It is difficult not to be moved by events in Syria. Images from Aleppo, Syria are heart-breaking. It is also fair to say, most of us in the west, despite vocally shouting that ‘something needs to be done’, haven’t got much idea about exactly what. Syria is a tale of 1000 trenches with 2000 armies. During the ‘Arab spring’ in 2011, I remember being engaged … Continue reading 325 miles to Aleppo, Syria. Hard lessons for Israel
After the events of last weekend, when the Hezbollah flag was raised in London, spending an evening at a rally with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) seemed positively benign. How wrong I was. 08 July 2016. Richmond Terrace, London SW1A. An area directly opposite Downing Street that is used for demonstrations. It is two years since the 2014 Israel–Hamas conflict, and today the PSC dusted … Continue reading From Hezbollah to Hamas. The PSC rally at Downing Street
For much of the last 2 years I have spent my time within the BDS camps. I go to their events, I network with their delegates, talk to their speakers and socialise with them on Facebook. I’ve sat next to some of the leading lights of BDS and discussed strategy 1:1. When I am there, they think I am one of them, a BDS activist. … Continue reading Fighting BDS (Boycott Divestment Sanctions)
It has been a year now since I changed strategy and began to go to events that are held in the name of the ‘Palestinian cause’. I joined many activist groups and have met with 1000’s of self-declared pro Palestinian activists. Some of those I have had long exchanges with are the ‘stars’ of BDS activism. In only the last ten days, I have been … Continue reading What is a ‘pro Palestinian’?
During these weeks across the UK, universities are holding ‘Israeli apartheid week’. I have sat and viewed with revulsion as images have emerged of students on campus being fed raw radical Islamic propaganda. It has turned into a show, with each of the universities trying to outdo each other. This year Cambridge received praise for placing a military checkpoint in the centre of the Sidgwick … Continue reading Israeli Apartheid week: The shame of UK students
I recently responded to a post on a friend’s Facebook page regarding the current security threat in Europe. This is something I do not do very often, Facebook is inherently a ‘family affair’, which means arguing on someone’s personal page, rather than in a dedicated group setting, is like arguing in their lounge. I know many cast this aside, but it is my personal thing, … Continue reading The true level of antisemitism
There is a vote taking place at the American Anthropological Association meeting in Denver tomorrow over the boycott of Israeli academic institutions. I am far more in tune with the BDS movements actions within the UK but having analysed the dedicated boycott website and seen their attempt to deceive the doubters through a Q&A page, it is clear that the method and flawed logic crosses … Continue reading Are Anthropologists that stupid?
For those that haven’t read my writing before, I never shoot from the hip. The bigger the issue, the greater the anger, the longer I require to internalise events before I am able to place my thoughts onto paper. So it is little surprise that it has taken several days to digest the events that took place in Paris last Friday night. Like most people … Continue reading From Jerusalem to New York, to Paris, ‘brothers in arms’
It is 100 years since the Ottomans ruled the Middle East region, and today Israel is the single oasis of freedom in a bubbling regional mess. Anyone, who like I have, has grappled with the complex history of the Israel/Arab conflict, must have spent long periods attempting to unravel the events that were to bring about such suffering on both sides of the great divide. … Continue reading The Palestinians, 100 years of catastrophic mismanagement
