Al-Jazeerah: Cross-Cultural Understanding
www.ccun.org www.aljazeerah.info |
Opinion Editorials, August 2014 |
||||||||||||||||||
Archives Mission & Name Conflict Terminology Editorials Gaza Holocaust Gulf War Isdood Islam News News Photos Opinion Editorials US Foreign Policy (Dr. El-Najjar's Articles) www.aljazeerah.info
|
The Hypocrisy of Israel's Stooges in Britain By Stuart Littlewood Redress, Al-Jazeerah, CCUN, August 7, 2014
Some not amused by Palestinian flag projected onto Parliament buildingSanctions, arms embargo and end to massacre demanded in lightsThe Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has projected an image of the Palestinian flag onto the Houses of Parliament in London. The image includes calls for sanctions against Israel and an end to the massacre in Gaza. Hugh Lanning, Chair of PSC, criticized the British government for standing by while Israel slaughters Palestinians. He said Cameron must demand an end the massacre in Gaza, implement an immediate and total arms embargo on Israel and impose sanctions until Israel ends its illegal occupation.” Israel’s stooges spring to actionOf course, a splendid idea like this is not without risk of flak from the usual suspects. Jonathan Arkush, the vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “Offensive to the British public”? Is Arkush now speaking for all of us? The Palestinian flag projected onto the Houses of Parliament is absolute fine with me. What I find “offensive” is the large number of Israel flag-wavers that stalk the corridors inside. The frequent claim that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East is wearing thin, considering the raft of discriminatory laws against non-Jews. Arkush forgets that Palestine is a democracy that’s not allowed by Israel and its sponsors to function properly. How many Palestinian parliamentarians are languishing in Israeli jails, Arkush? Thirty four is it? And if Israel ended its illegal occupation and siege there would be no need for tunnels.
I imagine we all feel sympathy for the young man [the Israeli soldier allegedly taken prisoner in Gaza] and his family, if he has been captured (as I write there’s no proof). But is he not a member of an invading army that has been slaughtering civilians for the last three weeks and a legitimate target?
As for the PSC’s silence on rockets, Arkush is himself silent about the continuing occupation and blockade, the vast amount of state-of-the-art ordnance fired by Israel into the tightly-packed humanity of Gaza and the need for Israel’s military to rearm from America’s stockpile in order to carry on the slaughter. Hamas’s political wing is not a proscribed terror organization in the UK. And since Cameron repeatedly pledges his unwavering support for Israel come what may, who can expect any sense from him? In another statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews expresses “dismay and revulsion” at what it described as “the kidnapping” of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin. “The kidnapping,” it said, “took place as part of a violent ambush by Hamas, within hours of the UN, US and Egypt back[ing] ‘72-hour ceasefire’ taking effect.” I imagine we all feel sympathy for the young man and his family, if he has been captured (as I write there’s no proof). But is he not a member of an invading army that has been slaughtering civilians for the last three weeks and a legitimate target? Which side breached the ceasefire has not yet been clearly established. But if it was Hamas they should, in my opinion, hand him back none the worse for his experience and a little wiser. That would play well on both sides and, importantly, with the outside world. Even if the Israelis broke the ceasefire they should do it. By the way, does the Board of Deputies ever express similar revulsion whenever Palestinian youngsters in the West Bank (where there are no rockets, no tunnels) are abducted from their homes in the middle of the night by Israel’s armed snatch squads?
|
|
Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org. editor@aljazeerah.info & editor@ccun.org |