Lentin's Loathsome "Elegaic J'Accuse"

Born into a Christian family in Lebanon, Professor Ghassan Hage of Melbourne, whom we've met before on this blog in connection with his petition against Israel of a few years ago, co-written with Sydney academic John Docker, and his on-going pro-BDS stance, is highly critical of white colonial settlement in countries such as Australia, which appears to inform his attitude to Israel.

Sometimes his indictment of white colonial settlement can appear so harsh as to give the impression, rightly or wrongly, of reverse racism.

See, for instance, this poetic contribution of his on social media:

Born in Haifa in 1944, Associate Professor Ronit Lentin of Dublin is one of a number of Israel-hating  academics  from Eretz/Medinat Israel resident in Britain and Ireland.  Her name appears here as one of the endorsers of "The One State Declaration" of 2007 authored by Ilan Pappe and others, which if implemented would end Israel's existence, and her anti-Israel activism is well-known.

Ghassan Hage's poem (what she calls his 'elegaic J'Accuse') has inspired her to write one of her own, adapted from "white colonial Australia to Palestine," as she puts it:

We stole the lands of another people but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We expelled 800,000 of the owners of the land, renamed their villages and settled our own people in them but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We uprooted their trees and planted European conifers to cover the ruins of their depopulated villages, which they are not allowed to settle but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We massacred whole villages, tortured their men, raped their women and beat their children but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We bombed their cities, demolished their homes and built concrete walls to separate them from each other but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We installed hundreds of checkpoints preventing the owners of the land from getting to hospital to give birth or get treatment but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We started war after war outside the non-declared borders of our state, leaving hundred of thousands homeless, claiming self defence but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We put the owners of the land under military government, enlisted them as collaborators and informers, and controlled their movement and freedom of expression but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We put thousands of the owners of the land in prison and hundreds in administrative detention without trial but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We build our settlements on their lands while preventing them from tilling their fields and picking their olives but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We allowed our illegal settlers to beat their children on their way to school and to take over their homes but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We kept thousands of citizens in 'unrecognised villages' without electricity, water, roads or schools but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We extra-judicially execute the owners of the land, arrest their children in dawn raids and try them in military courts but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We lock up asylum seekers whose cases we don't process in concentration camps away from our towns, into some of which they cannot enter but that's not who we are we are better than this.
We deny the owners of the land the memory of their catastrophe but that's not who we are we are better than this.
You see we are Holocaust survivors, and their land had been promised to us by our god and those doubting our right to expropriate, kill, settle, imprison, shoot, bomb, torture are antisemites.

 Demonising, and demonic, stuff, eh?
 

David Singer: Internet Intifada On Free Speech Intensifies

Here's the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.

He writes:

An increasing number of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel websites are banning comments made by me in response to articles or readers’ comments published on their sites.

These websites have:

1. Simply not posted my comments or

2. Deleted all published comments – including mine – when factual errors pointed out by me cannot be successfully challenged or denied - thereby exposing the unquestionable venom and hate being spewed out on these websites

The latest novel attempt to blatantly silence me recently reared its ugly head when I attempted to respond to this reader’s offensive and unsubstantiated comment:

Wow — “smug” is the perfect word for this effing Zionist.

Great post — thank you!

Go BDS! Go every other effort to expose and dispose of the criminally psychotic ideology Zionism and its every adherent! Viva Palestine!

My response was not published.

Mysteriously however another even more offensive comment was posted by the same reader responding to my unpublished comment:

David Singer, I found your

RIP Palestine. All this nonsense could have been avoided had the Arabs accepted the 1947 UN Partition Plan or created a second Arab state in former Palestine – in addition to Jordan – between 1948 and 1967 after all the Jews living in the West Bank and Gaza had been driven out by six invading Arab armies.

The Arabs need to step up to the plate and accept the consequences of those decisions which have caused so much grief to Jews and Arabs since.

at my incoming e-mail site. Now, why should the already dispossessed, scattered Palestinian polity — you know the stats: at least 750,000 cleansed from their land, up to 500 villages razed by Zioterrorists by 1949 — have accepted an illegal move engineered by Zionist schemers (who bragged of “having it all” even then) and foisted on the fledgling UN (the GA at that) in November 1947? The Palestinians wanted justice and their own independent state then and they’ve steadfastly sought justice and fulfillment of their legitimate aspirations ever since. “nonsense,” bullshit!

Enough, already, of your “singing,” Singer.

Well might you ask – how did my unpublished comment make its way into this crude reader’s email box without it being published on-line first?

The saga does not end there.

I then endeavoured to post the following response:

You state:

"The Palestinians wanted justice and their own independent state then and they’ve steadfastly sought justice and fulfillment of their legitimate aspirations ever since"

The Palestinian Arabs could have had their own independent State in 1947 in a much larger share of former Palestine than is available to them now under any negotiated settlement in 2016 - if they had not rejected the UN Partition Plan.

Do you agree?

You are also silent on the fact that they could have also had their own independent State in all the West Bank and Gaza and even East Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967 when not one Jew lived there and Jordan and Egypt were the occupiers. That could have happened with the stroke of an Arab League pen.

Do you agree?

Those golden opportunities will not return.

The Palestinian Arabs and their Arab brethren in the Arab League have blown it well and truly.

They will have to settle for a lot less than 100 per cent of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem if they want to make peace with Israel.

Do you agree?

These comments have not been published.

Suppressing free speech on these insidious websites must be continually exposed and roundly condemned.

Deliberately manipulating these hate-filled websites perpetuates an unchallenged aura of lies and distortions that are misleadingly and deceptively influencing readers’ opinions on the Arab-Jewish conflict.

Once Upon A Time (Yet Another Fairy Story) + Norwegian BDS (video) + Corbyn & Sizer

Coins (Mandate authority issue), a "sixteenth century" (actually, pre-war 20th century) map with Palestine printed on it, a post card from Golda Meir during the Mandate period addressed  to someone in Tel Aviv, Palestine, a Palestinian orchestra (the Yishuv's), a Palestinian football team (the Yishuv's) ...

Is there no end to the ignorance of the Israel-haters and the depths to which they will stoop to "prove" that an autonomous state named Palestine really did exist once upon a time?

Are they really so historically challenged?

Below, in the same ludicrous Israel-delegitimising genre, is a piece of nonsense a dedicated London BDSer posted to her Facebook page a few days ago.

It 's one of the most desperate contributions to the genre yet.

Meanwhile, from increasingly noxious Norway, a newly uploaded video spruiking BDS.  Towards the end, two appearances from an Israeli introducing herself as Tali Shapiro, recommending the haters' campaign.

How especially odious are such "enemies within".

Meanwhile, too, perpetual Israel-basher Ben White is distinctly unhappy with the Israeli Leftists who denounce BDS: see here 

Tunisian BDS (with help from Ronnie Barkan) here

An old friend of ours defended by the man who's expected to be next leader of the UK Labour Party!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3191393/Jeremy-Corbyn-defended-controversial-vicar-banned-social-media-promoting-clearly-anti-Semitic-material.html

Moulin Stooge: "Another Little Nugget To Be Used Against Israel's Propaganda"

Vraiment! What dunderheads some of the Israel-hating brigade are.

They seem to think that Palestine was once an autonomous Arab state, which of course it never was.

And to "prove" it, as we've seen on this blog from time to time,  they've offered a jumble of exhibits, ranging from maps with "Palestine" printed on them to coins and stamps issued by the Mandate authority to advertisements for Mandate-era "Palestinian Airways" to travel posters, newspapers and the orchestra of  the Yishuv to photos of  the pre-war Palestinian soccer team (another Yishuv initiative, composed of, er, Jews).

Now, some of the Israel-hating brigade are over the windmill, having discovered that French writer Alphonse ("Lettres de mon moulin") Daudet mentioned "Palestine" as long ago as – mon dieu! – 1869!

And they of course have been keen to share this fabulous Zionist myth-busting find with others.

Here, for instance, is just one of the "shares" currently doing the rounds on social media:

 

Well, that "little nugget" sure ain't gold.

Somebody's been "seeing queer things" alright, and it's not only the person in Daudet's story.

When will the dunderheads and dupes of the anti-Israel movement realise that Israel's "propagandists" are not denying that the existence of a place dubbed "Palestine".

They are denying the historical existence of Palestine as an autonomous entity.

They are pointing out that the Roman conquerors renamed Judea "Palestine" as a deliberate measure to undermine Jewish ties with that land.

 And they are now pointing out that, when Daudet was writing, Palestine indeed existed, and existed  as it had been for hundreds of years, a backward province of the Ottoman Empire.

Once again, anti-Israel propagandists have proved only the validity of the old adage "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing".

Shmatter Chatter

 A Happy New Year to all readers!  I'm especially grateful to regular commenters, and to those who send me information for possible posts: please be assured that, even if I don't use the material, I read it with interest, and it is all valuable grist to the mill.

To kick off 2015, here's a photo of some usual suspects welcoming the Palestinian soccer team to Sydney yesterday:

Photo credit : Peter Boyle

And it's got old Daph thinking about the seemingly infinite variety of shmatter, usually in the form of tee-shirts, that the Israel-hating crowd resort to in order to display their propaganda.

Sweltering in the Aussie sunshine, needing to complete some proper work, and not in the mood at the moment to offer profundities, I've been inspired by the above image to dash out an album of anti-Israel clobber, with the occasional trinket and banner thrown in.

For example, in no particular order:

Anti-Israel apparel for sale at a Muslim event in Paris:

At a separate event in France, the BDS movement rakes in the cash from "Generation Palestine":

In London, footie fans join the chorus:

In Cardiff a few days ago, a loquacious Irishman sporting a football jersey in Palestinian colours, with two female sidekicks (not so attired, but who joined him in chants of "Viva Palestina") demonises Israel before a football game, claiming that Gazan "children sleeping in their beds" were killed by Israel "because they were the wrong race" (the second footie banner reads "Hornets Against Apartheid"):

 It's a mug's game; this drinking vessel (yes, it does have a handle) is on offer from Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA).  That substitute for the letter i leaves nothing to the imagination:

Nor does this, FOA casualwear:

Accessorising with FOA bling (eloquent red bit, huh?):

Similar honesty about aims from Students for Palestine at Melbourne University (well, a flag's sort of shmatter):

The FOA mug in black (I assume it's also available in green):

But don't be caught drinking Coke from this vessel! ...

Fun and games in London: the FOA kicking off its current BDS campaign (#NotInMyFridge) against Coca Cola:

An umbrella at a BDS extravaganza in Japan:

A design as modelled by a social media friend of our old mate the vicar of Virginia Water; this particular friend is not reticent about posting antisemitic memes, but our old mate carries on regardless (perhaps he needs to go to SpecSavers):

Another design, in London in August (no, this chap's not making a moot point about Hamas):

 Another London marcher, 2014:

 In France, wearing the message in English (all the better for the publicity machine):

Still in France, "Generation Palestine" (apparently, despite the grey-haired demonstrator):

What the smart BDSer is wearing in Marseille:

A French demonstrator against Alicia Keyes' gig in israel

French dog; English slogan.  Careful, little fellow: there are plenty who'd boycott you as "unclean"(just heed those poisoned dogs in Spain):

Also in France, blonde hatred and ignorance:

In Australia, favoured clobber at an annual anti-Israel run:

An as-a-Jew Aussie academic on his way to Federal Parliament to spread the word, 2014:

An unashamed antisemitic creep at an anti-Israel rally in Australia:

In America, wearing her hatred on her sleeve:

Another American, I think (sorry, can't make the image any bigger since it blurs):

 In America's "City of Brotherly Love":

More stylish shoulder bags, Gallic fashion:

In bonnie Dundee, the Scottish city that, thanks to George Galloway, pioneered shmatter chatter by flying a Palestinian flag at its council chambers in the late 1970s and has been twinned with Nablus since 1980:

Also in Scotland, a tee-shirt logo giving the aim away:

This bozo's from Jewish Voice for Peace, folks:

A Jewish BDSer at the Open Hillel conference at Harvard in October; the tee-shirt's standard issue, but note the matching logo on the cap:

The daddy of all anti-Israel lies:

In America, another useful idiot (no shmatter here, but I was struck by the pose):

Not standing very comfortably, by the look of those crossed legs ... 

As an Israeli man (much respect to you, sir!) wrote on the Facebook page of Jewish Voice for Peace where the (uncropped version of) that final photo is to be found:

'Just which Palestinians are you all talking about? The Palestinians who, in 1948, fled their homes to neighboring countries when the Arab world attacked Israel and told the Palestinians they can return after Israel is destroyed?

Or the Palestinians who lived in the West Bank under Jordanian (then Transjordan) occupation and annexation when Jordan attacked Israel in 1967 and lost both the war and the West Bank to Israel?

Or the Palestinians who, while living in Jordan in the 1970s, envisioned Jordan becoming their Palestinian state and started a civil war where King Hussein ultimately killed thousands of Palestinians and forcibly removed many from of his country, making them refugees?

Or the Palestinians who entered the Olympic Village in Munich, Germany, and murdered 11 Israeli athletes?

Or the Palestinians who infiltrated a high school in Ma’alot, Israel, took 102 students hostage, injured 50 and murdered 22?

Or the Palestinians who, among others, hijacked an Air France jetliner to Entebbe, Uganda, and held hostage more than 100 Israelis?

Or the Palestinians who were exiled from Jordan to a peaceful Lebanon and started a civil war that cost more than 120,000 lives and created more refugees, with many exiled from Lebanon?

Or the Palestinians who hijacked the Achille Lauro ocean liner and shot, murdered and threw overboard Leon Klinghoffer, a 69-year-old Jewish American paraplegic in a wheelchair?

Or the Palestinians in the Abu Nidal Organization who murdered an estimated 600 Palestinians from rival factions?

Or the Palestinians who wrote and live by the Hamas Charter that states, among other things, “… Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors”?

Or the Palestinians who enticed young and susceptible Palestinians to become suicide bombers with the promise that when they murder Israelis, they’ll receive rich rewards in the afterlife and financial security for their families?

Or the thousands of Palestinians in Ramallah who cheered as the bodies of two Israeli soldiers were thrown from a second story window after they were tortured and hacked to death?

Or the Palestinians who honored a suicide bomber with a military funeral for murdering 15 people (including seven children and five from one family) at the Sbarro pizza café in Jerusalem?

Or the thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza captured on video cheering as two airliners purposely crashed into the Twin Towers on 9/11?

Or the Palestinian families who received $25,000 from Saddam Hussein for their children’s “successful” suicide bombings?

Or a Palestinian like Yasser Arafat (although he was Egyptian born), who became a billionaire by stealing money from other Palestinians as they lived in squalor?

Or the Qatari born and Egyptian-raised Omar Barghouti (who refers to himself as a Palestinian), who co-founded the boycott, divestment, and [including educational] sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel while getting his doctorate at an Israeli university?

Or the Palestinians from Hamas (a group the U.S. and other countries label a terrorist organization) who, when they took control of Gaza, shot several hundred Fatah Palestinians in the legs, purposely crippling them for life?

Or the more than 100 Palestinians from Fatah crippled by Palestinians from Hamas who, at the confidential request from Mahmoud Abbas to Shimon Peres, received new legs and rehabilitation at a medical center in Israel

Or the two Palestinians who proudly confessed to the knife attack and murder of five members of the Fogel family, including the father, mother, and three of their six children, ages 11, 4 and 3 months?

Or the Palestinian mother, Raida Abu-Mustaffa, whose baby’s life was saved through funding and a rare heart operation by a Jewish doctor at an Israeli hospital, yet the mother dreamed that her daughter would one day become a martyr?

Or the gay Palestinian man who, while living in Tel Aviv (considered one of the gay-friendliest cities in the world), pleaded with Israel’s high court not to be deported to the West Bank because it would lead to persecution by his family and his detention, torture and death by Palestinian security forces?

Or the Palestinians in the West Bank who, in 2013, committed 27 honor killings against their wives, sisters and daughters?

Or the Palestinians who, since childhood, have been educated by books and newspapers that claim Jews are sub-human, satanic and animals, and that Israel is the root of all of their problems?

Or the Palestinians who grew up in refugee camps while Saudi Arabia, Libya, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and Brunei became some of the wealthiest countries in world, gave virtually nothing to help the Palestinians and have purposely kept them in refugee camps as political tools since 1948?

Or the Palestinians who, for decades, promoted terrorism against Israel forcing Israel to build a security wall (that virtually ended all suicide bombings) and now call it the Apartheid Wall?

Or the Palestinians who, after Israel voluntarily withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, giving the Palestinians land and self-determination, have fired more than 11,000 rockets at Israel, killing Israelis and causing thousands of injuries?

Or the Palestinians who, since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993, have committed thousands of terrorist acts (not including rocket attacks from Gaza), murdering 1,472 Israelis?

Or the Palestinians from Hamas who kidnapped and murdered three Jewish teenage yeshiva (Torah study) students?

Or the Palestinians who denounced Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas because he condemned the kidnapping and murder of the three Jewish teens?

Or the Palestinian mother of Abu Aysha (one of the suspected murderers of the three Israeli teens) who said if he truly did it … “I’ll be proud of him till my final day. … I raised my children on the knees of the [Islamic] religion … their goal is to bring the victory of Islam”?

Or the Palestinian father of 17-year-old Mohammed Khdair, apparently murdered in retaliation for the three yeshiva boys, who said, “Whether Jew or Arab, who would accept that his son or daughter would be kidnapped and killed? And you want Israel to stop the bloodshed”?'

He's still awaiting an answer.