Ardent Zionists v Enlightened Jews: An Assault on British Jewry
May 14, 2012 12:06 by Simon Plosker
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown has been critiqued regularly by HonestReporting over the years. The Independent columnist has a particularly vicious streak when it comes to Israel, which she routinely describes as a “racist” and “apartheid” state. Indeed, she has a propensity to view many issues through the framework of race.
In her latest op-ed, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown:
- Accuses Israel of charging its critics with anti-Semitism to shut down legitimate criticism.
- Fails to acknowledge that hunger striking Palestinian prisoners may have been detained for legitimate reasons, including terrorism.
- Portrays the majority of Israel-supporting British Jews as being “instructed to hate” Palestinians and lacking in integrity.
Read on to find out how you can take action.
In her latest polemic, Alibhai-Brown addresses the issue of Palestinian hunger strikers and administrative detention. To be sure, the topic is not a comfortable one and a healthy debate, as also occurs within Israel itself, is perfectly legitimate. But to Alibhai-Brown, referring to “hardline Israelis”:
Their country is protected from censure partly because of fears that any criticism of its actions is potentially “anti-Semitic”. Some anti-Semites do use Israel as a cover, but then Israel uses that fact to tar and warn all legitimate criticism. Its governments do what they damn-well want and claim perpetual exceptionality. Their darkest deeds are thus left unscrutinised.
We challenge Alibhai-Brown to furnish us with the evidence that Israel’s supporters use an “anti-Semitism card” to shut down all legitimate criticism. This is patently untrue and Alibhai-Brown’s charge is more commonly employed as a means to delegitimize the rights of Israel’s supporters to advocate for or defend Israel from criticism. As for the claim that Israel is beyond scrutiny, the amount of stories published on the Palestinian hunger strikers alone, not to mention the constant focus of the media and world on this part of the world, make this claim laughable.
If Alibhai-Brown were interested in a proper and balanced debate on the issue, perhaps she would have cared to mention the fact that those hunger strikers in her op-ed are members of Islamic Jihad, a vicious terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews. But no. To Alibhai-Brown:
The detained Palestinians are embarked on peaceful, Gandhian protest action.
Referring to Palestinian prisoners, Alibhai-Brown states:
To be a Palestinian, to want equality, rights, freedom and land is not a crime. Except that for hardline Israelis, it is.
Palestinian prisoners are not detained for seeking peace. Israel is not a sinister police state that arrests Palestinians for expressing legitimate aspirations. Israel takes appropriate action against those who carry out, advocate or incite terrorism or violence. Islamic Jihad is not an organization with legitimate political aspirations – its sole raison d’etre is to carry out acts of terror.
Alibhai-Brown is fond of noting that she has many Jewish friends, although these friends are invariably critical of Israel. Indeed, Alibhai-Brown likes to differentiate between “good Jews” and “bad Jews”:
The moralistic Chief Rabbi will not be on “Thought for the Day” expressing sorrow for the treatment of these prisoners. Ardent British Zionists will not be pressed to condemn those responsible for the state barbarism.
Who exactly are these “ardent British Zionists”?
Alfred Marton
8:51 pm
May 22, 2012
As a fervent Zionist, I am delighted to see all of these antisemitic European countries like England being swallowed up by their growing Moslem populations. Sharia law will rule in the soon to
be extinct EU and NATO and the UN.
As for Israel, it has outlived 7 civilizations (ex; Roman Empire) and are still around.
If you can judge the future by the past, Israel will once again outlive another one.
Go Shria Law…suck up those antisemitic countries. Amen.
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Elana Starr
11:15 pm
May 22, 2012
While I despise the European nations’ shortsightedness and anti-Semitism, I am sorry, but I do not share your “delight” at them being taken over by Moslem extremists, if only because it does not bode well for Israel. I think the only hope for the world at large is for the Chinese and the Indians to get really tough with Muslims. And maybe Americans will stop will also start taking a hard line and not put up with the crap which is occurring in places such as Dearborn, Michigan, where Islam rules.
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Rich L
9:56 pm
May 23, 2012
Ms. Brown’s surname is appropriate indeed. It matches both her eye color and the content of her columns both of which clearly show she is full of “it.” Maybe a visit to her druggist would clear up the physical problem.
The mental one – well, that would only improve if she could demonstrate an open mind, something which she is apparently unwilling or unable to demonstrate. She is irrevocably committed to her polemic and doesn’t wish to be confused by the facts. Although we recognize our inherent difficulties* in teaching a pig to sing, we are no less absolved from at least making the effort.
* It is stressful and timeconsuming for the teacher and it annoys the heck out of the pig.
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Ruth Ben-Or
10:27 pm
May 23, 2012
Rich L, since we Jews don’t go in for bloodsports, it is quite cathartic to annoy somebody! and stick the darts in.
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phili
6:23 pm
Jun 16, 2012
Those who bless you I will bless – those who curse you I will curse.
The Bible, Book of Genesis, Chapter 12, Verse 3.
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Rodney
9:33 pm
Jun 16, 2012
Separating people, subjugating them to the will of the rulers without the protection of independent courts, forbidding all other religions bar your own, capital punishment for political crimes, denying marriage across religious or racial lines, punishment without due process, separate living areas, a controlled Press, no freedom of movement within the country: this is apartheid and is regularly and exactly practiced in all the countries surrounding Israel. Israel is a free state where these basic freedoms are available to all. Intransigence lies in the eye of the bigoted Yasmin and her proxies who seek the slaughter their own people and anyone else who does not agree with them.
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Ruth Ben-Or
9:49 pm
Jun 16, 2012
Rodney, you said it! where are the howls of anguish from Amnesty International etc., now?
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jeb stuart
5:04 pm
Sep 02, 2012
“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu in Washington, DC in mid-December 2011 to discuss how the
United States can implement the OIC agenda to criminalize criticism of
Islam. Cloaked in the sanctimonious language of “Resolution 16/18,”
that was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in April 2011, the WDC
three-day experts meeting is billed as a working session to discuss
legal mechanisms to combat religious discrimination (but the only
religion the Human Rights Council has ever mentioned in any previous
resolution is Islam). ” by snipe Posted December 11, 2011.
What else needs to be said? The accusations by Alibhai-Brown is misinformation.
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andrew o'shea
7:14 am
Sep 03, 2012
There seems to be a large number of ‘journalists’ who are being paid to write ‘libelous’ articles, free of persecution as long as they meet 2 main points, 1) write Israel as a ‘beast without a heart’, 2) pour out pity for a society of Arabs who only ‘want peace’. After a visit to Israel and meeting many people, I have learn’t that Israeli’s would love to live in a safe, friendly environment, there are some who see the need for violence as a means of defending. The Arabs who work in Israel also enjoy their lifestyle. On the other side. calls for ‘total destruction’ of Israel are many. No amount of land will bring peace when mohammed calls for all jews to die. Westerners are next…
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Ike Brajtman
4:36 pm
Sep 04, 2012
Pigs are happy eating garbage. It seems this journalist enjoys writing it.
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Ruth Ben-Or
4:54 pm
Sep 04, 2012
Sometimes a bad person becomes better, but ignorant is as ignorant does, unto the 1000th generation, AMEN!
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Mike Levy
3:18 pm
Sep 05, 2012
Yasmin Alibhai…………………Could she be the “Queen Flea” of the middle east?
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Ruth Ben-Or
11:42 pm
Sep 05, 2012
“Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite’em
And little fleas have littler fleas and so on ad infinitem!”
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Chaim Kessler
9:33 am
Sep 12, 2012
They have hated us for over 3,500 years. They have tried to eliminate us almost forever. Mighty Rome, Mighty Catholic church, Spain, Portugal, Crusaders, Cossacks, Nazis, Arabs. Even secularists from within. None have nor will they ever.
Most do not even exist in the form they were. If at all.
We are still here after all this time, our protector is invincible. His promise is true.
As long as we are true to Him He will remain true to us.
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Manchester PR
1:12 pm
Sep 18, 2012
thanks for this
In yesterday’s i (an offshoot of The Independent) Yasmin managed to get in the term “powerful Zionist censorship” when referring to Salman Rushdie and those that supported him.
Why Israel or Jews have anything to do with this I don’t know and the wider issue of the piece about this film that is causing unrest the Muslim world
To me the term smacks of anti-semitism
How a national printed it I don’t know
Rob
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Ruth Ben-Or
8:37 pm
Sep 18, 2012
I would be interested to know in what way “powerful Zionist censorship” played a role in enabling Salman Rushdie to be HEARD? Does this woman know the meaning of the word censorship?
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