On BBC 4’s ‘Any Questions’ last weekend, historian Dr David Starkey addressed the motivation behind the Iraq war:
‘The action in Iraq was driven by one thing, and it was a very understandable desire for vengeance. Americans again are a little bit like Jews (murmur from audience) …no, let me please, I’m being really serious, I’m not calling names but calling for us to understand a different mindset. Here the notion of vengeance is on the whole regarded as deplorable… In Judaism, Islam and American Protestantism vengeance is a wholly acceptable notion (audience murmur) … that’s the truth, and after 9/11 they wanted to strike back. And that is it. End of story.’ (see transcript in .pdf)
Host Jonathon Dimbleby moved right along after this comment without batting an eyelash. Melanie Philips handles the retort:
This idea that the Jews are vengeful is, in fact, one of the most deeply entrenched, vicious prejudices about the Jews — and one that currently surfaces again and again in the language used to describe Israel’s defence against terror. In other words, whenever the Jews try to prevent themselves from being murdered, this is presented not as self defence but vengeance. When the Americans tried to prevent another 9/11, this was not self-defence but vengeance. (Starkey’s inclusion of Islam appeared to be a lame attempt to camouflage the outrageous prejudice of his opinion).
Comments to BBC 4: click here
