Ray Cook - As I See It

Israel, Zionism and the Media

Year: 2009 (Page 11 of 13)

Israeli judiciary says ‘No’ to racism

26/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

It’s interesting to note the number of times Israel is accused of being racist whilst its independent judiciary strongly counters these claims.

Case in point reported by the Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1235410717593&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull.

A man who displayed a racist bumper sticker – “No Arabs – No Terror” (in Hebrew of course), and drove with it through the West Bank, has been convicted by Judge Shulamit Dotan for incitement to racism.

“The call ‘No Arabs – no terror’ is tainted with racism because it connects the entire Arab population, without any differentiation among its members, and the execution of heinous terror acts”

This slogan is one already branded by a former attorney-general as an illegal racist incitement. The extreme right-wing group that espouses this nasty cause fall little short of calls for ethnic cleansing and genocide. 

By staunchly upholding the founding principles of the State the judiciary clearly demonstrates that not only is Israel not a racist state but it will not tolerate such egregious views expressed publicly.

Does the reader know of any Arab state that would protect its Jewish citizens from similar outrages? Can’t think of any. Just a minute… nope, not one. In fact, most are engaged in fomenting hatred of Jews and Israel and the destruction of the State and the annihilation of its citizens. The world, meanwhile, focuses firmly on Israel and accuses it of racism and apartheid. Strange world we are living in.

Pastor Sauce

26/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

Bishop Williamson is back. He has a lot of reading to do about the Holocaust. He did promise to find out more about the subject. We await his conclusions with interest.

Meanwhile he showed decidedly un-Christian behaviour as he left Argentina pushing his fist into the face of a persistent reporter and then shoving him into a pillar. Where’s the other cheek Bishop Williamson? Where’s forgiveness? It’s straight to the confessional, I fear.

Pasta Politics

26/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

Israel is being criticised by Hillary Clinton over not allowing pasta across the border into Gaza. It’s in trouble for not allowing other stuff in too, such as building materials.

Today Ha’aratez announces ‘Pasta is not a weapon’ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1067055.html. But it could be. Do you remember the 7/7 bombers who used ‘innocent’ food products to create bombs. This is Israel’s fear. But is this fear more important than the impression blocking this and other shipments gives to the outside world? 

Israel’s main priority is to protect its own citizens and bring pressure for the release of Gilad Shalit (who I actually doubt to be alive. I hope I’m wrong). But Israel is consistently losing out in the propaganda battle against Hamas. There is no doubt Hamas can use all sorts of stuff to manufacture weaponry. Can Israel really stop this by an embargo? Even if they can, they bring upon themselves accusations of ‘collective punishment’.

Now, for me, ‘collective punishment’ is a close relative of ‘war crime’, two phrases with enormous emotive weight when used against Israel. ‘Collective Punishment’ is what the Nazis did. ‘War Crimes’ is a phrase redolent of Nuremberg. And so Israel is beaten with the stick of its own people’s collective nightmares. These two terms when used against Israel are blunt instruments which fail to distinguish between Israel’s actions and motives and those of true criminal regimes (Sadaam Hussein and President Bashir of Sudan for example). 

Israel has to make careful calculations weighing the appeasing of world opinion against the threat such appeasement brings to its own people. If it eases the embargo to bring some relief to Gazans will this result in more rockets? Maybe it needs to take the risk to demonstrate that this is the case. With a White House now determined to show a more even-handed approach and to seek rapprochement with the Muslim world, Israel may have no choice in the end.

Ahmed and Dangerous

25/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

Lord Ahmed’s recent fall from grace which saw him jailed for 12 weeks for texting whilst driving minutes before being involved in a fatal accident, brings to mind his recent hypocritical stance with regard Geert Wilders and the film ‘Fitna’.

What has this to do with Israel? Well, today there was a certain degree of uproar in Israel because one of the participants in a reality TV show, similar to the UK’s ‘Survivor’, called one of his shoes ‘Mohammed’. You may have been made aware lately of the significant insult that shoes can carry in Islam, so calling your shoe by the name of The Prophet is insensitive to say the least.

Whilst not condoning such behaviour I was bemused by the Israeli Arabs who tried to light a fire with extremely damp tinder. Channel 10 have been accused of racism and incitement against Arabs. Ha’aratez reports:

Sheikh Ibrahim Tzarzur called the clip a “degrading and ugly campaign” against the Prophet Mohammed. He accused Channel 10 of organizing a campaign against Islam and Christianity and of “playing with fire”

If you remember, this follows the incident where a TV host mocked Jesus Christ and Mary.

It seems that the most disgusting anti-Semitic propaganda campaign since Julius Streicher and Der Stuermer does not exercise the religious conscience of the Arab world in defending Jewish sensibilities. No doubt because they believe the trash is true. I speak of the noxious and nauseous plethora of anti-Semitic literature, TV ‘documentaries’, blood libels, belief in The Protocols and much more which is vomited out of the Arab world’s broadcasting orifices daily. And you would never guess who the worst culprits are? Yes, Hamas and Hezbollah.

So what’s this to do with the Lord Ahmed? Well he was instrumental, if you recall, in ratcheting up the rhetoric to have Geert Wilders banned from the UK because of  his film ‘Fitna’ which is alleged to be offensive to Muslims. This same Lord Ahmed who invited the self-styled Israel Shamir, a Swedish anti-Semite of the first order, to a book launch in London.  This book contains the following statements about Jews (I quote from Stephen Pollard’s analysis at the time) : 

“Jews control … a big share of mass media”; ‘the Jewish supremacy drive’  (is) the one reason for wars in the Middle East, and … ‘Jews love Empire’. Shamir also suggested that the large Muslim population in Britain was important to turn the tide of ‘Judaic Values’ in Britain

So it seems that Islamic outrage against religious slight does not stretch to Jews or Judaism either in the UK or the Middle East.

Viva Israelia!

25/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

If you believe that Israelis don’t care about the human misery in Gaza then take a look at the israelity.com website article ‘Victims donating to victims’.

Even though the reporter states that the majority of the population supported its government in its attempt to end the terrorising of its citizens in the South, nevertheless they are not immune to the suffering of their neighbours.

Two activists Lee Ziv and Hadas Balas “decided to collect clothing, bedding, nourishment and other essentials from donors to bring them in to Gaza.”

“There is no connection to politics,” said Ziv. “We don’t represent a side, we just see an immediate need for blankets for people who have nothing to cover them at night and milk for infants who have nothing to eat.

… A woman called who had a mortar fall on her house”

Their efforts have resulted in 10 truckloads of aid being sent across the border with Gaza.

But listen to this: Kibbutz Kfar Aza has “offered up its warehouses as a depot for the donations” even though this Kibbutz is one of the victims of Kassam rocket fire.

It seems that Israelis can distinguish between those intent on destroying them from innocent civilians who are as much the victims of Hamas as they are of Israel, indeed, more so. Sadly, the world does not see this side of Israel. Read it all here http://israelity.com/2009/01/23/victims-donating-to-victims/

King Christian had the right idea

23/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

During the Nazi occupation of Denmark, King Christian X once discussed with a minister the prospect of the Germans introducing the wearing of the Yellow Star for his Jewish subjects.  He is recorded as having suggested that if that ever came to pass all Danes should wear it, including himself. Contrary to popular myth, it never happened; the wearing of the Yellow Star was never introduced in Denmark, probably because the Danish people, surely one of the most heroic in all Europe, managed to smuggle almost every Jew (about 5000 including some of my relatives I am told) into neutral Sweden overnight.

This story gave me an idea. Let all WTP tennis professionals agree to have their passports stamped by Israeli immigration, then let’s see what happens next time someone tries to delegitimise Israel and its citizens by denying them access to a tennis tournament.

Amnesty International in (White) Cloud-Cuckoo-Land

23/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

Amensty International who claim both Hamas AND Israel committed war crimes (in the case of Israel white phosphorus and in the case of Hamas indiscriminate firing of rockets) now wants an arms embargo against Hamas and Israel and wants the UN Security Council to impose it.

Is this a sick joke?

There is already an effective embargo against Hamas which is why they build tunnels and smuggle in weapons. Can the toothless UN stop that? Fat chance.

Secondly, although Israel sources its phosphorus from outside the country (the US of course) does AI seriously think that the US would support this embargo?

Of course not. What AI want to do is make a point. They are very fair-minded people at AI. They are willing to admit that terrorists use terror to further their political and religious aims. Thank you. But hold on, they also want to stop Israel from using white phosphorus without anyone as yet (apart from the IDF) making any effort to find out when it was used, why and to what extent.

Take a look at the picture on the BBC website here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7904929.stm?lss Anyone ever heard of Photoshop and Pallywood? When WP lands it immediately throws up a smokescreen. Can you see one? The only smokescreen I can see is the one that Hamas is constantly throwing up.

The IDF claims that WP was not used directly against civilians and used defensively, often TO AVOID civilian casualties. How? Well if you are an ethical state who does not want to return fire on terrorists who have placed themselves amongst that civilian population and at the same time you need to protect yourself, then using WP is an option that any battlefield commander would be justified to use to protect his own troops.

It is, however, illegal to do so, according to International Law, in built-up areas. In that case “the law is a ass…and the worst I wish the law is that his eye may be opened by experience”. As with any law, especially rules of war, each case must be considered in context, and examined in the light of the realities of the specific circumstances. WP is not an anti-personal weapon and should not be used as such.

Hamas Propaganda and the Lies About Gazan Casualties (2)

23/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

The Jerusalem Post reports more information about the alleged attack by the IDF on a UN school in Gaza during the recent conflict.

If you remember, the world, and in particular, John Ging UNRWA Head in Gaza, were outraged by an attack by the IDF that reportedly killed 42 people INSIDE the school. Ging later claimed he never said this and that the casualties were ‘near’ the school.

Since Operation Cast Lead the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) has been meticulously gathering information and statistics about casualties. Here are its findings with regard to this specific incident:

“12 Palestinians were killed in the shelling near a UN school in Jabalya, north of Gaza City – and not 42 as claimed by Palestinian officials at the time”

The names of 7 of the dead have been disclosed to the JP, 5 men and 2 women. This makes 9 names out of the 12 killed that the CLA has now discovered.

The IDF claimed that it was returning mortar fire from the vicinity of the school.

But here’s the clincher:

“On the day of the incident, officials further said, officers from the CLA contacted the Palestinian Health Ministry and were told that three Palestinian civilians had been killed and that Hamas was hiding the identities of the remaining casualties. “

Yet the UN is still seeking “to gain clarity” and is compiling its own figures. No doubt they are going back to the very people who lied to them in the first place, namely Hamas. The same people who held up UNWRA employees at gunpoint and stole Aid intended for Palestinians in need. The same Hamas who the UN left to guard a weapon stockpile which subsequently mysteriously disappeared.

I cannot give any credence to the statistics of the UN or any of their operatives when their source is Hamas or people who are being terrorised by Hamas, namely the people of Gaza, who will spout any lie that will protect them from the retribution of a vicious gang of thugs and murderers.

Disgraceful Israeli TV spoof

23/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

It does not help Israel counter claims of racism and intolerance when  a TV station, albeit a private one, screens an offensive skit on Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.

The Australian reported:

In the program, Israeli comedian Yair Shlein joked that since Christians “deny the Holocaust, then I want to deny Christianity.” Following protests, he later apologised to Arab Israeli Christian dignitaries.

This has brought protests to the Israel government from the Vatican who, perhaps, see an opportunity to counter recent protests about Holocaust-denier Bishop Richard Williamson who the Vatican recently rehabilitated.

Israel is a free country and free speech is practised there as in any other free democratic country. However, when will Israelis realise that they have to be careful about the image they are projecting and the fuel they are providing to its enemies.

Case in point: who should come out on the side of outrage? None other than the very nice people in Hezbollah. freerepublic.com reported that: “Hezbollah blasts sacrilegious Israeli show (that offends Christianity!) A Hezbollah representative stated: “It was not surprising to see ‘Zionists’ broadcast such sacrilegious material, given their history, which is filled with ‘the massacre of prophets, destruction of mosques and churches and offensive behavior toward Islamic and Christian sanctities…” The hypocrisy, inaccuracy and thinly veiled anti-Semitic “Zionists” and “massacre of prophets” bits are pretty much common currency for “The Party of God”

This isn’t the post to rebut every single one of Hezbollah’s statement which says a lot more about them than it does about Jews.

But all this does not absolve Yair Shlein. The Israeli government made an immediate apology to the Vatican (and Shlein himself admitted the error). Let’s hope that Israeli broadcasters do not repeat any further affronts to Christianity, Islam or any other religion or group. 

I always think “How would I react if this were a Christian talking about Jewish beliefs” and I base my reaction on that. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. But it is indicative that Israel has to tread so carefully. How did the Vatican learn of this? No doubt mischievous elements in Israel ran screaming to Pope Benedict. But in other countries religious ‘jokes’ go unreported and ignored.

See the full text here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2190138/posts

Pe’er pressure pays

23/02/2009 / / 0 Comments

As previously noted Dubai seems to have recanted its policy of banning Israeli tennis players by allowing Andy Ram to play having caused an almighty row over its original decision to ban Shahar Peer.

Now the WTP has fined the Dubai Championship $300,000 and compensated Ms Pe’er for $44,250.

Whilst I applaud the WTP’s stance I still believe that tournaments should not be held in country which does not recognise the nationality of WTP members.

Israel has been a country by vote in the UN sinc 1948. The UAE is also a member of the UN and it’s about time this nonense of not recognising Israel’s existence were ended. I don’t expect the Arab and Muslim states to like Israel but there is no foundation to any failure to recognise.

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