Teaching to hate

Teaching to hate – UK Islamist extremism grows in confidence

I doubt many have heard of Safiyya Shaikh. She was a Muslim convert who plotted to blow up London’s St Paul’s Cathedral and then kill herself in a suicide attack somewhere nearby on the London Underground.  Fortunately, the intelligence services got to her first The BBC news reports at the time tended to focus on a ‘drug addict’ element, which like the ‘mental illness’ excuse … Continue reading Teaching to hate – UK Islamist extremism grows in confidence

BETRAYAL 1

Lies, incitement and irresponsibility – the western betrayal of Israel

Israel is under attack and Israeli civilians are once more being targetted by the rockets of radical Islamic terror groups. 1000s of rockets have been fired at dozens of Israeli towns and cities.  Radical Islamic terrorists are trying to kill as many innocent civilians as they can. This undeniable simplicity makes the betrayal, incitement and irresponsibility of mainstream media, and western politicians – all the … Continue reading Lies, incitement and irresponsibility – the western betrayal of Israel

palestinians perch

Trumps vision: knocking the Palestinian cause off its perch

For two days now, there have been a stream of articles calling Trumps ‘peace plan’ everything from a conspiracy to Apartheid. Quite a few of the ‘predictable’ politicians from the UK and US have bitterly attacked the initiative. Judging by Emily Thornberry’s comments in parliament it seems that many of them are unlikely to even have read the American ‘vision’ before calling those involved with … Continue reading Trumps vision: knocking the Palestinian cause off its perch

Board of Deputies

The Board of Deputies don’t want us to talk about their survey

I start with an apology. This blog is one that I am forced to write. The trigger is a survey that the Board of Deputies is trying to put together. One I feel poses a real threat to our community. Over the last few weeks I have tried in vain to open a dialogue with the Board of Deputies. I have not been alone in … Continue reading The Board of Deputies don’t want us to talk about their survey

The Guardian newspaper: Decades of baiting British Jews

This week the Guardian published a letter that was co-produced by Elleanne Green, founder of Palestine Live. The letter was a defence of Chris Williamson and a denial of the antisemitism in the Labour Party. That in itself is a disgrace. But the Guardian’s issue with Jewish people and Israel extends back much further than Corbyn. Anyone researching antisemitism today knows that Corbyn is a … Continue reading The Guardian newspaper: Decades of baiting British Jews

PalExpo man spitting

Hate and poison wrapped in cotton candy at the PalExpo

The ‘PalExpo’ came back to London for 2019. A large, two day ‘celebration’ of Palestinian culture, history and arts. It is extremely clever marketing. In theory there is nothing wrong with Palestinians holding an exhibition of culture, but the show was built for a far more sinister purpose than teaching dabke. There are two parts to the PalExpo and whilst the main exhibition hall had … Continue reading Hate and poison wrapped in cotton candy at the PalExpo

In the beginning there was an Arab with a knife 180 years of excuses (V2)

In just the last few days, the BBC deliberately mistranslated the use of the word ‘Yehud’ as ‘Israeli’ instead of ‘Jew’ and Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib made comments distorting the history of Arab violence. Both of these recent incidents are connected to a wider movement that excuse and whitewash anti-Jewish violence. In 2015 I wrote an article on the subject. This is version two. … Continue reading In the beginning there was an Arab with a knife 180 years of excuses (V2)

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A Jewish life: assaulted in the street, insulted by the BBC

Yesterday I was assaulted. I had been sitting with friends at the cafe inside the Quaker building in Euston. Not long after I left, I felt a sharp and forceful push from behind. I hadn’t been expecting it and the sudden jolt sent me briefly to the ground. I heard the words “Zionist f**k” in a clear London accent. The whole thing took about 3 … Continue reading A Jewish life: assaulted in the street, insulted by the BBC

mainstream lies Israel

Why the mainstream is to blame for the antisemitism crisis

Antisemitism spread through the left like a tsunami through city streets. It may have entered via radical minority groups on the fringes, but as it hit the shore, there were no defences in place. Nothing to stop anti-Jewish sentiment moving from constituency to constituency. For decades, the mainstream has flirted with anti-Zionist activism. They have justified racist boycotts and supported the demonisation of the ‘Zionist’. … Continue reading Why the mainstream is to blame for the antisemitism crisis

duck test antisemitism anti-Zionism

Antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Performing the duck test

Is it antisemitism or anti-Zionism? Everyday, semantics are used to deflect what is obvious. When people argue over this it protects antisemitism. It does not matter whether in theory anti-Zionism and antisemitism are the same thing or not. It is a straw man argument. When you perform the duck test on anti-Zionist activity across the board, it soon becomes clear that antisemitism overflows in every … Continue reading Antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Performing the duck test

stop Nazi messaging on Israel

Nazis in disguise. How some anti-Israel messaging is extreme-right rhetoric

We are witnessing a legitimisation of Nazi messaging against Jewish people in Israel. Some of it is our own fault. We have become so desensitised that we no longer differentiate between ‘a simple lie’ and full on extreme-right rhetoric. We see the messages everyday. They have entered the mainstream and celebrities, newsreaders and lecturers all use it. ‘The left’ as Nazi. We should display zero … Continue reading Nazis in disguise. How some anti-Israel messaging is extreme-right rhetoric

From boycotting Jews to attacking MPs, the bullying thuggery of BDS

By almost any measure of freedom, Israel is a Garden of Eden compared to every single one of its neighbours. The obsession people have with that *TINY* state is simply astonishing. Of all the nations in the world, Israel is the one people want to boycott (BDS)? No less astonishing is the obsession some people have with the *TINY* global Jewish population. You cannot simply … Continue reading From boycotting Jews to attacking MPs, the bullying thuggery of BDS

divided cloth

Antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the principle of the divided cloth

Before I talk of a divided cloth, let me address the antisemitic events. Last September I was turned away at the door of a fringe event at the Labour conference because I was a ‘known Zionist’. Last summer as I sat to eat a meal with my wife and eleven-year-old son during a day out at the PalestineExpo I was approached by security and asked … Continue reading Antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the principle of the divided cloth

Jeremy Corbyn anti-Zionism

Corbyn’s antisemitic anti-Zionism is part of his core belief system

Antisemitic anti-Zionism surrounds Jeremy Corbyn. It is part of the ideological diet he has been fed on for decades. Whenever I have looked at anti-Israel activity taking place in the UK, Corbyn has been at the front of it. He is still a patron of the Anti-Zionist Palestine Solidarity campaign. He has personally campaigned to have Israel culturally, economically, politically and academically isolated. When he … Continue reading Corbyn’s antisemitic anti-Zionism is part of his core belief system

Warwick Jews

Uni of Warwick – false accusations of aggressive & misogynistic behaviour

The story goes that three Jewish people turned up at the University of Warwick, and were told that the ‘public’ event had suddenly turned ‘private’. Warwick has a small clique of distinctly anti-Israel activist academics. The full account was written within hours of the event, and published on this blog. Soon after my report was published, news organisations began to run articles covering the episode. … Continue reading Uni of Warwick – false accusations of aggressive & misogynistic behaviour