Tag: The I/P conflict

anti-Semitism, The I/P conflict

The Arab with the knife and the murder of the Jew. Over 100 years of excuses

During the height of the second Intifada, the media and politicians in general were adamant, only total desperation could cause one human being to walk onto a bus full of innocent civilians and blow himself up. This twisted logic unashamedly blames the victims for the act of violence that kills them and removes personal responsibility from the terrorist. It is also a logic that only … Continue reading The Arab with the knife and the murder of the Jew. Over 100 years of excuses

David22 Comments
anti-Semitism, BDS, extremism on campus, The I/P conflict, UK

An open letter to Professor Gabriel Brahm

Gabriel, I was present at the conference at Exeter and have just read your piece in the Jewish Chronicle, in fact a cross post at the JLC website had ‘urged me to do so’. The piece is also reproduced on the Times of Israel website. I had been one of those critical of the initial agreement and had provided my account of my experience at … Continue reading An open letter to Professor Gabriel Brahm

David2 Comments
anti-Semitism, BDS, The I/P conflict, UK

My weekend with the antisemites (and 2 Zionists) at Exeter

I have just returned from Exeter, where the university held a 3-day conference discussing ‘Settler Colonialism in Palestine’. Far smaller and less organised than the conference that the University of Southampton cancelled, this collection of anti-Zionists ranged from well- known ‘academics’ from the US, Beirut and Australia to several ‘wannabees’ currently working on research at Exeter; these ‘wannabees’ are Ilan Pappe’s academic children. I always … Continue reading My weekend with the antisemites (and 2 Zionists) at Exeter

David6 Comments
BDS, The I/P conflict, UK

The anti-Zionist Exeter conference

Over the last two days, it became abundantly clear exactly how far off base the JLC is, how removed they are from events on the ground, and how little they understand the anti-Zionist argument developing within the extreme left. I am now certain they are stuck in the 1980’s, when Europeans still went to the Kibbutz and people romanticised over Entebbe. The idea that the … Continue reading The anti-Zionist Exeter conference

David3 Comments
anti-Semitism, BDS, The I/P conflict, UK, USA

The festering swamp of anti-Zionism

I personally dislike sweeping statements and generalisations. It is unfortunately true in a world in which you need to occupy someone’s attention with 140 characters of less, nobody has any time for clarification, but real world issues tend to be complex and nothing is ever absolute. An absolute statement I see repeated often in the I/P argument is that anti-Zionism is antisemitism; a theory born … Continue reading The festering swamp of anti-Zionism

David2 Comments
anti-Semitism, BDS, The I/P conflict

My Yom Kippur with Max Blumenthal

Having spent a July evening listening to Max Blumenthal at his book launch for his written account of last year’s conflict between Gaza and Israel, it then became a struggle to find an opportunity to read the book itself. I engage anything and everything on the Israel / Arab conflict and usually it is critical to do so with internet access close at hand as … Continue reading My Yom Kippur with Max Blumenthal

David3 Comments