s state they are connected with Al-Qaeda and other jihad networks. One example is a 2006 report by terrorism consultant Evan F. Kohlmann. Moreover evidence indicates IHH is directly involved with terrorist activities. The greater potential for violence was a concern by some before the incident occurred. <a href="http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/05/gaza-jihad-flotilla-participants-chanted-islamic-battle-cry-invoking-muhammads-massacre-of-jews.html">TV footage</a> attests to the jihadist intent on the flotilla.</p>
<p>Violence with the boarding of the Israeli troops only occurred on one ship – coincidentally the Turkish ship. This seems to indicate that the Israeli troops did not set out with violent intent. The violent reaction of the passengers can be fairly characterised as extreme as this YouTube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYjkLUcbJWo&amp;feature=player_embedded">video</a> attests.</p>
<p>You stated that Israel has options for dealing with the flotilla. However, you failed to address the options open to the organisers of the flotilla itself. They could have landed at an Egyptian port or Ashdod Port. When Gilad Shalit&#8217;s father asked them to deliver letters and parcels to Gilad, they refused. The humanitarian aspect of the flotilla was simply a mask for a more hostile intent. If aid was the true aim of these people it could have been supplied through border crossings. There have been numerous attempts to break the embargo, e.g. in 2008 one ship just carried 5,000 balloons. It was of course known that these ships would be detained. Pro-Palestinian groups milk the events for propaganda. When those on the “Spirit of Humanity” were released they wasted no time peddling lies that were at times truly shocking. A British activist compared the low security prisons where activists like himself were detained with a Nazi concentration camp. The purpose is solely to cause diplomatic incidents to embarrass Israel and it is no coincidence commentators are claiming the present incident is a victory for Hamas. They and pro-Palestinians are the ones that benefited. <a href="http://sderotmedia.org.il/bin/content.cgi?ID=656&amp;q=3">Here</a> is an article that discusses it.</p>
<p>The Taoiseach Mr. Brian Cowen has been quite unhelpful with regard to his own comments as well. In the Dáil [the Irish House of Parliament] he stated there would be “serious consequences” if any Irish citizen was harmed. Similarly, you stated later on Monday that the Irish citizens on board these ships were kidnapped and demanded that Israel treat the Irish ship the <em>MV Rachel Corrie</em> with respect. A very large number of Irish citizens are involved in this charade of attacking Israel supposedly for humanitarian reasons. None have been harmed in the past to the best of my knowledge. Therefore, while it is of course important to speak out about any concerns regarding Irish citizens, such strong language was unnecessary as it is unlikely any Irish citizens were harmed unless some happened to be on the Turkish vessel.</p>
<p>The alternative of breaking the embargo which you and many others endorse, will of course let shipments into Gaza without weapon import controls. This is a remarkable thing for any right-thinking individual to seek. Need I remind you that Hamas controls Gaza? They are funded and supplied with weapons by Iran. They will inevitably rearm themselves without the previous limitations imposed by using tunnels. The ensuing result will be another war with Israel which could be a good deal worse as Hamas will be much better equipped. How can anyone in good conscience claim that this is a viable alternative unless they regard the destruction of the State of Israel as a worthy goal?</p>
<p>To the best of my knowledge you are the loudest critic of Israel in the Irish Government and have been involved in quite a number of proposals and initiatives harmful to the State of Israel. Only in recent weeks you were involved with the UN conference limiting weapons of mass destruction in the Middle-East which resulted in a declaration which astonishingly singled out Israel rather than Iran, the state that threatened the Jewish Nation with extinction.</p>
<p>At the ICTU conference in April you asserted to your credit that you did not believe in boycotting Israel. However, at the same time you spoke of the need for Israel (rather than the Palestinians) to move toward a position where peace was possible and strongly advocated a two-state solution. I sometimes wonder when I hear the views of pro-Palestinians if they are referring to the same conflict. People like yourself act as if Israel alone prevents a Palestinian state. The Palestinian’s rejected every opportunity from the 1947 UN Partition resolution to the offer in 2008 by Ehud Olmert who agreed to virtually all the territory they demanded. As history has shown repeatedly, all parties require some level of good faith before there is any chance of achieving peace. In the past, the Israeli electorate has often backed peace-makers while the Palestinians often choose the opposite, such as with the 2006 Gaza election of the Islamist group Hamas. At best, “peace” talks are an exercise to appease the unrealistic expectations of the international community and at worst, a game of strategy to gain a propaganda victory. See a <a href="http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=17694">2003 survey</a> where only 20% of Palestinians state they will peacefully co-exist with Israel.</p>
<p>Israel will not be secure even if it achieves peace with the Palestinians. Besides the obvious threats of extinction, Iran is funding Hamas’ and Hizbullah’s assaults on Israel. Peace negotiations with Egypt and Jordan succeeded in preventing further military conflict but relations were never truly normalised at state level decades after peace was made. Syria&#8217;s leaders have indicated that normalised relations are not an option. Turkey, with its present Islamist government became hostile long before the current controversy. This conflict is an intermittent Islamic/pan-Arab war. Despite the precarious situation, Western politicians that luxuriate in peace aggressively encourage this state to take “risks for peace.” Yet when peace efforts go wrong they typically ignore the common Palestinian intransigence.</p>
<p>In your op-ed article for the New York Times “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/opinion/05iht-edmartin.html">Gaza a Year Later</a>” (published 4<sup>th</sup> March 2010) you wrote: “The tragedy of Gaza is that it is fast in danger of becoming a tolerated humanitarian crisis, a situation that most right-thinking people recognize as utterly unacceptable in this day and age but which is proving extremely difficult to remedy or ameliorate due to the blockade and the wider ramifications of efforts to try and achieve political progress in the Middle East.” In no way has it become or is becoming a “tolerated humanitarian crisis.” It is a crisis but certainly not one of the most serious in humanitarian terms. The population is not starving. Yes, rebuilding infrastructure and improving living conditions is problematic. You clearly blame Israel, but as soon as Hamas in essence committed a military coup it had little option but to isolate this terrorist organisation which has repeatedly stated in recent years that it will use terrorist acts to destroy Israel. When it greatly increased its attacks on Israel, it became, in effect, in a state of war. I am no expert on international law, but it is clear Israel has a legal right to defend its citizens. More importantly, it has a <em>moral</em> right.</p>
<p>You wrote:</p>
<blockquote><p>“What I witnessed in Gaza, amidst all the rubble and devastation still so evident from last year’s conflict, was a population traumatized and reduced to poverty by an unjust and completely counterproductive blockade. All that is being achieved through the imposition of the blockade is to enrich Hamas and marginalize even further the voices of moderation. I view the current conditions prevailing for the ordinary population as inhumane and utterly unacceptable, in terms of accepted international standards of human rights.”</p></blockquote>
<p>In actual fact, what “is being achieved” is a legitimate defence of Israeli citizens. The voices of moderation were thrown off rooftops. I refer to Fatah/PLO which aren’t exactly voices of moderation but are not quite so implacably opposed to Israel’s existence. Whether we like it or not the citizens of Gaza chose their fate when they elected Hamas because, in effect, they chose war. This is not a justification for collective punishment but neither can we simply excuse the election as some sort of expression of democratic will which shouldn’t have any consequences one way or another. All adults bear the brunt of moral choices so why exactly should Gazan’s be exempt? To suggest that the moral actions of the citizens of Gaza and the corresponding consequences should not be connected is to equate them with children. This is not a justification for their suffering but an assertion that they themselves are at least partially morally responsible for their present unfortunate circumstances. They chose war and they will chose it again. This clearly does not fit in with your view of peace loving Palestinians but that in itself does not make it incorrect. To ignore war mongering will not bring peace. Simply ignoring it will worsen the situation and harm the forces that legitimately oppose it.</p>
<p>Quite frankly I realise it is unlikely this letter will hold any sway with you or your department. However, I hope the points raised will encourage some reflection on the issue and, despite your feelings of support for the Palestinians, bring about a greater impartiality in dealing with this and future matters relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.</p>
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		<title>Pro-Palestinianism: A Movement of Hate, Pt. IV</title>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 13 May 2010 04:02:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Will the truth about Israel overcome the vicious pro-Palestinian propaganda campaign? ]]></description>
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<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the final installment of a four-part series. To review earlier segments of &#8220;Pro-Palestinianism: A Movement of Hate,&#8221; please click: <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/10/a-movement-of-hate-pt-i/">Part I</a>, <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/11/a-movement-of-hate-pt-ii/">Part II</a> and <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/12/a-movement-of-hate-pt-iii/">Part III</a>.</em><em>]</em></p>
<p>Many pro-Palestinians seem to take genuine pleasure in abusively condemning Israel, which one critic described as a perverted, fevered hatred. It is their privilege to equate Jews with Nazis but dare anybody call them anti-Semites? Why would people behave in this abhorrent fashion, especially socialists who purport to be far more ethical than many of us? The Jew is a stranger whom others transform into what they fear. In the Christian era he was a devilish child and priest killer. In times of plague he was disease carrier or well poisoner. In Soviet Russia he was capitalist, while simultaneously in McCarthyite America he was communist. In the newer liberal/alternative political climate the Jew has become a 21st century version of the Western capitalist: the pro-war &#8220;neocon&#8221; of new anti-Semitism.</p>
<p>The Jew, as a microcosm of Israel, is seen as essentially white/Western, capitalist, wealthy, progressive, and somehow representative of authority and the establishment. The Palestinian is the polar opposite: primitive, feudal, radical, chaotic, anti-establishment, authentic, ethnic/non-white, and poor. Extreme pro-Palestinianism is acceptable even when overtly anti-Semitic since it presents an opposing face to the skin-head/jack booted anti-Semitism of old. It is politically correct, anti-American, anti-capitalist and alternative. No wonder hating Israel is a prerequisite for any right thinking leftist who can indulge his/her hatred for a much maligned race while appearing holier than thou.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, these people appear to be looking the other way while appalling abuses go on in the rest of the world. For example the extremely savage ethnic cleansing in Darfur, where a death toll numbers hundreds of thousands in a few years, is hardly mentioned. Why is it so few really care when Arab Muslims orchestrate a mass butchering campaign against black Muslims? The Arabs are a Caucasoid race, so this represents quite possibly the very worst episode of white on black racially motivated violence since the abolition of slavery. Yet President Obama, whose election would lead to a cure for all the woes of the world, seems to only be concerned in the international sphere with Jews building extensions to their homes. It is difficult to imagine a double standard starker than this.</p>
<p>The rise of the pro-Palestinian movement may be attributed to several developments in the West. Its origins may lie in moral relativism and cultural changes from the 1960s onwards. At the root of these developments is a hostility towards the West itself (in particular the US), including its values which are seen as oppressive, racist (white) etc. This led to a largely unthinking, emotive romanticisation of all that is alternative, non-western, and notably there is a broad acceptance of radicalism even if violent. Truth may be seen as something that ought to be overcome in the pursuit of an ideal. At its most extreme this has given rise to such things as inverted absurdist values in academia and political correctness. However, while this problem is usually much less obvious, such values are the motivation behind many viewpoints. Such positions had genuine merit at times but with so many blind assumptions at the core of these movements, all Western values, be they good or bad, have been corroded. At worst, it can be impossible to address controversial truths without severe censure. Thus, we see a vast number of apologists for Islam, permeating politics and the media. With Islam a protected religion in this alternative theology, any criticism is strictly verboten. Authorities refuse to use words like terrorist, while avoiding the overt association of terrorism and Islamic doctrine. Extremism is explained with leftist analysis: a symptom of economic hardship, US support for Israel etc. Societies are seriously debilitated if their members cannot frankly discuss all evidentially verifiable threats to their existence.</p>
<p>Previously, there was an understanding of the basic need for a Jewish state due to tragic past circumstance, and an appreciation of the hatred Israel faced. This began to change in the 70’s in part when the Arab-Islamic bloc, aided cynically by Soviet Russia, passed divisive UN resolutions. An antipathy, particularly amongst the left, continued to develop. The development of the unregulated Internet in the 1990’s and the ever increasing influence of Islamic culture in the West have brought problems such as the relegation of truth and rationality to a very critical point. The downgrading of academia and the dumbing-down of the media is having serious repercussions. With right-on bias so prevalent it is not considered problematic to target particular peoples or states with limited justification. Serious concerns have been raised about the partiality of Middle-Eastern faculties where lecturers who have expressed extreme anti-Israeli sentiments are often found. Middle-Eastern nations hostile to Israel have donated huge sums of money to some Western universities. Islamic societies are given free rein to invite extremist speakers and radicalise students, some going on to commit grave acts of terror. With the dominance of left-wing politics, very aggressive anti-Israeli campaigning and student union boycotts, it is little wonder that many university campuses have become intolerant, intimidating environments for Jewish students. If universities continue to be compromised to this extent it is inevitable the minds of the future Western leaders will take an even harsher approach to Israel than at present.</p>
<p>The United Nations, intended to be a source of good for the world, has become deeply anti-Semitic. There is ample proof of this fact. Through the last 60 years the UN has targeted Israel with more resolutions than all the other 191 countries combined. The military attack on the Tamil Tigers caused a far greater loss of civilian life than the 2009 conflict in Gaza but the responses of the UN could hardly be more different. They congratulated Sri Lanka for their co-operation while they kept hounding Israel. The UN Human Rights Council is comprised of gross human rights abusers and most are deeply hostile to Israel. The Goldstone Commission, bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Star Chamber, was essentially a politically motivated attack on Israel laying the ground for international prosecution. The criticism of Hamas was little more than an afterthought briefly alluded to in the Report as a ploy to appear balanced. Mr. Ahmadinejad, a man with similar ambitions to Hitler regarding the Jews, was the opening speaker for the Durban II UN conference on human rights, where predictably he spewed anti-Semitic sentiments &#8211; interestingly enough, numerous pro-Palestinians could be found on the internet defending many of his remarks. By reinstating the rejected “Zionism is racism” manifesto, Durban I (2001) was key in giving a renewed impetus to the pro-Palestinian movement. Truly the lofty aims for which the UN was envisaged have turned into a disturbing joke.</p>
<p>Perhaps the worst crime against the truth committed by the pro-Palestinian movement is the effective denial of the ancient links between Israel and the Jews. There is ample evidence people of Jewish origin lived in the region a lot longer than many purportedly indigenous peoples lived in their respective territories. The masses of archaeological evidence, the ancient records of the Roman Empire, not to mention histories of the region from disinterested (non-Jewish) sources new and old, proving beyond any doubt Jewish culture was predominant are quite simply denied or ignored. Such a denial of obvious truth could have implications as serious as the denial of the Holocaust for this act attempts to delegitimize the moral right of the Jewish people to return to their homeland and undermines the right for Israel to exist. Jews were gradually expelled or migrated out of necessity while under the dominion of pagans, Christians and latterly, Muslims. It is often claimed the Palestinians are indigenous while the Jews are not. However, the term indigenous literally means the place of origin and notably also includes displaced peoples. Thus the Jews are the indigenous people of that region, and were typically unable to remain in communities in other regions with lasting security. It is worth noting that Jews made up 10% of the Roman Empire by the 1<sup>st</sup> Century AD. There were roughly seven million Jews in the Empire (including up to 2.5 million in Palestine) and a million in Babylonia (“A concise history of the Jewish people”, Naomi E. Pasachoff and Robert J. Littman, 2005, Page 67). Estimates vary but it is clear the Empire represented a quarter to a third of the World’s population. Comparing normal progressions in population growth, the Jewish people should amount to approximately 200 million (“Constantine’s Sword: The Church &amp; the Jews,” James Carroll, 2002) to over a quarter of a billion people today. However, they only number a mere thirteen to fourteen million. While religious conversion would amount for a substantial reduction, such starkly contrasting figures indicate a continued destructive intent towards Jews in both the Islamic East and Christian West.</p>
<p>The logical conclusions to common pro-Palestinian arguments are very troubling. The result of many arguments is such that Israel should essentially facilitate the murder of its own civilians. For example, it should accept armament smuggling and tunnel building to aid enemies bent on its destruction. It should facilitate trade regardless of security issues, and supply the best utilities. Should there be any issues with Palestinian run infrastructure, why, then it is the fault of the Israelis as the 2009 Amnesty report on water utilities demonstrates. They excuse or fail to acknowledge the debased hate mongering of Israel and Jewish people generally (see Palestinian Media Watch). They ignore the use of human shields, the indoctrination of children (e.g. through the media), and the shocking dehumanized acts of terrorism, e.g. testimony of mothers martyring their young sons and daughters. It is critical to note that such views over this issue go far beyond normal differences of opinion. Clearly, these topsy-turvy views on the conflict require agile mental gymnastics and fabricated facts or heavily distorted truths for justification. They represent a triumph of hatred over reason and truth. Terrorist, UN, NGO and journalistic fabrications are channelled via an often collusive media to the consumer, allied to an unceasing pro-Palestinian propaganda machine. The consumer wants to believe, regardless of all rational absurdities or simply has to believe, having grown up with images of Palestinian suffering.</p>
<p>Clearly, the damage being done to Israel’s reputation is immense and it would be difficult to accept that the present conditions of extreme international hostility will not have very grave implications for the future of the state. I do not think it is melodramatic to suggest that the attempts of the increasingly powerful pro-Palestinian movement to delegitimize Israel represent an existential threat to the State in the long term. Propaganda is a very powerful weapon in times of conflict. I believe pro-Palestinian activity at its most concerted represents a serious propagandist non-military assault on Israel. This terminology is fair considering the spirit and intensity of such criticism. While many Westerners appear to think anti-Semitism of a genocidal variety magically evaporated after the Holocaust, I believe there is sufficient evidence to suggest an indirect genocidal intent motivates the extreme elements of the movement.</p>
<p>To conclude, the troubling behaviour of the pro-Palestinian movement reaffirms the need for the very thing it seeks to extinguish: the existence of an independent predominantly Jewish state. It’s time for those on the sidelines to join the very evident dots and question if something elemental is at play that doesn’t involve a concern for human rights.</p>
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		<title>Pro-Palestinianism: A Movement of Hate, Pt. III</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/a-movement-of-hate-pt-iii/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-movement-of-hate-pt-iii</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2010 04:03:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[The deep roots of anti-Semitism in the pro-Palestinian movement. ]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/harris.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60025" title="harris" src="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/harris.jpg" alt="" width="375" height="303" /></a></p>
<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the third installment of a four-part series. To read earlier segments of &#8220;Pro-Palestinianism: A Movement of Hate,&#8221; click: <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/10/a-movement-of-hate-pt-i/">Part I</a></em><em> and <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/11/a-movement-of-hate-pt-ii/">Part II</a></em><em>. For the next installment, click: </em><em><a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/13/a-movement-of-hate-pt-iv/">Part IV</a></em><em>.]</em></p>
<p>Israel has been subjected to forceful criticism for decades. When those criticisms are hysterical, irrational and/or do not address Israel’s concerns to the slightest extent, are we not obliged to query why these frequent criticisms seem so unbalanced. If any commentator treats a serious topic in an unbalanced fashion it is quite right to be concerned. Such a viewpoint could cause genuine harm if it gains currency. The questions, “Why is person or movement &#8216;X&#8217; so extreme? why do they turn the facts upside down and ignore everything not in their favor?” are perfectly legitimate, especially if there was extensive hatred and oppression of the group historically that is now the subject of their ire.</p>
<p>The response is typically an approximation of “Oh, we are only concerned about Zionists not the Jews who we really like an awful lot, I like Dylan, Seinfeld etc.” This argument seems a little suspect since Israel is the only state in existence populated principally by Jews. The only state in existence where Jews can live without being subject to the censure of hostile non-Jews in host nations. Of course it is quite feasible that many Palestinian supporters aren’t anti-Semitic. The motivations of an individual can be difficult to establish: even if they make unjustifiable remarks, spread untruths and flatly refuse to accept opposing views no matter how well justified, they may not be driven by hatred even if that is likely to be the case. Ignorance, stubbornness and even stupidity can be alternatives. However, this is not simply an observation relating to individuals but rather a movement. If we were to accept the “concern of Zionism only” line we would have to ignore the dishonesty, usual methods of criticism and belligerent manner that defines the movement and which gives rise to concerns about anti-Semitism. If many pro-Palestinian groups are not anti-Semitic it is extremely unlikely they would then collectively resort to such forms of criticism and behaviour.</p>
<p>There are some curious similarities between the language use of the anti-Semitic far-Right and the pro-Palestinian movement. This can be seen in their related texts, articles, and on many Internet forums where one could easily mistake pro-Palestinians for far-right activists raging on about “Zionism.” The traditional anti-Semitic anti-Zionism that the far-Right espouses has its roots in the fantasy that Jews are bent on World domination, where the fabricated Russian text “The Protocols of the [Learned] Elders of Zion” is their bible. Pro-Palestinians would of course reject these links. However, many of the armed Islamic terrorist groups they espouse subscribe to the very same far-Right theories! Indeed, the connection between traditional anti-Semitic “anti-Zionism” and the newer politically correct pro-Palestinian “anti-Zionism” can easily be seen on very popular hate sites like Jew Watch that often attack Israel.</p>
<p>In order to accept that pro-Palestinian groups do not hate Jewish people, the possibility that numerous conventional anti-Semites jumped on this populist bandwagon would also have to be rejected. How likely is this to be the case? It stands to reason obsessive Jew-haters would find the Jewish State a prime target for attack, especially as they do not have to endure much censure. Dyed-in-the-wool Holocaust denier and vocal anti-Semite David Irving has expressed much sympathy for the Palestinians. High profile Holocaust denier Mark Weber has actually decided to change tack by siding with the Palestinians in order to fight <em>Jewish power</em>. Even fascistic websites like Storm Front occasionally express sympathy for Arabs whilst remaining unrelentingly anti-Semitic. As a simple gauge of the popularity of traditional anti-Semitic belief, Jew Watch was at the top of Google’s listings and continues to be near the top for number of hits when common words like “Jew” are typed into its search engine. With traditional anti-Semitic belief far from uncommon, today pro-Palestinians cannot believably assert that few of these people are among their ranks.</p>
<p>A feature of the pro-Palestinian movement is the prolific use of Jewish critics to publicly attack Israel, including victims of the Holocaust. While some Jews (particularly leftists) attack Israel on their own steam, there seems to be a ploy of promoting Jewish critics in the movement because although related to the issue, they appear to be greatly over-represented given population size. It seems likely that this is done to deflect accusations of anti-Semitism and possibly to undermine understanding of why Israel (as a Jewish state) ought to exist. Many pro-Palestinians criticise opponents who state that certain Jewish critics are self-hating. Not all Jewish critics of Israel are likely to be self-hating but of course self-hatred is apparent among minorities. Such people internalise certain oppressive views and dislike their identity. Amongst Jewish people this phenomenon is entirely feasible given Western cultural antipathy.</p>
<p>It is apparent that a pre-emptive form of the anti-Semitism argument is actually used by the anti-Israeli movement to their advantage. They frequently pre-empt any possible accusation of anti-Semitism by bringing it up first. This is done to help deflect any eventual accusation of anti-Semitism no matter how warranted it would be. Thus, if and when such an accusation is finally made the accuser actually falls into a trap as if such a comment is below the belt. This move is intended to make those who defend Israel against extreme criticism appear dishonest or unreasonable. This approach is used repeatedly in the media and Internet. The accusation is often ascribed by pro-Palestinians as being part of a Zionist conspiracy to deflect criticism of Israel. It is another example of their intellectual dishonesty.</p>
<p>Why do pro-Palestinians obsess about Israel while largely ignoring other conflicts in the world? This is a common question. On occasion, when well known pro-Palestinian campaigners were asked why they exclusively focus on the alleged human rights abuses of Israel, the usual reply was that they care about other cases of human rights abuse too! Yet the efforts of such people do focus vastly more so on Israel. Of course we are selective with regard to the issues we care about at a personal level. However, if human rights issues concern such people generally, and chiefly motivates them to attack Israel, why don’t they campaign even a fraction as forcefully about other serious conflicts?</p>
<p>The intensive unceasing anti-Israel mass movement compares with no other internationally. Its scale compared to other single-issue movements is unprecedented, even exceeding the international campaign against Apartheid South Africa. One would think Israel is the only region where serious conflict occurs. There appears to be very little being done for Darfur, the Congo etc. where the contrasting scale of death and suffering makes Israel Vs. the Palestinians look like a fairly minor conflict. This point also lends credence to the view that the pro-Palestinian movement is not generally motivated by a concern for human rights. If the many do-gooders driving the Palestinian movement were truly concerned about human rights, the result would be a pro-Palestinian movement that was merely one of many highly active movements, and if scale was broadly a factor in their sympathies it would be quite a minor one at that.</p>
<p>People like journalist Khaled Abu Toameh have said so-called “pro-Palestinians” only care about alleged abuses to Palestinians involving Israel. Why are they not campaigning about the financial corruption and human rights abuses by Fatah and Hamas that are at times severe? While Israel’s Christian population has never been higher, Palestinian Christians are fleeing from increasingly Islamicist Palestinian run territory. Why no regard for these Palestinians? Women have been subjected to poor treatment especially by Hamas. Yet feminist supporters have little to say about the issue. Sizeable Arab states refused to accept Palestinian refugees, while Israel took in a larger number of Jewish refugees expelled from Arab nations. They refused in order to achieve a continuous belligerence against Israel. The Palestinians became an agent to assist in Israel’s destruction. A similar attitude is evident amongst pro-Palestinians.</p>
<p>A typical pro-Palestinian strategy is to strip the events of this conflict from their context. Isolating such facts will only mislead and indeed this is clearly the intention. For example, assertions that Israel was founded through ethnic cleansing require highly selective interpretations of decontextualised historic facts. Violent intolerance toward Jews existed long before Israel was established. Israel’s foundation should be viewed in the context of a nascent state fighting for its survival, where both sides had been divided by violent sectarian tensions for a long time. Assertions that Israel was assisted by British colonialism could not be further from the truth. The British ceded 78 % of the mandated territory to Trans-Jordan, helped create a violent pogrom-like environment, and issued successive rulings designed to impede the establishment of a Jewish state. Profoundly distorted maps that attribute vast public lands to Palestinian ownership are used to compare Jewish vs. Palestinian settlement before and after the establishment of Israel, and selective historic quotes, often very dubiously interpreted, are produced to “prove” the very worst intent.</p>
<p>Many act as if Israel alone prevents a Palestinian state. The Palestinian’s rejected every opportunity from the 1947 UN Partition resolution to the recent offer by Ehud Olmert who acceded to virtually all the territory they demanded. In any serious conflict both parties require a modicum of good faith before there is any possibility of achieving peace. While the Israeli electorate has backed peace-makers repeatedly, the Palestinians often choose the opposite such as with the election of the Islamicist group Hamas in Gaza after Israel withdrew from the region. At best such talks are an exercise to please the international community and at worst an attempt to cash in propagandistically.</p>
<p>The reality is that Israel will not be secure even if it achieves an improbable peace with the Palestinians. The negotiations between Egypt and Jordan were successful in terms of avoiding further military conflict but relations have not been truly normalised at state level and the majority of Egyptians and Jordanians are still extremely hostile to Israel decades after peace was made. Syria&#8217;s leaders have indicated that normalised relations are not an option even if Israel returns the Golan Heights. Turkey has become increasingly hostile and its small Jewish population treated as ungrateful guests. Notwithstanding the apocalyptic utterances of its leaders, Iran is funding Hamas’ and Hizbullah’s assaults on Israel. It should be clear this conflict is an intermittent Islamic/pan-Arab war with Israel where the Palestinian’s became a proxy. Despite the precarious situation Western leaders at times aggressively encourage this state to take <em>risks for peace</em> and it has done so repeatedly. Yet when peace efforts almost inevitably go wrong there is typically a one-sided condemnation of Israel whilst ignoring common Palestinian intransigence.</p>
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		<title>Pro-Palestinianism: A Movement of Hate, Pt. II</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2010 04:02:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[The appalling absence of freedom of speech within the Western pro-Palestinian movement. ]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/301211205.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-59919" title="301211205" src="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/301211205-284x300.jpg" alt="" width="284" height="300" /></a></p>
<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the second installment of a four-part series. To read Part I of &#8220;Pro-Palestinianism: A Movement of Hate,&#8221; click <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/10/a-movement-of-hate-pt-i/">here</a></em><em>. For later segments, click: <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/12/a-movement-of-hate-pt-iii/">Part III</a></em><em> and <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/13/a-movement-of-hate-pt-iv/">Part IV</a></em><em>.</em><em>]</em></p>
<p>The pro-Palestinian movement is profoundly undemocratic with regard to dissenting views. All contentious issues have at least two points of view. A level of reasoned discussion is often required to bring about a fair resolution to a given issue. While most of us can have strong reactions to the opinions of others when they are unpalatable, we still recognize they are entitled to have differing opinions. The need for free speech is meaningless if we all agree with each other, and it is a necessary characteristic of having a free, open society. However, nowhere more so than with the Israeli-Palestinian debate does a genuine belligerence occur when there is a divergence of opinion away from the predominant pro-Palestinian narrative of the conflict. Whenever anyone endorses an opinion in the media or on the internet that is even mildly critical of the Palestinians or mildly supportive of Israel they are typically subjected to extreme criticism. Palestinian sympathisers often use a variety of dishonest methods of argumentation. One common method of counter-argument largely avoids confronting the issue at hand. A pro-Israel article dealing with a particular topic is broadly dismissed but typically, issues are cited that are beyond the scope of said article and as a consequence, vitriolic scorn is often heaped upon it. Even lengthy articles can only deal with a limited number of topics in a limited number of words, and can only address a limited number of responses. Yet they are typically attacked to such an extent it comes across as an attempt, wherever possible, to discredit articles supporting Israel.</p>
<p><em>The Guardian</em> newspaper has been for some time a notoriously biased publication when it comes to matters of the Middle East. Any article that doesn’t roundly condemn Israel is subjected to extreme prolific criticism below in the Comment is Free (CIF) internet comment sections that is often very abusive in nature. Furthermore, rather than just criticising the content of the article, many comments can be extremely personal in nature. An author’s reputation can be put into disrepute by claiming he or she is a “holocaust denier,” under the control of “Zionist paymasters” etc. The moderators of the Comment is Free section often allow deeply anti-Semitic views to also be expressed. The criticism is very prolific, with comments sometimes numbering in the thousands. The Comment is Free section is an extreme example from a mainstream newspaper but this sort of activity is nonetheless very common. It should be clear that this sort of behaviour represents an attempt to intimidate and essentially shout down any dissenting opinions. This does not only happen on the internet. One discussion shows the same often occurs, and in mainstream publications few moderate articles on the conflict ever go unanswered (forcefully) in letters pages. From colloquial evidence, many that defend Israel are sometimes subjected to serious threats, which needs to be discussed openly.</p>
<p>The mainstream media throughout the world bears a great deal of responsibility for promoting the pro-Palestinian movement. With Operation Cast Lead, the frenzied media continually misrepresented the importance of Hamas’ attacks. Many journalists said Hamas was wrong to attack but didn’t take the consequences of the matter seriously. This gave a false sense of balanced journalism while relentlessly exaggerating the actions of the IDF in Gaza and downplaying efforts to minimise civilian casualties. Very basic notions of journalistic balance are flouted with the corrupting of facts, the misrepresentation of opinions as facts, and a remarkable inability to seek alternative views. In recent years, inflammatory news coverage has been shown to result in increased violence towards Jews, such as in France where some news reports were proven to be faked. Given the evidential material and the depth of this bias, it is plausible to assert there is a certain level of genuine collusion between the Palestinians and the media but it is hard to say how common. Media bias is nonetheless so profound it can be asserted the Western media have some responsibility for promoting Palestinian terrorism. Little wonder Israel refused journalists access during Cast Lead.</p>
<p>It appears that most Palestinian propaganda is believed uncritically in the media even though it is very well known that Palestinian terrorist groups have been economical with the truth for a very long time. Profoundly dishonest reporting of casualty figures is a defining characteristic of Palestinian propaganda, and within a short time of the Israeli ground attack in January 2009, Hamas was claiming 300 children had been killed. As with previous conflicts involving Israel, the BBC and many other news institutions that should have known better repeated such figures verbatim even though it is widely known that the Palestinians can play fast and loose with such facts. The figures only increased to just under 400 after weeks of fighting on the ground which indicates the implausibility of such a death toll yet it continued to be a main feature of news coverage in 2009. To illustrate the depth of such bias, Irish Broadcaster RTE even mentioned the “1,300 Vs 13” death toll in an introduction to a story related more to Bin Laden, instead of referring to the many thousands he is personally responsible for murdering.</p>
<p>While the international media has become to an extent a sort of agency for Palestinian propaganda, the internet is perhaps an even more useful tool for disseminating anti-Israeli/anti-Semitic propaganda. Any nutcase can start a blog or site that can be seen around the world. This has led to a popular Western movement of hardcore support for Palestinian terrorism. Judging by the very prolific use of the Internet by pro-Palestinian groups it must be an ideal platform to attack Israel. The intent can clearly be seen even in the names of such sites e.g. “<a href="http://electronicintifada.net/">electronicintifada.net</a>”.</p>
<p>A defining characteristic of the anti-Israel movement is its tireless dedication to propaganda of a most opportunistic kind. For example, when the film “Blood Diamond” about the horrors of the illegal African diamond trade was released, pro-Palestinian groups started picketing jewellers that stocked diamonds from Israel. “Apartheid,” a very emotive term, is a real favourite of pro-Palestinians, e.g. Israel Apartheid Week. This is a sheer absurdity in a state with universal suffrage where minority interests are protected. During the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, they protested about the security barrier or “Apartheid Wall” as they prefer to call it. The wall that has saved hundreds of lives, and with less terrorism, economic progress in towns like Bethlehem was possible. Meanwhile few Arab Christians remain due to Islamic intimidation clearly assisted by the Palestinian authorities. Pro-Palestinians even hijack the memory of the Holocaust, e.g. with events leading to Holocaust Memorial Day. “Activists” and “internationals,” as they like to call themselves, go to the region armed with video cameras to hopefully film and write about the latest supposed Israeli atrocity. Many videos, as seen on pro-Palestinian websites, feature grandiose descriptions of Israeli brutality that display an extraordinary divergence from the reality presented in said videos. Many, as found on YouTube, actually demonstrate the restraint of the Israeli military. If these people confronted in a similar fashion the troops of nations that were genuine human rights abusers many would meet an unpleasant end.</p>
<p>Many of these supposed “activists” attempt to cause diplomatic incidents to embarrass Israel. One example is the repeated attempts to break the embargo on Gaza since the election of Hamas. In 2008, a ship carried 5,000 balloons to <em>lift</em> the spirits of the unfortunate people of Gaza. In 2009, the amusingly titled “Spirit of Humanity” attempted to barge into Gaza. It was, of course, known that the ship would be detained if it didn’t turn back. Not only did the ship break maritime law, but all shipping to Gaza is restricted primarily due to the transit of arms particularly from Iran. If aid was the true aim of these people it could have been supplied through border crossings. Pro-Palestinian groups milked the event for all it was worth and when those on the ship were released they wasted no time peddling lies that were at times breathtaking. For example, British minority newspaper <em>The Voice</em> (July 20<sup>th </sup>2009) featured an interview by Jamaican/British filmmaker Ishmail Blagrove in which he compared the low security prison where he was detained with a Nazi concentration camp. He said hundreds of black people were taken off the streets of Israel seemingly on a daily basis and imprisoned by authorities, redolent of the worst excesses of Apartheid South Africa.</p>
<p>Within the pro-Palestinian movement there is a profound lack of ownership of the fact that its own activities are clearly giving rise to anti-Semitic feeling and crime towards Jewish people generally. During the protests in response to the Israeli invasion of Gaza in January 2009 there were many anti-Semitic incidents. One of the more notorious occurred in Amsterdam where there were chants of “Hamas Hamas, Jews to the gas.” In the UK, many felt such a profound sense of menace that a reclaim the streets march was organised in response to the frequent Pro-Palestinian demonstrations which were heavily policed out of necessity. These are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many reports of an array of unsubtle anti-Semitic slogans and placards being waved about at such marches. Is any campaigner concerned about placards carrying messages like “Death to the Jews” as seen in numerous photos? Whilst some organisers may attempt to distance themselves from such sentiments, to my knowledge there have never been any strong condemnations or any real efforts to weed out such elements from demonstrations. Indeed it is surely not lost on the organisers that many if not the majority of those attending such rallies hold these opinions.</p>
<p>In the UK there was an three-fold increase in overtly anti-Semitic crime. Besides violent assaults, Jewish businesses and synagogues were attacked. Even Jewish primary schools were targeted. In stark contrast to the wave of support shown to the Muslim community principally by left wingers after the 7/7 terrorist attacks on London, hardly a word of concern has been uttered about rising anti-Semitism. Indeed left-wing groups, who tend to adopt all the concerns of ethnic minorities as their own, have been leading the charge of defaming Israel. Little wonder then that the same groups would not be terribly worried if the Jews in their midst are concerned for their safety. The problem of rising anti-Semitism is felt keenly in many parts of Europe (e.g. Paris and Malmo, Sweden) and increasingly in the US.</p>
<p>Besides the increased anti-Semitic crime rate, many independent surveys in recent years have shown considerable increases in anti-Semitism around the world. In supposedly enlightened Europe a very substantial number of people stated they blamed the Jews for the current financial crisis! Pro-Palestinian supporters strongly reject all accusations of anti-Semitism and continually assert they are only anti-Zionist. However, if they were sincere in their expressed intentions they would surely acknowledge the harm being done to Jewish communities. In various countries pro-Palestinians have notably targeted Jewish shops with no link to Israel as locations for campaign posters, sometimes daubed messages on windows (a la Nazi Germany), and sought boycott of similarly unassociated businesses. These and other examples of Jews being singled-out further disproves their activity has nothing to do with anti-Semitism.</p>
<p>The figure of 300 child deaths in Gaza has been bandied about by the pro-Palestinian movement throughout 2009, along with inflammatory imagery of child murder, for example a poster of a Palestinian child clutching a teddy bear while an Israeli helicopter fires missiles at it. As with other Palestinian propaganda the image draws upon old blood libel motifs, in this case the Jew as child murderer. Witness the paranoid speculation of Israeli/Jewish conspiracies, e.g. the notion that Jews control the media and are limiting criticism of Israel. A recent example is the absurdity that British-Jewish-Israeli lobbying is having an undue influence on the British establishment and is controlling the UK media. This, like other theories advanced by pro-Palestinians, requires an absurd inverted down-is-up understanding of reality. Such cases demonstrate a will to hate and defame Jews regardless of fact. This is no different to the past.</p>
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		<title>Pro-Palestinianism: A Movement of Hate, Pt. I</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2010/robert-harris/a-movement-of-hate-pt-i/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-movement-of-hate-pt-i</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 04:01:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Rob Harris]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FrontPage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aengus]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[The ugly face of the Western pro-Palestinian movement. ]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mideast-israel-palestinian-human-rights-2009-12-11-8-10-38.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-59844" title="mideast-israel-palestinian-human-rights-2009-12-11-8-10-38" src="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mideast-israel-palestinian-human-rights-2009-12-11-8-10-38-300x193.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="193" /></a></p>
<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s note: This is the first installment of a four-part series. To view later segments of &#8220;Pro-Palestinianism: A Movement of Hate,&#8221; please click: <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/11/a-movement-of-hate-pt-ii/">Part II</a></em><em>, <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/12/a-movement-of-hate-pt-iii/">Part III</a></em><em> and <a href="http://frontpagemag.com/2010/05/13/a-movement-of-hate-pt-iv/">Part IV</a></em><em> .]</em></p>
<p>It should be patently obvious to anyone with a passing interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that the Western pro-Palestinian movement has long since gone beyond the bounds of justifiable criticism and moral acceptability.</p>
<p>Israel is of course facing ever-increasing hostility at every level internationally. This immense hostility has largely been brought into effect by the populist successes of the Western anti-Israeli/pro-Palestinian movement so it is time to expose this collective entity to greater scrutiny &#8211; to ask difficult questions due to the significant power it now wields. This article seeks to establish that hatred is the driving force behind many elements of this movement, and since Israel is the sole existing Jewish nation, serious questions need to be asked about anti-Semitic sentiment.</p>
<p>A particular, rather unique haughtiness is one of the most notable features of Western attitudes towards Israel. Fellow Irishman Donnchadh O’Liathain wrote an article in the Jerusalem Post in 2004 describing the European attitude towards Israel: a dichotomy of “good Israelis” and “bad Israelis” – those who are pro-peace and those who are less so. The theme of his article was the invasiveness of attitudes towards Israel, an intense meddlesome desire to impose a solution on the conflict without proper recognition of Israel’s needs. It is indeed galling when the citizens and leaders of larger secure states that have luxuriated in peace for many decades, bar the occasional fracas in distant lands, pass judgement so readily on a tiny state surrounded by continuous extreme hostility, which is clearly not as a consequence of its actions but of its very existence. If we consider the fear experienced in the US after the tragedy of 9/11, and also consider the trauma and political changes experienced in other nations after very serious terrorist attacks, it is not difficult to see how such countries would respond if faced with similar conditions.</p>
<p>There are several forms of pro-Palestinianism which can be categorised in terms of extremism. Moderates think the Palestinians are largely the victims in this conflict and do not advocate terrorism at all and may even support a fairly just two-state solution. The second group support the Palestinian cause without endorsing the more extreme acts of Palestinian terrorism but nonetheless tend to find them “understandable” and may demand solutions that nullify Israel’s Jewish identity, e.g. the “right to return.” The most extreme group supports all acts of Palestinian terrorism no matter how debased or destructive to Israeli civilians. By implication they support a one-state solution – namely, a Palestinian state or a greater Jordan/Syria. This article focuses principally on the latter two groups of Palestinian supporters, which have grown greatly in popularity in the last decade. Such people are often highly vocal and may campaign vociferously for the Palestinian cause. The opinions of these people may require some interpretation as they might not be completely forthcoming with their views on the conflict. Those who have extreme opinions often appear to present their views as being milder than they truly are, hence the usual contention that they support peace. This would be especially important if they hold positions of power in influential political institutions or the media.</p>
<p>A pertinent question needs to be asked: what is the primary motivation of the Western anti-Israeli/pro-Palestinian movement? Is it a genuine concern for human rights, which is always admirable if not necessarily justified, or is it a rank anti-Semitism masquerading undercover of darkness as a concern for the Palestinians? Obviously, I subscribe to the latter opinion but whichever view the reader may endorse, one question should be addressed in order to clarify the matter at hand: where does legitimate sensible (i.e. reasonably fair and moderately justifiable) criticism of Israel end and become abusive condemnation that overtly goes beyond what is evidential? The answer indicates the sincerity and intent of the pro-Palestinian movement, for their words and actions ought to be their measure.</p>
<p>It is indeed important to recognise that no state should be above criticism, just as no individual or group should be above criticism for the simple reason that all agents have the capacity to commit acts that are harmful to others. Thus, the question here is not should Israel be criticised generally speaking but rather how is Israel being criticised?</p>
<p>A detailed understanding of the contrast between reasonable criticism and abusive condemnation would be useful &#8211; of course other word use with similar meaning is also applicable. Something is considered abusive where coercion or bullying occurs, where there is a desire to cause distress or harm. Abuse is described as the “Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; perversion; … verbal maltreatment; An unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice…; … insulting speech; abusive language.”/ [Wiktionary]. Condemnation is of course censure by attributing blame, strong disapproval or even demonization. An abusive condemnation would be highly damaging, distressing and motivated by ill intent, in which case it could well deliberately exceed what is clearly indicated in evidence. This would not simply be applicable to Israel as a state. It would apply to its citizens, its interests, and by its very nature the malicious intent could apply to Jewish people generally, of which Israel is principally composed.</p>
<p>While many conflicts are compared with World War II and aggressors are compared with the Nazis, this motif has never been more widely used than when judging Israel. No pro-Palestinian demonstration is complete without the symbol of the swastika within the Star of David on badges and placards. Indeed, this symbol more so than any other has come to represent the pro-Palestinian movement. Since the Star of David is also the prime symbol of Judaism it can also be clearly interpreted as a symbol highly abusive to the Jewish religion and those that constitute the Jewish people, especially due to the tragedy of the Holocaust. Comparing Israeli figures with leading Nazi figures is also not uncommon. In Ireland, during Operation Cast Lead, Sein Fein (IRA) member Aengus O’Snodaigh repeatedly compared the Israeli ambassador to Ireland with Josef Goebbels, the master propagandist, for merely trying to explain that the invasion was due to continued attacks. Divisive figures such as disgraced Scottish politician George Galloway declared during a UK protest last year: “Today, the Palestinian people in Gaza are the new Warsaw ghetto, and those who are murdering them are the equivalent of those who murdered the Jews in Warsaw in 1943.”</p>
<p>Palestinian sympathisers make it abundantly clear that Israel does not have a right to defend itself. Clearly some will say this is a misrepresentation: that in fact they criticise Israel’s response as being heavy handed. This may be true for some but the dominant theme in the pro-Palestinian monologue is that Palestinians have a right to “resist” as they put it, while Israel has no essential right to respond. This is clear time and time again in their argumentation.</p>
<p>Judging by the views held by more extreme pro-Palestinians it would appear that Palestinian terrorists have a right to do whatsoever they wish to Israeli citizens. We see very extreme language used in the media and even more so on internet websites throughout the West. It does become essentially irrelevant or morally justifiable if Hamas rains missiles on Israeli citizens because according to so many pro-Palestinians, Israel is (to borrow their commonly used terminology) a “pariah”, “colonial”, “apartheid”, “fascist”, “criminal”, “nazi”, “jihadist”, “terrorist” state. Israel is a state that butchers women and children, harvests Palestinians for body parts, and of course has “ethnically cleansed” the Palestinians. Israel has committed many “holocausts” against the Palestinians, so accordingly some even think it more reprehensible than the Third Reich. With such extraordinarily twisted extreme black and white understandings of the conflict that contravene the most obvious truths, it is little wonder that no justification of Israel’s right to defend itself will satisfy such individuals. No reasoned argument based on facts will be sufficient.</p>
<p>Considering such information, it is fair to say that very many (probably a majority) of pro-Palestinians have a very real hatred of Israel. Some may protest that this is not so but, for example, would any reasonably impartial observer with a modicum of fairness deny one state the right to respond to continued extreme aggression when it is a genuine affliction to its citizens? Would such a fair, impartial observer not accept that Jihadist Palestinian terrorism is part of the problem and its moral legitimization not a solution? To take a recent issue, many pro-Palestinians defended the Goldstone report because it is now yet another weapon in their arsenal to bash Israel. Would any impartial observer accept such a report when a Mrs. Mary Robinson, primary architect of the Durban I anti-Semitic hate-fest, declined to accept the biased brief? Any impartial observer would obviously accept justice must be fair, so why support it? Other than ill-intent, there can be no justification for continually propagating severe exaggerations and outright lies.</p>
<p>The issue of proportionality was frequently raised by Palestinian supporters during Cast Lead. It was often said that the rockets fired into Israel were actually home made or little more than flares. However, the principal rockets were Grad rockets supplied by Iran and simple yet quite potent Kassam. While such rockets have basic guidance systems they are nonetheless of a military grade. Grads have the capacity to destroy a house, for example. Hundreds raining down on towns leading up to the Israeli response was clearly not sustainable. Condemnation and talk of a holocaust swiftly followed even before the ground invasion. The association of Gaza with the Warsaw ghetto was a common motif. Pro-Palestinians characterise the dead in Gaza as primarily innocent civilians but it is worth noting various sources indicate 70 to 74% of those killed were males between the ages of 15 and 40 &#8211; the most relevant for combat.  Clearly the only acceptable Israeli response for Palestinian sympathisers was to put up with it, other than the ideal of surrender to Hamas. The inference that Israel had no right to defend its citizens can be asserted because no other rational conclusion to such arguments can be arrived upon. The issue of proportionality cannot be answered by simply discussing casualty figures. If the citizens of any state are exposed to intolerable conditions where they cannot go about their daily lives with a basic level of safety for an extended period of time, that state has a moral obligation to stop the forces causing that situation. Therefore, a proportional response is to take the necessary action to stop the attacks and prevent them from reoccurring within a reasonable timeframe; nothing more and nothing less.</p>
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