Current Affairs Israel is an apartheid state

[Bluerover]

Ireland should refer Israel to the International Criminal Court, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has told party members.

Speaking at the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Athlone, she attacked the EU's policy on the conflict in Gaza and said: "when the European Commission gives carte blanche to Israel to massacre Palestinians, we say, no, never. They do not speak for us."

She added: "The world sees Israeli actions for what they are. Barbaric. Hateful. Cowardly. War crimes."


(Ard Fheis is Irish language equivalent of annual party conference)

I still wouldn't go as far as breaking off diplomatic relations - we still have the Russian embassy open.

Also the 19 of the other EU MSs are not covering themselves in glory

 

[Amw79]

Yes, while they did well not to get to feisty, the press will focus on anything they can. What did the banners say, do you know?

Have seen a variety referenced, but Sky News has an article which included a few.

Police 'actively looking' for individuals over antisemitic signs at pro-Palestinian march

While a march in the capital calling for a ceasefire in Gaza remained largely peaceful, images are circulating on social media showing some protesters having carried antisemitic signs. Sky News has also seen antisemitic graffiti close to the route.

news.sky.com

 

[Bluerover]

WOW!

300,000 people asking for kids to stop being killed are “Hamas sympathisers.” Scum, absolute scum.

Were there actually pro- Hamas signs and clothing on the march??

If not he should be forced to resign.

 

[Blue 1]

Were there actually pro- Hamas signs and clothing on the march??

If not he should be forced to resign.

I saw "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free" on clothes, but nothing worse than that. I wasn't on the demo though. Just in London.

 

[Amw79]

Were there actually pro- Hamas signs and clothing on the march??

If not he should be forced to resign.

Haven’t been able to find any. Posted the sky article re some anti semitic banners, but couldn’t find any pro-hamas signs, in my quick google searching.

Think I saw a guardian report after the last march that there were some banners with paragliders on them, referencing the Oct 7 attacks, so those may have resurfaced, but haven’t seen any directly from today.

 

[orchard]

Haven’t been able to find any. Posted the sky article re some anti semitic banners, but couldn’t find any pro-hamas signs, in my quick google searching.

Think I saw a guardian report after the last march that there were some banners with paragliders on them, referencing the Oct 7 attacks, so those may have resurfaced, but haven’t seen any directly from today.

I think there may have been a couple comparing the acts of Israel to that of National Socialist Germany, and according to the new definitions that's anti-semitic for some reason.

 

[orchard]

 

[Bluerover]

Have seen a variety referenced, but Sky News has an article which included a few.

Police 'actively looking' for individuals over antisemitic signs at pro-Palestinian march

While a march in the capital calling for a ceasefire in Gaza remained largely peaceful, images are circulating on social media showing some protesters having carried antisemitic signs. Sky News has also seen antisemitic graffiti close to the route.

news.sky.com

Why is criticism of the criminal actions of a state and its military deemed to be a racist attack on an ethnic/religious group ?

Some 45% of the Israeli population consider themselves secular, non-religious.

A small number of courageous religious Jews in Israel have openly criticised their own Government and what is happening in Gaza and the Westbank - are they anti-semites ???

When there are protests (rightfully) against the criminal actions of the Russian state and its military, it is not seen as a racist attack on Slavs who make up 77% of the Russian population.

Hypocrisy reigns in most western 'democracies'.

 

[tsubaki]

the CAA writes:

The Campaign Against Antisemitism has released a statement saying that Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan police, is “failing” Britain’s Jews. It also says that Rowley has “serious questions to answer” about why the march was allowed to take place.

The CAA say that the Jewish community is “terrified” and that it is aware of families being targeted on their way out of synagogues. The statement reads: “While we welcome the more significant number of arrests this week, the overall policing policy in relation to these demonstrations is woeful. This march should never have been allowed to go ahead, and Sir Mark Rowley has serious questions to answer. Perhaps he should do so to Britain’s Jews, whom he is failing.”

 

[Bluerover]

DAVID KAISER

OCTOBER 22, 2015 6:35 PM EDT

This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked a wave of backlash when he argued that the Holocaust was the brainchild of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, who, Netanyahu claimed, suggested killing the Jews (rather than merely expelling them) to Hitler during a 1941 visit to Berlin. As it happens, the full German record of the meeting between al-Husseini and Hitler, on Nov. 28, 1941, was published half a century ago, and is readily available online. It is a fascinating and important document.

Not only does it make clear that Netanyahu’s accusation is false, but it also sheds light on the true origins of the Holocaust, and why Hitler undertook it when he did.

What Hitler and the Grand Mufti Really Said

The conversation didn't happen the way Benjamin Netanyahu said, but it still sheds light on a historical moment

time.com

Did any western Government criticise Netanyahu for this blatant fabrication at the time? Clear incitement.

 

[Amw79]

Why is criticism of the criminal actions of a state and its military deemed to be a racist attack on an ethnic/religious group ?

Some 45% of the Israeli population consider themselves secular, non-religious.

A small number of courageous religious Jews in Israel have openly criticised their own Government and what is happening in Gaza and the Westbank - are they anti-semites ???

When there are protests (rightfully) against the criminal actions of the Russian state and its military, it is not seen as a racist attack on Slavs who make up 77% of the Russian population.

Hypocrisy reigns in most western 'democracies'.

I don’t think it is, or should be.

But think the picture of the snake with the Star of David on it, circling the globe, is probably flirting a bit too closely with well known anti semitic tropes.

I think all those banners in that sky article, could be argued back and forth about whether they’re anti-Semitic, or merely critical of the state of Israel. Playing into anti-Semitic tropes, or merely ignorant of them. I think it was brain dead to allow that to become a point of discussion.

 

[magicjuan]

Some of them have come straight out with it today. I had to delete some comments to save the hassle. My brother in law is a palace fan. I messaged him some “pure bantz “ and he came back with “ your (sic) a racist going on a march celebrating baby murder” !

The left and the right are further apart than ever before I think.

The ambition is to maintain polarity on anything and everything.

 

[Bluerover]

I don’t think it is, or should be.

But think the picture of the snake with the Star of David on it, circling the globe, is probably flirting a bit too closely with well known anti semitic tropes.

I think all those banners in that sky article, could be argued back and forth about whether they’re anti-Semitic, or merely critical of the state of Israel. Playing into anti-Semitic tropes, or merely ignorant of them. I think it was brain dead to allow that to become a point of discussion.

I agree mate.

IF I had been participating - and I admit I have not taken part in any similar protests in Ireland - I certainly would not carry such banners. They are playing into the hands of those who want to deflect attention from the war crimes being committed in Gaza and the West Bank.

For the UK PM to concentrate on these few banners, and ignore the hundreds of thousands who did not carry such materials, but protested peacefully against the murder of innocents, is reprehensible.

 

[Amw79]

I agree mate.

IF I had been participating - and I admit I have not taken part in any similar protests in Ireland - I certainly would not carry such banners. They are playing into the hands of those who want to deflect attention from the war crimes being committed in Gaza and the West Bank.

For the UK PM to concentrate on these few banners, and ignore the hundreds of thousands who did not carry such materials, but protested peacefully against the murder of innocents, is reprehensible.

Agreed. It gives the PM something to talk about, other than the actual intended content of the march itself. The game is rigged to start with. Scoring needless own goals doesn’t help.

 

[magicjuan]

Haven’t been able to find any. Posted the sky article re some anti semitic banners, but couldn’t find any pro-hamas signs, in my quick google searching.

Think I saw a guardian report after the last march that there were some banners with paragliders on them, referencing the Oct 7 attacks, so those may have resurfaced, but haven’t seen any directly from today.

This is where we are approaching very dubious territory. It will be open to those, who have demonstrably been shown to have vested interests in the completion of Israeli intent, to decide what is offensive, defamatory or anti semitic. In the same way Braverman wants to criminalise charities, or brand single issue campaigns as 'extremists', so too will words be 'criminalised' out of context or intent.
We're just about to cross the Rubicon.