A Hamas leader warned that the Islamists would kill Jewish children anywhere in the world in revenge for Israel’s devastating assault.
“They have legitimised the murder of their own children by killing the children of Palestine,” Mahmoud Zahar said in a televised broadcast recorded at a secret location. “They have legitimised the killing of their people all over the world by killing our people.”
Mr Zahar made his first appearance since Israel launched its offensive. Dressed in a dark suit, he declared: “Victory is coming, God willing.”
From The Times
Engage 
January 6, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Let us remember that Hamas has humanitarian aspects too. They were democratically elected. They run charities and “self-help” circles. This guff about killing all the Jews, and now explicitly Jewish children is just rhetoric that can be negotiated out of their founding charter. Or so people who are desperate to see Hamas as a legitimate organization tell us.
Most importantly, let us remember, if I punch Nancy because I’m mad at Mary…
February 24, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Modern day Israel is a terrorist state.
January 6, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Antisemitic bastard
January 6, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Since when is this a change in policy? After all, a Hamas rocket hit a kindergarten only last week.
January 6, 2009 at 5:36 pm
This vile statement can be fought more effectively if we all take a principled stand against the current Israeli action which is actually killing many Palestinian children. This is not to suggest that Israel is targeting children or seeks to kill innocent civilians. Given the terrain of Gaza it is impossible to make a clear distinction between civilians and the military targets – nor is there anywhere for civilians to flee to that would provide safety. That Hamas uses civilians, including children as human shields (in violation of international humanitarian law) is no justification for Israel responding to the provocations inside Gaza. Jewish and Palestinian children have an equal right to our concern. The odious threat to Jewish children should be countered by serious efforts to protect Palestinian children through working for an immediate ceasefire.
January 6, 2009 at 5:53 pm
There will be always those who find excuses for the terrorists. There is nothing new under the sun. George Orwell has written about those leftwing British intellectuals, who stood up against the “imperialist” war.
There were people, who tried to tell after the Nazis were given power in Germany in 1933 that antisemitism is only rhetoric, and that now that the Nazis have the power they will become pragmatic.
And now some people dare to use the same flawed logic.
January 6, 2009 at 6:18 pm
“That Hamas uses civilians, including children as human shields (in violation of international humanitarian law) is no justification for Israel responding to the provocations inside Gaza.”
Your assertion moves dangerously close to lopsided moral equivalence and the myth of proportionality and into the disaster of Conflict Resolution by Leveraging only the Reasonable Party.
“The odious threat to Jewish children should be countered by serious efforts to protect Palestinian children through working for an immediate ceasefire.”
Israel IS making serious efforts to protect Palestinian civilians (including children), in some cases saying exactly what rocket sites were being targeted. Hamas responded by transporting in Human Shields (especially kids). If Israel were not making such efforts, there would be more than staged photops to enrage the world community.
The sad, brutan and nonnegotiable fact of reality is that Hamas is deliberately putting harm in the way of their own children (and putting the children in harms way) to extract these very pleas from goodwilled people (and not-so-goodwilled people). Yet during the “ceasefires” (immediate and otherwise) people of goodwill are silent as rockets rain down on Israel, including when they fall on kindergartens.
Hamas can and should protect their own children by suing for peace. That is not, nor should it be Israel’s job, or even the job of the international community who has all-too-often turned into enablers of Hamas (and Hezbollah). That would enable Hamas to do most anything it wanted with impunity, as we’ve seen in South Lebanon, with international peace keepers.
Sorry for the negativity and pessimism, but I can’t afford to live in a world not governed by Newton’s Laws and the Laws of Cause and Effect.
January 6, 2009 at 6:28 pm
John,
I agree with you entirely.
However, apart from the product of an antisemitic worldview, I am just not sure why Zahar has threatened American, Iranian, Indian, Russian, Italian, French, Chinese, Canadian, British, etc. children as a means of “resistance” to Israel.
January 6, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Mr. Strawson, presumably you mean a cease-fire along the lines of your previous post i.e. with the necessary safeguards. This sounds sensible. However, why should we take a ‘principled stand against current Israeli action’? Shouldn’t principled people take a stand against an organisation that deliberately puts civilians in harm’s way and calls for murder of Jews everywhere? A principled response would be to support Egypt’s demands of the Hamas to cease fire forthwith. That way both Palestinian and Jewish children will be protected.
January 6, 2009 at 9:36 pm
“That Hamas uses children…” (see the rest of the quote in Bill’s posting above). John, you are assuming (or your language appears to make you assume) that Israel is responding to provocations _inside_ Gaza. Israel is rersponding to provocations _from_ Gaza, starting the day the cease fire ended and despite warnings from Israel of what would happen if Hamas persisted.
Please stop appearing as though you are blaming Israel for the fact that Hamas are using human shields, shields who are their own people. If Hamas truly cared about the people they claim they represent, they would not place their missiles and other weaponry among a civilian population. This suggests that Hamas care less about the lives of others – fanatics are often like that. However, this comment must not be taken to suggest that Arabs or Moslems in general put less value on human life than others – I am trying to draw a clear line between people who happen to be Moslem and live in Gaza and members (and especially leaders) of Hamas.
A regime that truly believed that it was destined to destroy Israel would meet the Israeli army in open combat, not hide behind women, children and old people.
From someone as knowledgeable on the region as you, I expect better. Israeli governments should try harder, but Hamas and Hezbollah should not be targeting civilians with impunity – if they do, _any_ government would respond as the Israelis are – and you know it.
Please stop setting the Israelis higher standards than any other government or state would be set.
January 7, 2009 at 8:18 am
There are two pro-Israel demos in London coming up. One is tonight in Kensington High Street, 7.45pm
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=68300403624
The second is on Sunday at 10.40 am for 11am in Trafalgar Square
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=59114330154
January 7, 2009 at 12:14 pm
The Hamas charter is not guff. Hamas does not use empty rhetoric. They have a Nazi-like hatred for ALL Jews everywhere. They believe that Jews are irredeemable. The only reason why haven’t attacked Jews outside of Israel is because they don’t have the capability, yet.
January 7, 2009 at 12:29 pm
12:42 Report: Islamic site compiling list of U.K. Jews to target over Gaza op (Haaretz)
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/ShowTickers.jhtml
January 7, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I noticed that a spokesman for the IDF this morning, being interviewed on BBC News 24, was asked about the 3 hours per day cease fire in Gaza City, as much, apparently, to let civilians evacuate out and receive medical care as anything else. He said that what these cease fires usually mean was that the Israelis cease and Hamas fire.
Many a true word…
January 7, 2009 at 1:16 pm
“I noticed that a spokesman for the IDF this morning, being interviewed on BBC News 24, was asked about the 3 hours per day cease fire in Gaza City,”
If Britain had displayed anywhere near as much consideration for her enemies during World War II, Britain’s official language today would be German.
January 7, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I expect this is one of the sources for that Haaretz news flash:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2103995.ece
January 7, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Item number 5 here is nice too:
http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2982054
January 7, 2009 at 2:32 pm
John,
I have often disagreed with you, but I don’t think you have ever made me angry before. This vile statement needs to be fought purely on it’s own terms and independent of whatever you, I or anyone else may think of Israel’s actions. Israel’s incursion into Gaza can be defended; the call to slaughter Jews around the world, for the sin of being Jewish, can’t. Don’t make your support conditional on me going along with your politics. If you want to make a principled stand, make it on the principle of rock-hard opposition to antisemitism, and the principle that Hamas’s use of civilian targets and civilian shields makes it and nobody else responsible for the deaths of all these innocents. How can you demand that Jews agree to accept blame for the consequences of Hamas’s tactics as the quid pro quo for solidarity against Jew hatred?
As for the idea that “The odious threat to Jewish children should be countered by serious efforts to protect Palestinian children through working for an immediate ceasefire”: Hamas will not be impressed by your humanitarianism. Israeli children were being targeted by Hamas before this started. They are still being targeted and, if Israel is prevented from finishing the job, they will be targeted indefinitely.
January 7, 2009 at 3:28 pm
“Report: Islamist site compiling list of U.K. Jews to target over Gaza op ” By Haaretz Service
“An Islamic extremist Web site is believed to be drawing up a list of prominent British Jews to target over Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza, The Sun reported on Wednesday.
According to the British newspaper, Amy Winehouse record producer Mark Ronson and Foreign Secretary David Miliband were among names discussed on the online forum Ummah. ”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1053520.html
Has there ever been a war in which one side targeted civilians in a third country because of their nationality or religion?
January 7, 2009 at 4:26 pm
shriber,
Given the kind of incitement we’ve all seen over the last few days, that kind of reaction is fairly inevitable. For example, just take a look at the kind of comments approved by journalist (Daily Express, Guardian, Australian, Daily Telegraph etc.) Neil Clark at his blog:
1) ‘People who target ambulances are filthy Nazi scum.
Arguably they are even worse than that – because even the Nazi SS generally drew the line at killing ambulance crews in battle!
These Zionist bastards (and all those who support them) are the utter scum of the earth.’
http://tinyurl.com/7t5jb9
2) ‘Does Israel have the right to defend itself? I don’t accept that ‘it’ does, or that it has a ‘right’ to exist.’
http://tinyurl.com/axe7f2
3) ‘The Israelis are nazi scum – they have no right to anything. Those who apologise for them, like Neil Craig, our government, the ‘Friends of Israel’, nearly all jewish organisations, the owners, managers and editors of our media – all these should be tried for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity, not to mention treason.’
http://tinyurl.com/axe7f2
And then there’s Neil Clark himself who posted this earlier today:
Viva Venezuela!
‘Venezuela has become the first country to expel the Israeli Ambassador from its country in protest over Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
The Holocaust, that is what is happening right now in Gaza,” Hugo Chavez (above), the Venezuelan president, said in televised comments.
“The president of Israel at this moment should be taken to the International Criminal Court together with the president of the United States.”
Let’s hope more countries have the courage to follow suit.’
http://tinyurl.com/8zwuae
January 7, 2009 at 6:59 pm
The threat by Hamas should be taken very seriously. Argentina holds their Iranian masters responsible for masterminding the bombing of the Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in 1994.
Incidentally, the Evening Standard reports that Channel 4 executives wanted to invite Ahmadinejad to give the ‘alternative Christmas message’ LAST year but were overruled by CE Andy Duncan. So why did he change his mind this year?
January 7, 2009 at 7:55 pm
The Ummah.com people claim the “hit list” articles are all a vicious libel against them.
But of course they do.
http://ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197121
January 8, 2009 at 9:32 am
Jonathan Romer:
” if Israel is prevented from finishing the job”
what does “finishing the job” constitute?
January 8, 2009 at 10:06 am
John–
The idea that I cannot take an “effective stance” against fascistic thugs out to murder my cousins if I don’t say what you want me to say about a war taking place half-way round the world, makes me truly angry.
Regards,
Inna
January 8, 2009 at 12:06 pm
This article is from Haaretz. It is by Amira Hass, one of the most dovish writers for Haaretz which is already a liberal publication.
“Hamas executes collaborators and restricts Fatah movement
By Amira Hass
Since the aerial attack on Gaza began, Hamas has sought to suppress individuals it believes endanger the group’s fight against Israel and its hold on power in the Strip, as well as public morale. Prime targets include Fatah members, people convicted or suspected of collaborating with Israel, and “common” criminals.
“Hamas rules with an iron fist even now,” said one resident. A political activist who says he supports neither Hamas nor Fatah said that given the difficult conditions created by the ongoing shelling and ground invasion, Hamas is likely to try to prevent collaborators or those suspected to be from working with Israel.
Since the operation began on December 27, Hamas operatives have executed several people it classified as collaborators. Members of the group have confirmed the executions took place, and said the victims had admitted giving information to the Shin Bet security service that resulted in the deaths of Palestinians, or had already been sentenced to death by a Palestinian military court but the sentences were delayed for various reasons.
Independent sources said that among the dead were those not known publicly to have been collaborators, as well as others long suspected of cooperation with Israel, or those arrested and later released.
Estimates of the number of suspects executed range from 40 to 80, but amid the prevailing conditions shelling, fear of walking the streets and media blackouts it is virtually impossible to verify the numbers or identities of the dead.
Executions are carried out secretly. In Rafah, for example, at least some of the victims were killed in a caravan erected in the area formerly occupied by the Rafiah Yam settlement, and the victims’ relatives were invited to take away the bodies.
Even in the current conditions, Hamas is continuing to arrest those it suspects of criminal activity or Fatah membership, many of whom were arrested on the eve of the IDF operation and fled detention when the shelling began. No one knows where the detained are being held.
Independent sources and those linked with Fatah say Hamas’ common methods include confiscating cell-phones, beatings, house arrest and firing at a suspect’s legs.
Fatah members say Hamas is following a policy dictated from its leadership and directed against Fatah as a whole. An official in the Hamas-run Interior Ministry told Haaretz that the steps were taken only against Fatah members who expressed “happiness” at the aerial attack and
even “distributed candy” in the streets as it began. An independent source corroborated Hamas’ account.
Fatah officials said last Thursday that notifications were sent to organization members from the public security forces, under the direction of Hamas’s Interior Minister Said Siyam, confining them to house arrest for 48 hours. Other Fatah members were ordered not to leave their homes from 7 P.M. until morning.
Hamas is also targeting common crime, promising the public that prices will not rise due to the closures of crossings into Gaza, nor will looting be allowed from stores that have been shelled.”
January 8, 2009 at 1:02 pm
In today’s First Post, Neil Clark’s true feelings are once again on open display:
German protestors dare to compare Israelis to Nazis [on his blog, Clark uses the title “European protestors dare to mention the Holocaust”]
http://tinyurl.com/a43u5s
January 8, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Fred,
I don’t speak for the Israeli government, but for me finishing the job means two things. First, it means leaving Hamas with no meaningful capacity to terrorise southern Israel with rocket and mortar fire, and an effective truce mechanism that at least for a while (until it can figure out a way around it) stops them from rearming.
The greater goal, in the sense of long-term importance, is handing Hamas a defeat that, no matter how it tries to spin it as a victory (which it will), is unambiguously a defeat. That doesn’t have to mean destroying the organisation outright, but it is important that the Palestinian people, in particular, come away from this knowing that Hamas has led them to ruin by provoking a war it couldn’t win, with nothing to show for it and at enormous cost to the people in whose name it claims to be “resisting”.
If Israel can do that, it may spell the end for Hamas, and perhaps the beginning of the end for the intolerant and hate-blinded Islamism that has been making increasing inroads into Middle Eastern politics since pan-Arabism ran its course. Such an outcome would be good not only for Israel, but also for the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world.
In my most optimistic moments I’m even inclined to hope that, by showing that modern wars can be won — asymmetric wars between conventional states hamstrung by attachment to the Geneva Conventions, and non-state guerilla/terrorist proxies bound by no restraints whatever — this war may one day be identified as a turning point.
January 8, 2009 at 4:04 pm
About that UK “hitlist” mentioned by Shriber above (and in the “Sun” newspaper) the “ummah” website in question has issued a denial of any incitement to violence at
http://ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197121
But it is disturbing that, in denying it, they argue that boycotting members of the list would not be wrong. They write:
“…boycotting supporters of Israel is not a new form of protest against the systematic and brutal state terrorism carried out against the Palestinian people, and neither is it a violent, threatening nor anti-Semitic action.”
January 8, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Further to my last post, I’ve just read this in the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123111931225252877.html
which points in the same direction, and which I think is pretty much spot on.
January 8, 2009 at 6:09 pm
OT: Robert Fisk: Israelis should be treated with same respect as Nazis
“An Irish college awarded one of Israel’s harshest critics with its historical society’s gold medal for “outstanding contribution to public discourse.”
Middle East pundit Robert Fisk, whose columns are carried by Ireland’s most widely read daily newspaper, the Irish Independent, used his acceptance speech at Trinity College to condemn Israel’s operation in Gaza as “grotesque.” He suggested that the Israeli point of view in the Middle East conflict should be treated with the same respect as the Nazi position after the liberation of the concentration camps following World War II.”
http://tinyurl.com/7nn95d
January 8, 2009 at 6:17 pm
And this from Denmark:
http://www.cphpost.dk/news/national/88-national/43930-schools-caught-up-in-palestinian-conflict.html
Schools caught up in Palestinian conflict
Tuesday, 06 January 2009 17:18 Kevin | Print |
Barbed-wire fences and security guards are a regular part of many Jewish childrens’ school day
A number of school administrators have come forth in recent days to confirm that they recommend Jewish children should not enrol at their schools.
According to school administrators, law enforcement officials and social workers, the on-going conflict in Gaza has led to heightened tensions between Jews and Arabs – particularly Palestinians – here in Denmark.
And although few headmasters of schools have faced the situation, most of those at schools with a high percentage of children of Arab descent say they try to prevent Jewish parents from enrolling their children there.
On Monday, headmaster Olav Nielsen of Humlehave School in Odense publicly admitted he would refuse Jewish parents’ wish to place their child at his school.
The comments were made following an incident last week in which two Israeli citizen’s were shot and wounded at a city shopping centre. Police believe the incident was a reaction to the Gaza conflict.
Other headmasters have now come forth to support Nielsen’s position, adding that they are putting the child’s safety first.
At Caroline Skole in Copenhagen’s Østerbro district, video cameras watch over the playground and entrances of the school, which is surrounded by a 2.5 metre-high barbed-wire fence.
One parent whose child goes to the Jewish school said thinking about the extra security can be disturbing at times, but she felt it was necessary.
Rabbi Bent Lexner called the headmasters’ concern ‘theoretical. In reality, Jewish parents would never try to enrol their child in those schools.’
January 8, 2009 at 6:58 pm
“Barbed-wire fences and security guards are a regular part of many Jewish childrens’ school day
A number of school administrators have come forth in recent days to confirm that they recommend Jewish children should not enrol at their schools.”
How do you spell apartheid?
January 8, 2009 at 7:14 pm
“And although few headmasters of schools have faced the situation, most of those at schools with a high percentage of children of Arab descent say they try to prevent Jewish parents from enrolling their children there.”
I’m curious how much support these schools in-exile in-situ get from the government (specifically: do they get 100%). If the state refuses to educate Danish Jewish citizens for whatever reason (all of them unjustified including the “safety” argument, and it’s more than a “theoretical argument” despite what Lexner says), then there should be hell to pay. Excluding them implicitly delivers the method that the exclusions are the fault of not Israel but these very Danish Jewish citizens, and not some cynical or unhinged thugs. The Danes worked too hard in WW2 to earn a reputation counter to that message.
January 8, 2009 at 7:52 pm
And this from Italy where there is confusion as to whether or not the head of a Union of shop assistants in Rome called for a boycott of ‘Israeli’ or ‘Jewish’ shops. The bastard is quoted as saying: “For 50 years we have been concerned for the Jews because of what they suffered in the Holocaust, but now it is time to be concerned for the Palestinians, who are the Jews of today”.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5474090.ece
Yes, this from the country that actually allied itself with Hitler and now they want to revise history.
January 8, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Regarding the post about Italy, above, I understand that a parliamentarian there is initiating an inquiry in the Parliament, which would have consequences for the union. Also, I’m told that the major Italian papers have long quotes of harsh condemnation from several politicians.
January 8, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Jonathan, thanks for the link. It does indeed say what you were saying, and is well worth a read.
January 8, 2009 at 10:56 pm
“boycotting supporters of Israel”
Now, who could they possibly mean in reference to “supporters” of Israel??
And now the irony bit……….
“neither is it a violent, threatening nor anti-Semitic action.”
January 8, 2009 at 11:12 pm
On Excluding Jewish children from Danish schools. I found this:
“Danish blog Uriasposten points out that the principal in question is listed as a supporter of the Danish Boycott Israel campaign.”
http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2009/01/odense-strained-relations-between.html
January 9, 2009 at 2:04 am
Forty or so years ago, a Jewish child applied for a rather prestigious English private school. He was advised that he may want to rethink the application in the face of antisemitism amongst the school population. The child’s parents made it clear that as head of the school, it is was his duty to ensure that their child came to no harm.
According to this logic, considering the rate of homophobia amongst teens,, any child “coming out” during his or her school life will have to be advised to go elsewhere.
As Saul mentioned elsewhere, antisemitism aims at the segregation and separation of Jews from other citizens. This is antisemitism pure and simple.
January 9, 2009 at 2:11 am
Pick n mix n apply where applicable.
Well, Israel is responsible; not in my name; Israel have made it worse for Jews everywhere, considering what they are doing in Gaza they can hardly complain; considering what is going on in Gaza this is hardly worth talking about; well, Israel bomb schools, what can they expect; how can you expect Palestinian refugees in Denmark not to be hate Jews considering what is being done to there families in Gaza; maybe if the Danish Jews condemned Israel’s actions, that would change things.
January 9, 2009 at 5:49 am
“Danish blog Uriasposten points out that the principal in question is listed as a supporter of the Danish Boycott Israel campaign.”
If that’s the case, regardless of bogus “safety” concerns (clearly a pretense to evade creating a diverse and secure learning environment even if he was not on board the campaign), he should be fired. Plain and simple.
January 9, 2009 at 8:10 am
Venezuela’s Jews close their schools
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231424896110&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
January 9, 2009 at 8:21 am
I know of a lesbian family in North London who looked round a primary school for their kid. The head was, apparently very nice, but judged that many of the parents at the school would be homophobic and he advised that they find a more suitable school.
Instead of taking on the difficult project of making the school safe for lesbian families, he ‘realistically’ preferred not to rock the boat.
January 9, 2009 at 8:37 am
David–
The same question asked earlier applies: does the school in question receive public funds? Because if so, the school should not be receiving them while it discriminates against any Briton on the basis of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Regards,
Inna
January 9, 2009 at 9:37 am
Related…
In New Zealand, a catholic priest spilled blood on a memorial to Yitzhak Rabin, and our local “asajews” wrote a letter to the New Zealand Herald in support of his actions – republished here on Indymedia: http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/76673/index.php
“RABIN NO PEACEMAKER
I understand that the newly formed ‘Kiwis Friends of Israel’ demands an apology from Father Gerard Burns for dripping symbolic blood on to a stone commemorating ex-prime minister and war criminal Yitzhak Rabin.
Mr. Rabin was certainly not a man of peace. His history of war crimes includes a key role in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the towns of Lydda and Ramleh in 1948. In 1967, Rabin also lead the Israeli forces that conquered the West Bank, Gaza and Golan Heights. His infamous ‘broken bones policy’s openly encouraged breaking the arms and legs of peaceful Palestinian demonstrators during the first intifada.
The paint mingled with Father Burns’ own blood represents the blood of thousands of Palestinians who have been massacred by Israel over the past 60 years – a massacre in which Rabin played a significant part.
If the Kiwi Friends of Israel are offended by anyone, they should be offended that their ‘friend’ has slaughtered thousands of Palestinians, including children, destroyed thousands of Palestinian homes for the sake of their own illegal expansion, and disenfranchised millions of Palestinians. Bravo Father Burns, I salute your actions. Not all Jews are friends of Israel.
Alia Bloom
on behalf of Aotearoa Jews for Justice, Wellington”
January 9, 2009 at 11:00 am
Am I alone in thinking that the effect of all this may just be to raise the value of Israel as a place of ultimate refuge to World Jewry?
I opeend my local paper yesterday to read of the trouble in Golders Green last week and have rarely if ever felt so deperessed and alienated from my home country – Britain
January 9, 2009 at 12:09 pm
NIMN,
If a Black man was attacked in Britain because of what is happening in Congo, would you say Congo was making it hard for Black people all over the world? I doubt it. You certainly wouldn’t blame Hamas if an Arab student was attacked because of what Hamas is doing. Whey does this odd logic only apply to Jews?
Israel’s actions, whether you agree with them or not, does not create antisemitism. It only brings existing antisemitism out into the open.
January 9, 2009 at 12:37 pm
‘our local “asajews” wrote a letter to the New Zealand Herald in support of his actions – republished here on Indymedia’
About the group:
Anarchism in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington
February 27, 2007
‘Aotearoa Jews For Justice – AJFJ came into existance late last year during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. It is a collection of (mostly anarchist) Jews, ranging from anti-Zionist to non-Zionist and left-Zionist who organise around issues relating to Israel/Zionism, racism/anti-semitism and Tino Rangatiratanga (Maori self-determination). The group is predominantly based in Wellington. It has been dormant so far this year but should be back into it in the near future.’
http://anarchia.wordpress.com/2007/02/
January 9, 2009 at 2:24 pm
“Instead of taking on the difficult project of making the school safe for lesbian families, he ‘realistically’ preferred not to rock the boat.”
Bingo. As Inna says, extreme cases asside (e.g., special needs kids), government schools, especially taxpayer funded ones, should not be exclusive country clubs that pander to the unhinged and expect their would-be targets to man-up, cough-up and go shell out for private education because of administrative cowardice. The safety tactic is used at university level, too, when wrong-thinking controversial speakers come calling (I thought we were supposed to be dens of contention, I need to read my manual again). In both cases it’s a cave-in to the rabble (real and imagined), and the admin’s refusal to hold the rabble to a civilized standards and should be addressed and meanwhile, the admins should be reprimanded.
However, when the headmaster is discriminating against Jews (falsely citing “safely”) AND is signing boycott petitions that uniquely targets Jews, I think we have two dots so close together that don’t need a line drawn between them to see a connection.
January 9, 2009 at 3:34 pm
“…and meanwhile, the admins should be reprimanded.”
Silly me, Don’t forget with that reprimand to sue the school board for enough private tuition to cover his or her entire pre-college ed! (Damages are up to you)
January 9, 2009 at 7:12 pm
More from Italy: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054227.html
January 9, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Inna,
I was being ironic but pointing to the tyoe of justifications that will appear.
Regards,
NIMN
January 10, 2009 at 5:16 am
I’m curious about what possible justification John Strawson had for accusing Eric Lee – re the latter’s reply to a Jonathan Freedland piece – of resorting to “national essentialism”
Mr. Strawson is certainly entitled to disagree strongly with Mr. Lee’s piece, but unless he can point to a remark in Lee’s piece that explicitly states or insinuates that there is a fixed essence of Palestinians which causes them in whole or in part to be morally inferior as compared to Israelis, he should apologise to Mr. Lee for such his hyperbolic and ignorant defamation.