Lorde, Last week you read and responded to an open letter asking you to cancel the gig in Israel. This letter isn’t like that one. As soon as any artist lists Israel as a tour destination, an industry springs to life to bully them into cancelling. The letter you read last week is an element of that industry. Polished, packed full of disinformation and written … Continue reading Following the hate – an open letter to Lorde
As someone who deals with the world of antisemitism frequently, I attack ideas and groups far more than I do individuals. My fight isn’t against people, and if through education, someone who harbours antisemitic views, can be shown the ‘racism’ inherent in their world vision – if we can adjust the lens they view through – then that person is no longer part of the … Continue reading Ignorance and antisemitism – from Reggie Yates to Kelechi Okafor
Jerusalem – the capital of Israel Before discussing London, first a quick note about Jerusalem. It is where Israel’s Government sits and is inside Israel’s internationally recognised borders. Israel, as a sovereign state, has every right to name its own capital. So what is the problem here? The responsible nations on the planet should have recognised Jerusalem as the capital decades ago. Unofficially they all … Continue reading Islamic war cries heard, as antisemitism runs free on the streets of London
At the start of a recent event at the House of Parliament, an MP opened his speech by claiming it was necessary to give the argument of ‘Free Speech on Israel’ – ‘a platform’ because apparently criticism of Israel receives no airtime. The first speaker at the event, even claimed it necessary because their argument is not given ‘any form of platform’ at all. How … Continue reading Obsessive and suffocating, 176 anti-Israel events in a month
Last week an event was held in Westminster, that is alleged to have deliberately excluded Jewish members from attending. My own ticket was cancelled due to an overbooking, yet I later managed to get a place booked with a non-Jewish name. Some Jews who turned up were refused entry at the door, despite there being empty seats in the committee room. That particular event was … Continue reading Tommy Sheppard’s anti-Jewish Marxist circus comes to Westminster
My research, and the book I hope to eventually complete, deals with two issues – one is the conflict between Israel and its neighbours, the other is what I view as a connected topic – the rise of left wing antisemitism. As part of the search for truth and in the hope the conflict will someday end, I go to events to gain a better … Continue reading Jewish people de-registered – discrimination at the heart of Westminster
Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely is in hot water over ‘disparaging‘ remarks she made about US Jewry. Whether or not there is any truth to her comments, Hotovely broke the unspoken rule of diaspora politics – Israeli politicians cannot criticise the Diaspora, but the Diaspora can freely criticise Israel. The only surprise about these type of events, is that people are surprised by them. The … Continue reading A Jewish life outside of Israel – on matters Diaspora
The antisemitism problem inside the Labour Party is turning from bad to shameless. Just this week, there were two more public incidents. Potential Labour candidate Nasreen Khan was dropped in Bradford for making antisemitic remarks on social media. Jewish News ran the story, but the question remains how even now, these candidates are not being properly vetted by the system. In another example, Labour ‘withdrew … Continue reading The antisemitism problem in the Labour party turns from bad to shameless
Universities and ‘free speech’ arguments are back in the news again. This time at Cambridge, with the Evening Standard running a story about the University of Cambridge being ‘slammed by senior academics over a ‘crackdown on free speech’ at a student Palestine event. Social media is also full of a petition, aimed at criticising Cambridge for forcing a change in the chair for the event. … Continue reading The University of Cambridge – teaching ignorance and hate
On 2 November 2017 we celebrated the Balfour Declaration centenary. On the 29th November, we celebrate seventy years since UN resolution 181 – the United Nations ‘partition plan’. Looking at much of the discussion over Balfour, there is still clearly misunderstanding over the process that led to the creation of Israel. The Balfour Declaration was a stepping stone, an important point of recognition. Yet the … Continue reading November 2nd to November 29, Twenty-eight stepping stones to partition
