Monday, February 28, 2011

Yet another update to the LSE story

After I first raised the alarm about the new Middle East Centre at the LSE (I discovered that its publicity material featured a map that eradicated the State of Israel) I followed up with details of my correspondence with Sir Howard Davies (the LSE Director) here and here.

The last article contained Davies's helpful response to my last letter. His response (29 Jan 2011) was:

"Your comments are not worthy of reply."

Since my correspondence the whole issue of LSE's funding by Arab tyrants (which was the focus of my complaints) has become a big story (mainly because of the Gadaffy money given to LSE, but also because reporters started looking into the Middle East Centre and its funding as I had). Dominic Kennedy had a big article about it in the Times on Saturday (you can see Melanie Phillips's comments about that here). Apparently Dominic Kennedy has followed up with an interview with Howard Davies in the Times today (see Harry's Place piece here, as the Times costs to read online) which includes the following:

'Sir Howard defended the LSE’s new Middle East Centre, half of whose board support an academic boycott of Israel. “The biggest donor to the School in the past year is George Soros, who of course is of Jewish origin. We operate, I believe, a very balanced view.”’

Apart from the hilarious 'some of my best friends are Jewish' angle to this, what make Davies's' response all the more incredible is that he is unaware that Soros has been so comprehensively exposed as the key player  in international attempts to deligitimize Israel with his funding of a whole range of anti-Israel organisations.

I'd say it is time for Davies to resign.

Update: Davies has resigned!

Friday, February 25, 2011

The hypocrisy of the British media

You can see here the banner headline in tonight's Evening Standard (full story is here if you are really interested).

Isn't it incredible that an anti-semitic comment by a drunken C-list British designer in Paris who nobody has heard of makes front-page news (and it also made a big splash on tonight's BBC News and Sky News) yet the truly vicious anti-semitism that has united pro and anti 'democracy' protesters across the entire Arab world (as I have reported here,  here, here and here)  - the implications of which will be truly cataclysmic for the entire world -  continue to be completely ignored by all the Western media.

You won't see a play about these hebron massacres in London

Following on from my post about the anti-Israel play about Hebron currently being shown in Richmond, Daphne Anson has a graphic account of the massacre of Jews by Arabs in Hebron in 1929 (that's when according to the standard media narrative Jews and Arabs lived together in peace and harmony before the State of Israel was declared).

The 1929 massacre was not the only Arab terrorist attack against Jews in Hebron. Here are some others since the six-day war that won't be featuring any time soon in a London Theatre.
  • 09.10.68 A 17 year-old Arab youth threw a grenade at Jews praying on the steps of the Tomb's main gate. 47 Jews, including an eight month-old baby, were injured.
  • 05.11.68 A Jewish man and his son, an elderly Arab man, and three Arab children were injured by an explosive charge near the Tomb.
  • 29.12.68 Terrorists attack a security post near the Tomb. One terrorist was killed; the others fled. No Israeli soldiers were injured.
  • 07.08.76 Two Jews were wounded when terrorists shot at a tour bus in the city.
  • 03.10.76 On the eve of Yom Kippur, a mob of Arab youths burst into the Tomb and desecrated several Torah scrolls. Three soldiers fired in the air in an attempt to prevent their entry. 61 rioters were arrested in the Tomb.
  • 02.05.80 Arab terrorists ambushed a group of Jews returning from the Tomb to Beit Hadassah. Six Jews were murdered and 20 wounded.
  • 25.10.92 Three Arab terrorists shot at soldiers guarding the Tomb's generator. One reserve soldier was murdered; two were wounded.
  • 28.05.93 Yeshiva student Erez Shmuel was stabbed to death approximately 500 meters from from the Tomb, while on his way to Friday evening prayers at the Tomb.
  • 06.12.93 Mordechai Lapid and his son Shalom were shot to death near Glass Junction in Hebron. Hamas claimed responsibility.
  • 07.07.94 Sarit Prigal (17) was shot to death in a drive-by shooting, when terrorists opened fire from a passing car near the entrance to Kiryat Arba.
  • 19.03.95 Nahum Hoss (31) of Hebron, and Yehuda Partus (34) of Kiryat Arba, were murdered by shots fired at their bus from a terrorist ambush near Glass Junction in Hebron. Six others were injured.
  • November 15 2002: Twelve Israelis were killed and 15 others wounded in Hebron when Palestinian terrorists opened fire and threw grenades at a group of Jewish worshippers and their guards as they were walking home from Sabbath prayers at the Cave of the Patriarchs. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attacks.
  • December 27, 2002 : Terrorists broke into a dining hall at a yeshiva in Otneil, south of Hebron, and killed 4 students who were working in the yeshiva kitchen, and injured ten others. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
  • May 17, 2003: A pregnant Israeli woman and her husband were killed when a suicide bomber detonated himself next to them in a public square in Hebron. Hamas claimed responsibility.
  • September 26, 2003: Eyal Yeberbaum, 27, and 7-month old infant Shaked Avraham were shot dead by a Palestinian terrorist who knocked on the door of a home in Negohot, south of Hebron, during a celebratory Jewish New Year holiday dinner. Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the attack.
  • June 24, 2005: Two teenagers were killed and three others wounded in a drive-by shooting near Hebron. The Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack.
  • October 16, 2005: Palestinian gunmen killed three Israelis and wounded as least 5 others in two separate drive-by shootings in the West Bank. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for both attacks.
  • December 28, 2007: Two Israelis were killed by Palestinian terrorists while hiking outside of Hebron. A third hiker managed to escape.
  • 14 Jun 2010 1 soldier killed, 3 police officers wounded in gun attack on vehicle at Al Fawar Junction, south of Hebron
  • August 31, 2010: Four Israelis, including a pregnant woman, were murdered when terrorists ambushed their car as they were driving near Kiryat Arba in the West Bank. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, which coincided with the restarting of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington, D.C.
But what is featuring in a London Theatre is yet another anti-Israel play:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/62809/productions/the-holy-rosenbergs.html

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Anti-semitism is so natural and oh so hip ...

When I did a google search for images of Egyptian protesters yesterday plenty came up portraying Mubarak as a 'Jew-devil'. The same thing applies now to Libya.




Apart from the concept of Ghadaffi being part of the world Jewish conspiracy, what is especially bizarre here is the bottom picture of the attractive girl, specially made up for the photo-shoot. The message that is supposed to be portrayed here is that Libya is a country of attractive young, freedom-loving people. Not for one second do these 'freedom loving' demonstrators feel that there could be the remotest thing wrong with the images they have drawn. To them it is not only perfectly acceptable and natural to regard Jews as worse than the devil, but they even feel that doing this will curry favour with those in the west. And the worst thing is that they are right - and not one single liberal western reporter will make any negative comment about this kind of thing.



More on jihad watch.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

No anti-semitism to worry about there then .....

The 'experts' have been assuring us that anti-semitism has played no role in the 'pro-democracy' revolutions across the Arab world. William Hague publicly scolded Israel for even voicing concerns about their own security after Mubarek's deposal, while Jews are specifically admonished in the Guardian for not being sufficiently enthusiastic about what happens after Mubarek. 



Clearly if we are worried about such trivia as the fact that Egypt's very own Hitler, Al Qaradawi, has returned from exile to a tumultuous welcome, and that for the first time in more than 30 years the Egyptians have allowed Iranian warships to enter the Suez canal to directly threaten Israel, then we are really just being paranoid.  But what I do find slightly ironic is that Sky News, which has been especially obsessed about covering up the anti-semitism angle (still waiting for them to mention the Lara Logan anti-semitic rape story) has been unable to show any images of 'pro-democracy' banners that do not portray Mubarek as a Jewish stooge.  And I am still waiting for any Sky presenter or pundit to even notice it.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Anti-Israel indoctrination in the UK

If you need to know the depth to which the British media has indoctrinated the public with anti-Israel feelings, then I can give no better example than the following:

My daughter, who goes to an orthodox Jewish school, tells me that, when the subject of Israel is discussed in their Jewish studies GCSE class, students routinely state things like "the Jews have no right to Israel because they stole the land from the Palestinians". 

In making statements like that, those regular 15-16 year old Jewish kids, are simply repeating what they are told relentlessly in every part of the media (as I have regularly reported on this web). In the midst of the big story of revolution across the entire Arab world (funny how the media is suddenly realising that these Arab countries were abusing their citizens for decades - they have been telling us all along that Israel  is the pariah state in the region) the BBC and Channel 4 has gone into overdrive ... to demonize Israel. Just a few examples of the anti-Israel tsunami engulfing British TV, in the last few days alone we have had:

 The relentless propaganda seems to be affecting just about everybody I know. It has got to the stage where even strongly pro-Israeli friends are unwittingly accepting anti-Israel bias as perfectly acceptable. I'd like to recount a very good example of this. The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond is currently showing a play called 'Reading Hebron' about the massacre carried out in 1994 by a Jew. The Artistic Director of this theatre, Sam Walters, clearly has a problem with Israel because in his own words (I have the email) two of the three 'political' plays he has put on in the last year have been about Israel and both were highly critical (the other was about the Balfour declaration). For these 'political' plays Walters arranges a public workshop to discuss the political content.  For 'Reading Hebron' this workshop was, sensitively, arranged for a Saturday when no orthodox Jews can attend. However, Walters has arranged for discussions to take place after some of the showings during the week. That brings me to my pro-Israeli friend Joe. He went along to the play and after-show discussion and sent an email about it. I have taken the liberty of reproducing below exactly what Joe wrote because, although he feels very satisfied with the outcome there are aspects of what he says that deeply disturb me:

I went yesterday. Was delighted, as were most of the Jews in the audience, that the discussion afterwards did not become an Arab/Israeli debate. One person did speak out (pro-Palestinian) and tried to make it political...and the audience (vast vast vast majority being non-Jewish Richmondites - retirees who enjoy theatre) were annoyed by his trying to turn a theatrical performance into a political debate. So it actually worked against him...and, to a limited extent, for Israel! The Director - rightly in my view - said that the post-show discussion was to discuss the play NOT the politics (which will be discussed on the Sat "workshop" - which is the only thing I have real issue with). Of the Jews present, most were from Wimbledon Reform - primarily as one of their members was one of the key characters.

Most of the discussion - as it should have been - was about the play itself, its staging and the characters portrayed.

I did find much of the content disturbing - although relieved that (albeit in short supply) the counter-arguments were also made within the text - and certain scenes I was slightly offended by (then again, I suppose the author has the right to write what he wants). Viewed as a piece of theatre...it did its job well. It was thought provoking. My guess is that it would only be the real "self-hating Jews" (those who can see nothing good in what Israel does) and the "blind Jews" (those who can only see the good in Israel and are not prepared to consider the other side) that would have any major issue with the production...in part because it revolves around one character who is obviously a troubled individual (in his personal life) and his political stance is obviously fuelled by other life issues rather than being a rational political stance.

It's not enjoyable theatre...but it is good theatre. I didn't emerge invigorated. I wasn't pushed to the left or the right as a result. I was intrigued by the simplicity of the post-show discussion. I was proud that there were no counter-productive rants. I was thrilled that the one radical view expressed was from the other side (and the mutterings I overheard as people left the theatre were all about the show and that one "idiot")...

Here are the things that disturb me about what he wrote

  • He completely misses the whole context of what is going on here. Terrible massacres have been carried out on a daily basis by Muslim terrorists - often supported by governments - for decades. Take a look here at a log of all terrorist attacks in recent decades; for example, since 9/11 alone there have been 16,839 deadly attacks by Muslims. Terrible massacres are also carried out routinely in many countries of the world.  Israel has especially been the victim of terrorist attacks (indeed there were several massacres against Israelis in the days immediately prior to what happened in Hebron). Hebron itself was the scene of one of the worst massacres of Jews by Arabs in 1929 (that was 19 years before the State of Israel).  
  • None of those massacres was ever used as the basis for a play, let alone a play to criticise Muslims or Arabs. Yet the one and only terrorist act committed by a Jew in Israel in recent decades merits a play.  And it is not just this play. Of all the 'political' plays that have been staged in the UK in the last 5 years that are focused on criticism of a foreign country I would bet that at least 90% of them have been about Israel. This is despite the fact that, as recent events demonstrate, Israel is the only country in the Middle East which provides its citizens with freedom and democracy. When did you last see a play critical of: Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Tunisia, Morroco, Algeria (or any one of the world's 58 Muslim countries), not to mention the tyrannies that still exist in Eastern Europe, as well as China, Burma etc? 
  • Nobody is questioning the right of the playwrite to produce and say whatever they want, but we have every right to question why playwrites and theatre directors are ONLY interested in political plays that are anti-Israel. That should be the context for any debate about this play.
  • Given that Jews were effectively barred from the 'political' debate at the Saturday workshop, I am concerned at Joe's cowering acceptance that he had no right to raise any political objections to the play. How the hell do you discuss, for a political play like this,  "the play itself, its staging and the characters portrayed" without the political context?
  • I am concered at Joe's casual and quite offensive suggestion of moral equivalence between anti-Israel fanatics (whose greatest wish in life is to see the violent destruction of the State of Israel) and people who simply love Israel and don't feel the need to have to swallow all of the lies and proganda told against it.
  • I am concerned that pro-Israel supporters are giving this kind of play far more prominence and support than it deserves.  
Update on this post.

    Monday, February 14, 2011

    Our friends the Jordanians

    Second only to the Egyptians in their level of anti-semitism, and with the prospects of their own Islamists similarly toppling a 'pro-Western' regime, the Jordanians are really starting to flex their ant-semitic muscles at the highest level. Today Jordan's justice minister no less described a Jordanian soldier serving a life sentence for killing 7 Israeli  schoolgirls in 1997 and wounding many others in an unprovoked machine gun attack, as a "hero," and joined a sit-in to demand his release.

    And there is an interesting angle in the reporting of this story. Al Arabyia provides very detailed quotes from the Minister's written demands to release the soldier including these gems:
     
    "I support the demonstrators' demand to free Ahmad Dakamseh. He's a hero. He does not deserve prison,"


    "We cannot imagine that a great fighter like Dakamseh is in jail instead of reaping the rewards of his achievement,"

    "If a Jewish person killed Arabs, his country would have built a statue for him instead of imprisonment."

    Yet the Jerusalem Post, which has on its books many reporters who refuse to believe that their Arab neighbours hate them so much, is typically downplaying the story by not mentioning what the Minister actually said.  Again the Israeli press is doing exactly what the media in the rest of the western world is doing - censoring news of the Jihad against them. Hear no evil see no evil....

    Sunday, February 13, 2011

    Imagine if the Egyptian revolution really is what the Western media is telling you



    Western liberal analysts - who have totally dominated the narrative about the 'revolution' in Egypt - have typically been projecting their own values on the situation. That is why, for example, they are simply 'wishing away' the Muslim Brotherhood or suggesting that they are just a bunch of cuddly religious old men.

    But just imagine if the revolution is really going to deliver the kind of democracy, freedom and peace the liberals assume. Then the very first thing that must happen is that anti-semitism, which is the core unifying feature of Egyptians, must be curbed. The reason 98% of Egyptians hate Jews is because antisemitism is bred into them from the day they are born. Anti-semitism is not just pumped out of  state-run media and - with full government encouragement -  from every mosque and imam in the country. It also dominates the beliefs and actions of supposedly enlightened lawyers, writers, musicians and trade unionists (who call for the killing of the rare fellow lawyers, writers musicians and trade unionists for daring to speak to Israelis for example).

    Curbing anti-semitism (and, of course, its 'acceptable face' dressed as anti-Israel and anti-Americanism) is essential if there is to be any hope of genuine freedom, domocracy and peace.


    When the western media starts mentioning this I will start to believe there is such hope.

    Monday, February 07, 2011

    The Western main stream media is censoring what it shows from Egypt

    Numerous bloggers have pointed out the fact that the Western media is deliberately censoring/ignoring the widespread anti-semitism prominent in banners and feelings at the 'pro democracy' camp in Cairo. Here is a good example. But there is another aspect being censored because it simply does not fit in with the ‘narrative’ that the anti-Mubarek demonstrators are peace-loving democrats. This is the violence.

    Where Al Jazeera is different from the Western coverage is that Al Jazeera has been showing very graphic videos of horrific violence by both pro and anti- Mubarek supporters including several actual killings and lynchings. The most appalling examples are clearly being committed by the anti-Mubarek supporters (check out Al jazeer'as coverage tonight). The Western media are simply not showing these. Can you imagine how they would be falling over themselves to show those videos if that kind of violence happened in Israel? In fact, given the amount of time they are spending on Egyypt regurtitating the same material wouldn't you have thought they would be interested in showing something new?

    Saturday, February 05, 2011

    What we can look forward to from Egypt.

    As usual Sultan Knish gets the Egyptian 'revolution' right and there is a good analysis of the Muslim Brotherhood from Daphne Anson. For anybody who believes the universal media message that nothing but good is going to come out of the 'pro-democracy' revolution in Egypt watch all 90 seconds of this video.


    And it has started already. Since the 'revolution'  we have already seen:
    • Hamas, emboldened by the prospects of their parent organisation the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, fired a grad rocket at a wedding reception in Israel
    • All Hamas prisoners in Egypt were broken out of jail (and have returned to Gaza to plot the next wave of terrorist attacks)
    • The entire Hezbollah network who were recently convicted of plotting terrorist attacks against Israeli tourists in Sanai were broken out of jail.
    • Today terrorists blew up the gas pipeline in Norther Sinai that provides gas supplied to Israel and Jordan.
    Also, isn't it funny how the same liberal-lefties who set the media agenda don't support pro-democracy movements in Islamist countries that wish to destroy Israel (Iran and Syria being obvious examples).