Don’t be fooled by Islamophobia

From the Blog of CST, the British Jewish Community Security organisation, November 30th, 2009:

A small Islamophobic group, called Stop Islamisation Of Europe (SIOE), has called for 1,000 Jews to attend its forthcoming demonstration at Harrow mosque; and for each Jew to bring an Israeli flag.

This is strikingly similar to appeals that have also been made in recent months by the English Defence League (EDL). It is also essentially the same as opportunistic attempts by British National Party ....

...A demonstration against Harrow mosque under the banner “Stop the Islamisation of Europe”, is as stupid and offensive as a demonstration against Harrow synagogue, under the banner “Stop the Zionisation of Europe”.

This has nothing to do with the necessary and legitimate work to counter extremism and antisemitism wherever and whenever it genuinely occurs. CST has raised awareness of the activities of extreme Islamist groups in the UK for many years. But to demonise an entire community, every Muslim and every mosque, in the way that SIOE does, shows exactly the kind of bigotry from which Jews have suffered so often in our history. For SIOE to appeal to Jews to support them shows a complete ignorance of the Jewish experience of being on the receiving end of exactly this type of politics.

It is ludicrous to imagine that one form of racism can be fought by employing another form of racism. Take, for example, the unprecedented wave of antisemitic incidents that British Jews experienced during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and Southern Israel in January 2009. Here we had Israel being accused of racist bloodshed – by people who were themselves committing racist attacks against British Jews. Similarly, whatever differences of opinion British Jews and British Muslims may have over Israel/Palestine, and however alarmed Jews are – quite rightly – at the antisemitic agitation of groups like al-Muhajiroun or Hizb ut-Tahrir, nobody should be fooled into supporting SIOE’s incitement against all Muslims.

This is by no means the first occasion on which CST has stressed why Jews should not be fooled by anti-Muslim bigotry, even when it dresses itself up in pro-Jewish guise. As we stated previously:

…this is the politics of hatred and division, which has nothing positive to offer any part of society. The fact that Muslims are the current target simply means that it is Muslims who should be the recipients of anti-racist solidarity.

Hatred, division, cycles of inter-communal violence, intimidation and polarisation feed the extremists on every side. They encourage social division and leave all minorities vulnerable. Anti-Muslim bigotry is a vital recruiting sergeant for both the far right, and its Islamist extremist counterparts. It generates votes for the BNP and, at the furthest ends of this political spectrum, it even provides the fuel for terrorism. British Jews should have no part of it.

"ANTI-JEWISH INCIDENTS IN AUSTRALIA AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH"

From a Press Release 29/11/09, by Jeremy Jones AM, Director of International & Community Affairs, AIJAC:

20 -year study of antisemitism in Australia reveals:

• Unprecedented number of anti-Jewish incidents in latest 12-month period;
• latest technology employed to spread ancient hatred;
• "rhetorical red-lines" crossed;
• political and religious extremists co-operate to distort public debate.

Between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009, an unprecedented 962 reports of anti-Jewish violence, vandalism, harassment and intimidation were received by Australian Jewish organisations", Australia's leading researcher into antisemitic activity, Jeremy Jones, told the Annual Meeting of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) in Sydney today (Sunday November 29).

"It is important to emphasise that my research over 20 years indicates Australians are fundamentally tolerant and opposed to discrimination, vilification or harassment of Jews and other segments of the population, but that a relatively small number of fanatic and offensive individuals are increasingly active in trying to diminish the quality of life of Jewish Australians", he noted.

"Internationally, Australia scores very well as a successful multicultural society".

..."However, the latest twelve-month period saw the highest ever tally of reports of anti-Jewish violence, vandalism, harassment and intimidation, at a rate more than twice the annual average, mainly due to new peaks in abuse and harassment in public streets and via email".

"More than in any other 12-month period, Jewish Australians walking to and from synagogue were abused by passing motorists, Jewish people were confronted with incitement against them in Australian cities, and abusive, offensive and intimidatory emails were received by Jewish Australians at their homes and workplaces", he said.

“On the positive side of the ledger, there was a marked decrease in reports of physical violence against Jewish individuals and property, with 27 incidents compared with 58 and 46 in the previous two years. 27 is the average in this category over 20 years".

"Telephone threats, hate mail and graffiti were also reported at below average rates", he added.

Mr Jones, the Director of International & Community Affairs for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and a former president of the ECAJ, has maintained a comprehensive database of anti-Jewish attacks since 1989, during which time he has logged 7,513 incidents which are defined by Australian government agencies as "racial violence" against the Jewish community.

He also noted that "anti-Jewish propaganda in fringe publications and from extremist organisations remains an ongoing concern; conspiracy theories abounded on the internet and these included a disturbing proportion which were overtly or implicitly antisemitic; and there is particular concern at the negative impact of material from a variety of overseas sources which has as its thesis an eternal enmity of Muslims towards Jews."

He reported that "the period in review included the 2008/9 "Operation Cast Lead", in which Israel fought HAMAS in Gaza, a time when anti-Jewish emails and public abuse reached unprecedented levels. However, the abuse of synagogue-goers commenced its dramatic increase months prior to that event".

He applauded the fact that "public discussion on the extradition request by Hungary to Australia for alleged Nazi War Criminal Charles Zentai, the Federal Court contempt hearing process under the Racial Hatred Act concerning Fredrick Toben and discussions of Middle East politics has generally been passionate without being racially abusive, despite the efforts and activities of some organised political groups who seek to create conflict and division."

He listed “The most significant developments over the past 20 years” as

• the crossing of a variety of "red lines" in anti-Jewish rhetoric, particularly from sections of the political Left, relating to false and offensive comparisons of Israel/Jews with Nazis/Nazism and unashamed association with fascist and antisemitic groups such as HAMAS;

• the growth of a diverse, dynamic Muslim community which has segments which are actively anti-Jewish (as well as those who are actively opposed to antisemitism);

• the continued failure of far-right groups to gain traction, despite outbursts of xenophobia beyond the far right extremes;

• the diminution in significance of Eastern and Central European post-war migrants as a base of antisemitism;

• a number of positive developments from Australian Churches in attitudes to Jews and Judaism;

• the introduction of Federal, and development of State and Territory, legislation designed to give recourse to victims of racism and religious discrimination/harassment;

• the internationalisation of a number of strands of antisemitic activity, through improved communication technology and also movements of individuals and populations;

• the enlistment of persons who identify as Jewish in support of a variety of anti-Jewish slurs;

• the exponential growth and now pervasiveness of on-line technology, which has changed the modes and ease by which antisemites can abuse, harass and intimidate, reshaped and improved the relationships between local, regional, national and international antisemitic groups, resulted in the dissolution of the concept of common information, provided isolated and alienated individuals with the ability to broadcast their views widely, and forced those concerned with racism and antisemitism to re-evaluate strategies for containment of, and response to, these negative and destructive concepts."

What Hamas Really Wants from a Prisoner Swap

From Commentary 4 December 2009, by Evelyn Gordon:

One myth the negotiations over kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit should definitively debunk is that Hamas’s leadership actually cares about the fate of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

In exchange for Shalit, Israel has offered to free 980 Palestinian prisoners, including 450 chosen in consultation with Hamas. And by all accounts, it has already agreed to almost all the 450 specific prisoners whose release Hamas is demanding: the London-based daily Al-Hayat claimed today that Israel has agreed to 400 of them; the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam claimed yesterday that Israel has agreed to all but 15.

Hence if Hamas really wanted to free a large number of Palestinian prisoners — including hundreds involved in some of the worst terrorist violence of the past two decades — all it had to do was say yes. And since the handful Israel still refuses to release includes several senior Hamas figures, such a deal would even reap a public relations bonus: it would show that Hamas is willing to sacrifice for the good of the whole, to let some of its top people stay in jail in order to win freedom for almost 1,000 of its Palestinian brethren.

But in fact, Hamas has said no, publicly and repeatedly. Why? ...

...There are only two possible ways to interpret this.

One, of course, is that Hamas’s leadership cares only about the handful of top-level terrorists in its inner circle, and unless they are released, the other 900-plus Palestinians can rot in jail forever for all it cares.

The other is that Hamas doesn’t actually care about any of the prisoners; what it cares about is proving that it can bend Israel completely to its will.

Granted, Hamas has already gotten Israel to capitulate almost completely. After initially refusing to negotiate at all, Israel began by agreeing to only 70 of the names on Hamas’s list and has since steadily retreated. In March, it agreed to release 325 of those on Hamas’s wish list, and now it has agreed to 400 or even 435.

But “almost” is not enough if the goal is to prove that Hamas’s path of “resistance” (i.e., terror) works better than Fatah’s tactic of diplomatic pressure. After all, Fatah has also gotten Israel to capitulate on almost everything: just last year, Ehud Olmert offered it the equivalent of 100 percent of the territories, including East Jerusalem, plus international Muslim control of the Temple Mount. Yet even then, Israel held out on a few issues, like the “right of return.” Hence to prove that “resistance” is the better path, Hamas needs 100 percent capitulation...

Jewish enemy and employee of the State of Israel

From FrontPage, November 30, 2009, by Paul Shindman:

Jerusalem – Dr. Neve Gordon of Israel’s Ben Gurion University is known as one of the most radical academic Palestinian sympathizers. However, his activities appear to have peaked this year with a call for an anti-Israel boycott, and revelations that he hosted a convicted Palestinian sentenced to house arrest.

Despite being the chairman of the political science department at Israel’s Ben Gurion University, Gordon wrote an L.A. Times op-ed calling for a worldwide boycott of Israel, including Israeli universities, to achieve what he calls "ending our apartheid."

Gordon’s call was widely seen as an anti-democratic attempt to undermine Israeli democracy and sovereignty and drew scathing criticism from his peers in both the academic and activist communities.

The president of BGU, Rivka Carmi, went so far as to say Gordon’s call meant the university “ is being threatened by the egregious remarks of one person, under the guise of academic freedom.” In a rebuttal editorial, Carmi had to point out that it was only Israeli labor law that prevented the university from firing Gordon. In a harsh assessment, she said his boycott call meant “Gordon has forfeited his ability to work effectively within the academic setting, with his colleagues in Israel and around the world.”

Veteran Israeli left wing anti-Zionist activist Uri Avnery was with Gordon and other Israeli extremists when they barricaded themselves in Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Ramallah compound during a prolonged siege by the Israeli army in 2002. Despite their common background, even Avnery rejected Gordon’s op-ed, saying it was an “example of a faulty diagnosis leading to faulty treatment. To be precise: the mistaken assumption that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resembles the South African experience leads to a mistaken choice of strategy.” This was harsh criticism from a political colleague that raised questions about Gordon’s professional abilities as an academic.

Gordon is viewed in his own country as notorious for his venomous anti-Israel writings and statements. The Israeli media reported when Gordon and other activists illegally entered Ramallah in 2002 to serve as human shields inside Yasser Arafat’s headquarters. They wanted to prevent the Israeli army from arresting the suspects wanted for the assassination of an Israeli cabinet minister. Gordon was shown in newspaper photos embracing Arafat. The terrorists were eventually apprehended, tried and convicted.

Gordon also has a fractious track record in his teaching career with numerous run-ins with students who hold opposing views. Gordon regularly denounces Israel as a fascist apartheid entity and admitted that his boycott call was a tactic to force Israeli concessions with the Palestinians. Gordon’s articles are so openly anti-Israel that they are often published on neo-Nazi and Holocaust denial web sites.

Around the same time as the boycott call, Gordon turned his own home into a refuge for convicted Fatah organizer Mohammed Abu Humus, a resident of the Issawiya neighborhood of East Jerusalem. As a local Fatah organizer, Abu Hums had previous convictions for several security related offenses including arson and assault. Despite the latest conviction for directing demonstrators to throw rocks, Gordon described Abu Humus as a “political prisoner” and “a Fatah leader.”

A Jerusalem district judge earlier this year convicted Abu Humus and handed down a nine-month sentence, converted to house arrest. Gordon organized a group of far-left academics to testify on behalf of Abu Humus, and Gordon offered the court to host Abu Humus in Gordon’s own home in Beersheva for the duration of the house arrest. It is evidently the only case on record of a Palestinian terrorist being released to house arrest in the home of a Jewish Israeli citizen....

West Australian Public Sector Union: "activism" without accountability

The Commonwealth Public Sector Union / Civil Service Association (CPSU/CSA) Executive Committee adopted the following anti-Israel resolution on 11 February 2009. It was endorsed by the CSA Council on 25 February 2009:

1. This meeting of the CPSU/CSA Executive Committee strongly condemns the Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip....

...3. This meeting of the CPSU/CSA Executive Committee expresses our support for the campaign of Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) directed at Israel until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territories in accordance with UN resolutions....

...5. This meeting of the CPSU/CSA Executive Committee calls on Unions WA and the Australian Council of Trade Unions to commit their support to the BDS campaign...


A concerned union member recently wrote to Ms Tony Walkington, Secretary of the CPSU/CSA, and kindly provided a copy to JIW:

Dear Ms Walkington

I refer to the CPSU/CSA resolution to support a boycott of Israel and condem the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

As a Union member I am very unhappy that you would presume to make such a serious decision on my behalf.

Why boycott the only liberal democracy in the region. Israel has an enviable justice system which protects the rights of all its citizens regardless of gender, race or religion. It has a history of providing practical assistance and sharing technology with struggling third-world countries and has given a home to hundreds of Vietnamese refugees at a time when many countries were reluctant to do so.

Like any democracy Israel is not perfect, but it does have a system of checks and balances. Free speech is a basic right and diverse political views are accommodated. Israelis are politically aware and are never reticent in criticizing their governments. One thing they all agree on is that they desperately want to live in peace and not to have to send their children to war to defend their country against constant attack.

Have you considered the impact that this proposed boycott could have on the thousands of Palestinians who work in Israel on a daily basis. Israeli unions protect the rights of those workers and are actively engaged with Palestinian unions in an effort to bring peace to the area. Israel is the only source of economic security for many of those people. So much for worker solidarity.

Why didn’t you condemn Palestine when Hamas bombarded Israel with over two thousand rockets during the last eight months of the cease fire? Did it concern you that many of those attacks were directed at schools? Did you complain at all during the last eight years of the Infitadah where Israel was constantly under attack from suicide bombers, rockets from Hezbollah in Lebanon and scud missiles from Iraq?

Clearly you did not seek to inform yourself of the argument for Israel before making this decision. In the interest of balance you should have. I understand that you are very busy and perhaps cannot study every issue in depth. I also understand that those who push anti-Israeli propaganda are strident and convincing.

I have attached a recent speech delivered by Col. Richard Kemp to the UN Human Rights Council which addresses the allegations against Israel in Gaza. I hope you will take the time to read it.

I strongly urge you to reconsider this resolution, reverse it and join TULIP (trade unions linking Israel and Palestine). This offers an opportunity to work constructively towards a peaceful solution in the area and sidelines those who perpetuate the war in order to serve their own dark purposes.

I look forward to your response – which will of course determine my future as a member of the CPSU/CSA.

Yours sincerely
Judith Lewis

Judith has received no response to her letter after many weeks. She will keep us informed of developments.

Not All in Middle East Want Peace

From The Korea Times, 4 Dec 2009, by Clifford D. May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a policy institute focusing on terrorism:

..Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered a 10-month freeze on West Bank settlements. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has responded by demanding more ― as a pre-condition, before he will talk...

...for more than half a century, Western politicians and diplomats have built upon a mirage: the belief that because we see peace as a benefit, everyone in the Middle East must see it that way, too.

This assumption is most obviously false in regard to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza with an iron fist since Israel withdrew from that territory in 2005. Hamas' leaders have been candid: Their goal is the annihilation of Israel, an "infidel" nation occupying land Allah has endowed to the Muslims. A "two-state solution" or any other compromise is out of the question.

Of course, serious people do not envision Israeli-Hamas negotiations. It is rather talks between Israel and Abbas, who maintains tentative control of the West Bank, which President Barack Obama would like to get under way again.

But any agreement Abbas might strike with Israel, no matter how advantageous for average Palestinians, would be denounced by Hamas as an act of treachery and apostasy. Abbas' life would be in danger. If you were advising Abbas, what would you tell him? Probably, to do exactly what he is doing: Pocket any Israeli concessions the Americans can wring out of the Israelis while dismissing them as woefully insufficient; refuse to negotiate; but behind the scenes work with the Israelis on security ― not least your own ― and economic development. If nothing else, that may prevent Hamas from gaining additional ground.

As for Israel's neighbors, they are undemocratic regimes so, for them, allies are nice, but enemies are essential. Where else can popular dissatisfaction be deflected? Take Saudi Arabia: Israel long ago proved itself to be the Saudis' best enemy. The Saudis know they face no actual threat from Israel, but hatred of Israel is something Wahhabi clerics ― whose theological support the House of Saud requires ― can sink their teeth into during Friday night sermons. Why would a Saudi prince trade that for an invitation to dine in Jerusalem?

There's also this: Tension in the Middle East keeps the price of oil higher than it would be were a durable peace ever to break out. Any country that depends on oil sales ― Russia, for example ― benefits so long as the conflict stays at least on low simmer. Higher oil prices on the one hand, peace for Israelis and Palestinians on the other: You think it takes Vladimir Putin long to make up his mind?

As for Iran's Shia Islamist rulers, the vehemence of their jihad against Israel buys them legitimacy within the Sunni world. Like Hamas and Hezbollah, two terrorists groups they finance (the first Sunni, the second Shia), Iran's rulers have not the slightest interest in such Western diplomatic constructs as a ``final-status plan for a two-state solution."

With so many key actors opposed to peace, there is no way for Israel, even with energetic American help, to reach a lasting settlement with its Muslim neighbors any time soon. But Abbas' Palestinian Authority does appear to be cooperating closely with the Israeli Defense Forces to crack down on both terrorists and criminals. And an improved security situation is among the factors contributing to a remarkable new economic vitality on the West Bank.

Netanyahu calls this the pursuit of ``economic peace." Could it pay off over time by persuading more Palestinians ― and more powerful Palestinians ― to embrace peace as their goal and effectively challenge peace's opponents? Yes to the first, doubtful but not impossible to the second. But why not achieve now what can be achieved now? Surely, cultivating a small oasis is preferable to pursuing a great mirage.

Lebanon & Hezbollah ...it's all the same

From FoxNews.com, December 2, 2009, by Michael Tobin:

Lebanon ’s new government just took a game changing step in the event of another military conflict with Israel . It involves Hezbollah being folded into the Government of the new Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The Prime Minister answered Hezbollah’s demand and backed the groups’ demand to keep all of its weapons. Hezbollah says the weapons are for the purpose of deterring an Israeli invasion.

This puts Lebanon in a conflict with the U.S. and French sponsored U.N. resolution 1559 – which calls for the disarmament of all groups in Lebanon other than the Army.

From Israel ’s perspective, it puts the Lebanese government in an alliance with the armed wing of Hezbollah.

Mark Regev, spokesman for Israel ’s Prime Minister says, “Any attack from Hezbollah will be seen by Israel as an attack from the Lebanese state.” In the 2nd Lebanon war more than 1000 Lebanese were killed, most of them civilian. The damage to infrastructure was significant and more than 1 million Lebanese were displaced form their homes. According to Israel , these painful figures will only increase now if there is a 3rd Lebanon war because the entire state becomes a target.

“In the 2nd Lebanon war, a strategic decision was made that Lebanon was not the target,” says Regev. “ Israel made the distinction between Hezbollah and Lebanese.”

Hezbollah is now said to possess 40,000 rockets in Lebanon . The weapons stockpile is reported to be larger than it was at the start of the 2nd Lebanon war in July of 2006.