The still strong voice of a vanishing Britain

Jason from AZ

Israel-bashing and anti-semitism in the US is miniscule compared to Europe. Israel- and Jew-hate in the US is largely restricted to US campuses, where is is fueled by the large number of Muslim students, Arab oil money supporting Mid-East programs, and tenured ultra-leftist professors. If it weren't for US universities, the likes of Chomsky and Finkelstein would have to get a real job.

And while the left-leaning US media is no friend of Israel, it does not approach the daily Israel-bashing practiced by the BBC, the Guardian, and other European media.

In a recent poll, only 12% of Americans were found to harbor anti-semitic feelings, which is much lower than in any European country. And even with Obama in the White House, many more Americans are sympathetic to Israel than to the Palestinians.

In the 1930's, many European Jews saw what the future held for them, and emigrated to the US and elsewhere while they still could. Europe is again on a downward spiral for Jews, and now would be a good time it Jewish population to leave for greener pastures.

Nordheim

Melanie, I found out several years ago the level to which hating Israel is practically required to be socially acceptable in the UK. My British Jewish socialite cousin banned some traditional prayer for Israel during her wedding proceedings, to her sensible parents' chagrin. She is pretty apolitical, but that much she knew.

Maurice, MD

The attitudes of the British elite have not changed since the days of the Holocaust, when Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden told the US Department of State that nothing should be done to help Jews to escape because nobody wants them.

And his boss Churchill, for all his verbal friendliness to Jews kept the infamous White Paper in force throughout the Holocaust, slamming and barring the gates to what the Palestine Mandate defined as The Jewish National Home.

Andre

An interesting book which I shall request with glee from my local library. The penultimate paragraph is spot on. What Britain - and I suspect the States - lacks is a new right consensus that celebrates the gracious and the good of British democracy - parliamentary elections, free speech, Christianity as a given moral authority - clean administration in contrast to the corruption endemic, say, in African government, as well as courtesy and honesty. Yet Cameron's teddy bear tories seem as embarrassed by ancient Britain as the socialists and atheists of new labour . We have a vacuum between the soggy centre and the extreme , BNP-style right. Where oh where is our christian democratic party - opposed to state intervention, fiscally responsible, pro Israel? I know not....

Wilhelm

Remember Liebours poster of Michael Howard.

It made him look like Fagin, pretty shamefull from liebour.

The Gateless Gate

Andre - what makes you think your local library would stock it? They are far happier with Qutb et al.

Yehuda

Why are we surprised?
In the highest Nazi echelons a large proportion held PhD degrees from prestigious German universities.
Among the German intelligentsia generally support for the Nazis was strong.
German school principals and teachers subjected young Jewish pupils to unspeakable humiliation and psychological trauma.
Education, erudition, formal academic credentials, none of these is a guarantee of intellectual honesty or moral conduct.
The anti-Israel British and European intelligentsia is no better than the aforementioned German one.
The Jews of Europe are standing on a precipice.

Chris R

OK, I'll take a look at the book. But please explain to those of us who are fairly new to this discussion how Zionism as a philosophy is not racist.

tiki

"Terms and images" only hurt those who will let themselves to be hurt. The rest of the Jews are just WORKING to better themselves AND the world they live in, with new inventions/ medicines/books/art/high-tech AND MORALITY. This is precisely where those Anti Semites get "itchy"... its called JEALOUSY, always has, always will. EVERYTHING has been tried to "exterminate" those (rich and ruling)jews, but they ALWAYS keep coming back, better and stronger,like the "insects" they are ALWAYS compared with. The State of Israel has been forced into this role of the "JEW" (more visible = easier).60+ years young and a "powerhouse".Israel's enemies in the world will try
"everything" to "exterminate" the state of Israel, but it will ALWAYS come back...better and stronger.

Nicholas

" . . . asking why such perversity is consuming Europe"

Socialism (in its recently manifest masked and covert form of totalitarian communism) and its trendy liberal groupies basically.

They hold the narrative. Even when the mask slips or its nasties are revealed in broad daylight (Labour links to KGB, Neathergate, Operation Brace, EUSSR, etc.) they still hold on, supported by a liberal elite schooled in a liberal left academia whose hypocrisy, conflicts of interest and contradictions from the vast, unempowered will of the majority are absolutely divorced and absolutely impregnable.

For the last 20 years something big has been going on but I will be dismissed as wearing my tin-foil hat and frothing. That is an integral part of the tactics which have enabled it to happen.

The only bastion is Israel.

mostly harmless

'After two years he left in bitter circumstances, claiming he had been forced out principally because of his publicly expressed support for Israel'

So he took them to an industrial tribunal? No? Why not? Maybe just another disgruntled employee with a grudge.

Miranda Rose Smith

When people call Israel "Nazi," or "racist" or "apartheid," its a blatant case of projection; they're projecing what they want to do TO the Jews-or want somebody else to do to the Jews- ONTO the Jews. One thing I don't understand. Is it that they don't KNOW that, if they ever get their wish and Israel is, G-d forbid, destroyed, Europe is next on the Islamofascist hit list and they will all find out exactly what the Israelis have been fighting against all these years, or is it that they don't CARE if they find out what the Israelis have been fighting against all these years?
By the way, these attitudes prove what I've been saying for years: A lot of people are faking when they pretend to be moved by Anne Frank, may the al-mighty avenge her blood. Anyone who accuses Israel of running an apartheid country has just proved that he's stone cold unmoved by Anne Frank; he thinks Anne's family was running an apartheid attic.

Miranda Rose Smith

Dear Chris: Zionism, as a philisophy, is not racist because Israel takes in Ethiopean Jews, Chinese Jews, Indian Jews....want some more examples?

Nicole S

Chris R: What makes you think Zionism is racist? Potted history: Zionism was a nationalist movement, born out of 19th century European anti-semitism, when the alternative policy of assimilation became clearly not viable. Israel, the birthplace of Judaism and Jewish culture, and with an existing Jewish population, was the only meaningful place for Jews to create their yearned for national homeland. Jewish migration to Palestine increased after the Russian pogroms of the 1880s, with land being purchased from local inhabitants. The holocaust swung the UN in favour of creating the state of Israel in 1947, in what had been a British mandate since WWI, but the neighbouring Arab states jointly invaded in an attempt to destroy it. Israel defeated them and about half a million refugees fled or were expelled from Palestine as a result. Whereas Israel has taken in Jewish refugees from all over the Middle East and elsewhere, Arab states have left the Palestinian refugees to fester in refugee camps rather than recognise Israel. In 1967, Israel again defeated Arab armies and occupied the West Bank, which it has offered to give up in return for guarantees of security from the Arab states. Any racism so far? Harsh responses, certainly, which upset many Israelis as well as the rest of the world. But not racism, except among a small minority, as in any country. Try Googling Zionism, Theodor Herzl, the Dreyfus affair, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, or look at www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

Neil Craig

If he had pointed out not just North Korea & Sudan but that Israel's human rights record is incomparably better than Croatia's in its genocide & ethnic cleansing of Krajina, with our assistance, or in Kosovo, by our "police" under our authority, it would strengthen the case. The argument often quietly given is that Israel, deriving from the tradition of western civilisation, should be judged by a higher standard than Sudan. Condescending though that is there would be something to it if the politicians saying it had not absloutely proven that they do not hold themselves to remotely as high a standard as Israeli politicians hold themselves (arguably not even to as high a standard as Chinese politicians who have not ethnicly cleansed Tibet, do).

gareth

thanks Mel - I'll be reading it.

www.jeremyhavardi.com

This book is indeed remarkable and courageous. I have written a review for The Jewish News which will appear in tomorrow's edition. I strongly urge all readers of that paper, and of this blog, to buy a copy so that they can more effectively challenge the many canards and distortions that surround this topic.
Jeremy

MS

'The greatest moral test of our age'?

Surely, Ms Phillips, the starving millions, the Darfur genocide, the destruction of the natural environment and its consequences for future generations, deserve a moral mention? Don't you think you might be blowing this a little bit out of proportion?

Michael Cohen

To the Jews I say: be strong, proud and courageous. We've been through this before, and we will survive.

To the righteous gentiles who support the Jews - Mr Shepherd is one of these - I say this: We are in this together. Bless you.

J. Isaacs

Great tip. I'm off to my local book shop to buy a copy now and also tag Robin Shepherd's blog as a favourite.

GeoffM

Interesting HardTalk on BBC early this morning. Only caught a couple of minutes with an Israeli historian (Shlomo Sand?) but what struck me was a comment (perhaps heard out of context) that Israel's history, and hence claim to the Holy Land, is largely fictional.

Did anyone else see this?

I can't watch from o'seas but perhaps you will "like" it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00p1l9q/HARDtalk_Shlomo_Sand/

phil

Chris R
November 18th, 2009 9:33am

Zionism is just the desire of the scattered Jewish people to live in the land now known as Israel . It is not racist ,it does not covet the land of others ,it was brought about by the persecution of Jews especially in eastern Europe and its failure to establish itself brought about the holocaust .The world looked again in 1945 and the united nations on a free vote (yes they did have them then ) decided in favour of the establishment of the state of Israel ,That state was born in May 1948 and has been at war ever since .The Arabs sided in both world wars with the losers ,the grand mufti actually living with hitler ,so maybe that influenced the UN decision -here is wikipedia BELOW

Zionism is the international Jewish political movement that originally supported the reestablishment of a homeland for the Jewish People in Palestine. The area was the Jewish Biblical homeland, called the Land of Israel (Hebrew: Eretz Yisra'el). ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism -I hope that helps .

phil

mostly harmless
November 18th, 2009 10:24am as usual you have lived up to your billing but only because you portray such stupidity that we all can have a good laugh -you could really be mostly dangerous but that would require a brain -I do hope David will allow this as its getting tiring writing to sensible people ,

just Louise

Miranda, well said (as usual), but don't forget, too, that Israel gave hospitality to Vietnamese escaping from a brutal regime whom no other country wanted.

C. Gee

Chris R:

The Nazi philosophy defined Jews as a race; Nazism is racist. Their philosophical heirs are those who define the national movement of the Jewish people for a homeland as racist. Anti-Zionism is racist because it is based upon exactly the same fallacy as Nazism.
Jews are not a race.

Augustus

And now available from Amazon.co
much cheaper (Orion Publishing.

"We are witnessing something civilisational, something which goes to the core of what Europe is all about." And i think we all know who is helping that attitude to fester. Europe and Britain needs more of the Geert Wilders's to blow away these alien cobwebs of hostility.

C. Gee

MS:
Discussion of Israel often brings out cries from the pro-Israel side that the world's fixation on Israel's morality - when there are so many other nations who are not considered immoral for the same, or worse actions - is "out of proportion".

Your using starving millions, Darfur, and global warming to tell Jews that their problem with bigotry is not such a big deal, shows acute moral sensitivity. Are you a professional ethicist?

Henry Sidgwick

There is one thing (at least) that the Guardian's Comment is Free does way better than this blog. The moderator on CiF explicitly says whether a comment has been censored. Here, it simply does not appear. If pressed, the moderator can talk generally about "technical" difficulties. It is so much easier to mix the censorship up with technical glitches. No-one will be any the wiser. And it plays havoc with the fragile equilibrium of the paranoid among us.

Greg D

To paraphrase Michael Cohen, "to the righteous gentiles who support the Jews - Mr Shepherd is one of these - I say read this:"

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1196847373185&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

in particular the second-last sentence.

Very fitting given the topic, wouldn't you say?

Read

David

Wilhelm
The poster showed Michael Howard waving a pendulum like a hypnotist. As far as I know Fagin never used one. Please get your facts right if you want to show someone as an antisemite

MS

C.Gee:

No, I'm not and I presume that neither are you.

However, would you mind giving some specific examples of Israel's 'bad' behaviour which have been criticised as well as comparable behaviour from other nations which have not? And please dispense with the irony - I had enough with Melanie's piece.

Regards

Gil

Henry Sidgwick, you know from previous threads that sometimes posts don't appear because of technical difficulties. I have had that problem too, and my views are opposed to yours. So there is no censorship.

By the way, are you saying that you are paranoid?

C. Gee

Henry Sidgwick:

Is there anything you want to say against Israel that you have not already said in this space?
That there might be even more toxic waste out there than the stuff the censors regularly allow to be dumped here is hard to imagine, even for the paranoid.

Merlyn

An interresting youtube video about the EUSSR that may give some clues;

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFkyK6asqVE

Adam B.

Greg D

I've read it. What's your point? Please elucidate.

phil

Chris R
November 18th, 2009 9:33am

Zionism is just the desire of the scattered Jewish people to live in the land now known as Israel . It is not racist ,it does not covet the land of others ,it was brought about by the persecution of Jews especially in eastern Europe and its failure to establish itself brought about the holocaust .The world looked again in 1945 and the united nations on a free vote (yes they did have them then ) decided in favour of the establishment of the state of Israel ,That state was born in May 1948 and has been at war ever since .The Arabs sided in both world wars with the losers ,the grand mufti actually living with hitler ,so maybe that influenced the UN decision -here is wikipedia BELOW

Zionism is the international Jewish political movement that originally supported the reestablishment of a homeland for the Jewish People in Palestine. The area was the Jewish Biblical homeland, called the Land of Israel (Hebrew: Eretz Yisra'el). ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism -I hope that helps . I did send this earlier but it got lost I assume along with lots today

Miranda Rose Smith

Dear Just Louise: Of course I remember that.

Philo

"The sickness here is civilisational. It reflects and draws upon the worst and the weakest in western political culture: its lack of self-belief, its ideological pathologies, its historical traumas, its relativism, its tendency to appease..."

I have read this book. It is surprising light on argument and evidence. It has an excess of vague generalisations and unsubstantiated assertions such as the above. It has no merit as a defence of Israel or as a critique of Europe. A more robust defence and a more acute critique would be of great value.

mostly harmless

phil
November 18th, 2009 2:36pm

oh phil give it a break, if you don't like my posts, don't read them simple.

phil

mostly harmless I read everybody,s post and your,s just waste my time with pointless invective -try doing something constructive even if I do not agree with it .Many of us disagree but at least we discuss ,sometimes it helps ,you never do . You are free to disagree with me and dislike my attitude ,but catcalling is only for little girls .

Mick

The British attitude toward Israel always puzzled me until a professor I had in a graduate school course made the following observation -- the Jewish reaction to the British presence in their ancestral homeland was completely different from the reaction of other "Orientals" (no apologies to Edward Said) whose lands were colonized/occupied by the British. The elite expected the Jews to act just as every other colonial territory acted toward the British - the equivalent of "Thank you sir, may I have some more." The British elite never understood and do not understand to this day that those who returned to their ancestral homeland were, for the most part, Europeans and were not prepared to set aside their interests for the interests of the British.

Put simply, the British elite never forgave the Jews for standing up to them and not permitting the British Foreign or Colonial Offices treat them as those offices treated every other people who were colonized.

Adam B.

mostly harmless

oh give it a break - if you don't like Melanie's posts, don't read them

Simple

Neil Craig

Henry while CiF sometimes notes when a comment has been removed I can say that on some occasions they did not. In due course they banned me (probably for stating undisputed facts on several subjects - global warming, James Watson, genocide in Kosovo - they wouldn't say). By definition facts which would have been stated by people who have been pre-censored aren't noted as being censored.

AKUS

I read Shepherd's blog daily - it is a reassurance that perhaps not all is lost in a Britain that seems to have slipped into a spineless acceptance of its hijacking by Islamic fundamentalists in an effort to retain its access to oil and recycle petrodollars through Bond and Oxford Street department stores. He is a national treasure.

Cat Murphy, Nevada

Great blog, killer site!

Will definitely make this a daily visit.

Wilhelm

Phil

Have you got any boxing anecdotes ?

Sameer P. Sarkar

You can not help but love Melanie but I guess I can only profess my love for her anonymously, lest someone from the liberal brigade torches my house (at least metaphorically). I wanted to know since when it has become unfashionable to support a civilization, a culture, a race, a state which has shown so much discipline, hard work and democratic ideals, not to mention the contribution to science? One is better off being an Islamist Jihadist wanting to kill all infidels (that includes Ken Livingstone and George Galloway) than God forbid, a moderate Israeli who is just that, an Israeli citizen.

Can someone point out to me please, where this self-righteous piety comes from? Is it just plain anti-semitism dressed down as liberalism or just plain stupidity?

Grant Carlson

If there are any Zionist conspiracies afoot, I would most likely prefer them to any Islamic conspiracy theories.