Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Tuesday 18 October 2011

No Free Speech For Israel's Friends: Pro-Israel Activist Banned From Amnesty International Meeting in London

This is a crosspost by that doughty British Zionist Jonathan Hoffman (pictured).  Entitled "Human Rights ... unless you want to defend Israel at our hate meetings," it also appears in the blogs section of the Jewish Chronicle website.

Writes Jonathan Hoffman:

Last night (17 October) Amnesty International in London had a meeting: "Demolitions & Discrimination against Palestinian Citizens of Israel: The case of Al-Araqib"

The title of the meeting tells you that Israel was vilified. If you still have doubts, look at the speaker lineup:

Dr. Awad Abu Freih - Al ‘Araqib Popular Committee & Negev Co- existence Forum;
Dr Mansour Nsasra - Politics Department, Exeter University;
Miri Weingarten - EU Advocacy Coordinator for Israel/OPT - Israeli Human Rights Consortium.

Exeter University is a centre for vilification of Israel. Ilan Pappé is there. Weingarten is a member of Physicians for Human Rights.

Amnesty has a long history of holding Israel-hate meetings. If you look on my blog and Richard Millett’s blog you will find these meetings documented:
http://www.thejc.com/blogs/jonathan-hoffman/amnesty-hosts-deluded-self-o...
http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/shame-amnesty-international-its-biased-isr...
http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/amnesty-the-scum-ngo
http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/vote-eric-lee-restore-objectivity-amnestys...
http://www.thejc.com/blogpost/censoredcensoredcensored

Scandalously Amnesty never called for Gilad Shalit – whose release we celebrate today – to be freed:
http://www.thejc.com/blogs/jonathan-hoffman/amnesty-not-asking-gilads-re...

I pre-registered for last night’s meeting in order to make the following points in the Q+A:
- The Bedouin inhabitants of Al-Araqib are squatters – much like some of the gypsies at Dale Farm in the UK. The village is on land that has been government-owned since Ottoman times. This status was adopted under the British Mandate and has been taken into Israeli law.
- The demolitions of houses were according to the law. The buildings were erected only recently by the Abu Madyam and Abu Jaber families. The Bedouin have been unable to substantiate their claim of land ownership with any documentation. The Supreme Court ruled that the inhabitants acted in bad faith, unable to provide evidence for their ownership claims.
- On occasion Bedouin have tried to expel other Bedouin
- The families who claim Al-Araqib also own villas and plots in Rahab. Abdullah Abu Madyam is a merchant who is said to be using the illegal structures to store his merchandise. There are photos of him arriving in a luxury car. The Al-Uqbi family – said to be one of the dispossessed families – has been given free land by the government in Hura.
- The Goldberg Report has made comprehensive recommendations for the betterment of the lives of the 191,000
Bedouins in the Negev:
http://www.bicom.org.uk/context/research-and-analysis/latest-bicom-analy...

I wanted to make these points in the Q+A

But I could not.

Because I was refused entry to the meeting.  Yet again Amnesty has proved that "Human Rights" do not extend to the right of Free Speech to defend Israel at its hate sessions...

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