This hyperbolic (indeed, offensive) nonsense flowed last week from the pen of a Frenchman called Frank Barat, described as coordinator of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, the 4th session of which was held in New York this past weekend.
Here, from the realm of pop, is what one of the Tribunal's newest "jurors" had to say about his own involvement (hat tip: reader Philo):
And here's a show biz Wally who's Jewish explaining why Israel is being targeted by this kangaroo court (of course, no "useful idiot" would describe it as such) and not, say, the Congo:
In the rest of his article, headed "Palestine is no longer a dirty word," Barat waxed upbeat and excited about the anticipated proceedings:
".... US activists are all saying in unison: ‘This is going to be huge. This is going to be an historic event, a milestone for Palestine solidarity in the US.’ The buzz around the tribunal is amazing. Even the mainstream press seems to have caught the bug. Time magazine, Le Monde, Le Monde Diplomatique, mainstream Swiss newspapers, The Nation, The Huffington Post, Democracy Now, Al Ahram, Al Jazeera English and the New York Times are all coming to cover the session.
On top of this, we now have personalities contacting us directly to be a witness of this event. World- renowned French philosopher Etienne Balibar will be in the room, Zwenlizima Vavi, one of the most respected and liked public figures in South Africa will also be there, Mariam Said, wife of late Palestinian Icon Edward Said will be present; US actor John Cusack told us he might pop in.
Deep down, I know that it is not going to stop. I have got this feeling that more and more people are going to join the struggle for justice that the Palestinians have been fighting for decades. Palestine is not a dirty word anymore and will soon be fashionable. Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Roger Waters, Ronnie Kasrils, Michael Mansfield, Stephane Hessel, Mairead Maguire, Cynthia McKinney, John Dugard, Miguel Angel Estrella and Dennis Banks, our jury members, will soon be joined by many more personalities.
The ones that crossed the picket line and ignored the Palestinian call for boycott, will have their place in history and will also be remembered – for all the wrong reasons. People will always be there to remind them and ask them: ‘Hey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Madonna, where were you in 2012, when Palestinians were suffering from apartheid, persecution, and colonialism?...."It would seem, from what he says in this video where he appears as a talking head, that the mainstream media was not as interested in the one-sided Tribunal as Barat wished.
Roger waters is simply another buffoon in the wall(of lies)
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