For the past week I’ve been working round the clock with a small group of people to pull together what we’re calling the October Declaration. It was originally the idea of Laura Dodsworth and she’s been the prime mover behind the project. It’s a statement of support for British Jews, decrying the antisemitism we’ve witnessed on the streets of our major cities since October 7th, as well as the dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents, and calling out Hamas for what it is – an evil terrorist organisation. We launched it last night, with one of our band – the journalist Allison Pearson – writing a terrific piece about it for the Telegraph.
We managed to persuade over 200 people to sign the Declaration, including Sir Tom Stoppard, Dame Maureen Lipman, Sir Tim Rice, Vanessa Feltz, Sir Richard Dearlove, Countdown’s Rachel Riley, journalist Andrew Neil, an array of politicians, including David Owen, David Frost and Jacob Rees-Mogg, as well as the historians Niall Ferguson, Robert Tombs, Tom Holland, Simon Sebag-Montefiore and Andrew Roberts, and a raft of distinguished scientists and academics, including Richard Dawkins, Nigel Biggar, David Abulafia, James Orr, Eric Kaufmann and Matthew Goodwin. But this is just the start. With the aid of Ian Rons, who helped me launch Lockdown Sceptics in 2020, we’ve created a website and a form that anyone who wants to sign the Declaration can fill in. The site is here. Within an hour of going live at about 10pm last night we already had over 1,000 people wanting to sign.
Here is Allison speaking for all of us about why we felt it was necessary to do this:
We all stand in support of British Jews and their right to live their lives in this country without fear. We unequivocally condemn the horrifying terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7 October and the suffering Hamas has brought on the Palestinian people. We deplore the subsequent increase in antisemitism, we ask the media, members of all political parties and the general public to call Hamas what it is – a terrorist organisation…
None of us ever imagined such a thing would be necessary in this country in the 21st Century but, sadly, here we are. As TV presenter Rachel Riley says in an emotional statement supporting the declaration, “What has been so hurtful here at home has been the denial of the atrocities, the tearing down of posters of the abducted children and the willingness of so many to side with Hamas – from football heroes to ‘peace activists’ who have nothing to say about what Hamas did. It feels like a layer has been peeled off society; we are seeing how little some people care about Jewish lives.”
The idea for British Friends of Israel first came from Laura Dodsworth, author of A State of Fear. Laura was appalled by the scenes she was witnessing on the TV. “Within hours of the terrorist attacks there were marches around the world with chants of ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Gas the Jews’ before the bodies had even been counted. Antisemitism skyrocketed here in Britain which has been a safe home for Jews for hundreds of years. Children were too scared to go to school. What have we become? Frankly, it has sickened me. I thought, this has to be the time to stand in solidarity with British Jews.”
Like Laura, I was disgusted by the speed with which the media narrative moved on from shock at the savagery with which Hamas thugs slaughtered 1,400 Israelis, many of them youngsters and elderly people, to concern about the destruction in Gaza. The latter is horrible, undoubtedly, but it is not in the same league of depravity as going into a kibbutz, tying the hands of children behind their backs, throwing them on a pile and setting fire to them.
An open letter from Artists for Palestine U.K., signed by Steve Coogan, Maxine Peake and nearly 4,000 other halo-polishing artists somehow managed not to mention any of the atrocities or, indeed, the name Hamas. In Israel, pathologists were still struggling to identify young festival-goers from dental records and DNA samples because their bodies had been so horribly burned and butchered, but the celebs chose to swiftly change the subject.
“Shame on those bleeding heartless liberals,” raged Dame Maureen Lipman, another name who has signed our declaration, in an excoriating blast at the moral vapidity of many in her trade. “If there was a charter signed by a terrorist group which vowed to kill every Protestant and drive every English institution into the sea, which abducted two hundred men women and children in Oxford Street (on Christmas Day) including Chelsea Pensioners and Nadiya Hussain and Mary Berry – and tortured and raped your sons and daughters – if that happened, Messrs Social Conscience, tell me, please tell me, in your view, what would be a PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE?”
Very much worth reading in full.
The Telegraph also has a news story about the Declaration, with more quotes from the magnificent Maureen Lipman, as does the Mail. We’re also expecting the Times and the Sun to cover it.
The picture above was taken at a vigil held in Trafalgar Square yesterday for the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th. I was there, standing with several thousand British Jews, and it was a moving occasion in spite of the parade of idiots shouting abuse as they walked past. But there were depressingly few non-Jews in attendance. Many of my Jewish friends have felt isolated and vulnerable over the past two weeks and I want them and all British Jews to know that they are not alone. Now is the time to show our solidarity, so please do sign the Declaration.
Stop Press: Within 24 hours of the Declaration being published, nearly 34,000 people had signed it, including two former Prime Ministers. The Telegraph has more.
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Rather than sign this why not ask more awkward questions about why the Brandon regime has been funding both sides in this war. The trump approach to Iran worked beautifully, starve them of funds and kill their more extreme leadership elements by drone etc. Of course this approach was too cheap for the war machine and that would never do for ppl who profit from death.
Tobes has been one of these folks who played along that 2020 was a fair fight, even though the FBI colluded with Facebook/twitter to suppress stories about the Hunter laptop they knew to be true locking the New York Post out of twitter for 2 weeks during the campaign for running a true story, IE the Bidens run a criminal enterprise taking foreign government bribes. Imagine Keir Starmer’s kids taking bribes off the Chinese and the BBC burying it with help by mi6, and twitter locking the times website for reporting it. Tobes thinks that’s all above board.
A magnificent what about, Sir. I congratulate you.
Well why do you think a war is happening in the 1st place? Grown ups would never allow Hamas to get hold of so many rockets, so it’s not what about it’s causality. Signing a stupid petition will do loads right?
Why do you present this as an either/or? You can still sign the declaration & think various other things have been covered up.
All of this is about taking sides when actually the killing is being done by terrified young ppl who’ve been mostly press ganged. Even there Hamas are a small clique of psychopathic lunatics who won’t be swayed by a petition I’m afraid. Think Sage Spi B with rockets. I’m giving Tobes a hard a time as he deserves it, otherwise I think he’s terrific which is why I regularly donate.
I share your frustration with Toby’s anti-Trumpery – that’s what it is. Also with the West’s equivocations with Iran and Hamas and the rest. But this is not that. To call Hamas what they are and publicly stand by British Jews is a duty, not a gesture. Mark Adams.
Fair enough and a vote up from me, all I’m saying was this was entirely avoidable had the west stuck to a basic standard of democracy, IE not electing a known criminal as president. I don’t really otherwise disagree with your statement Hamas are the worse of two evils here I agree. I’d far rather live in Israel than Gaza except during their fascistic jabbing period.
That is not my statement. There is no equivalence, only opposites.
Fine we disagree don’t think they are opposites, but Israel are by far the lesser of two evils. One must always choose the lesser evil. I don’t think there are goodies and baddies I find that model too simplistic. I’m not arguing equivalence between Palestine and Israel either, one is superior to the other clearly, IE Israel. I’m just pointing out how Hamas came to have so many rockets and why this happened in the first place.
As someone mentioned, these two positions are not mutually exclusive — Knowing Mossad CIA etc helped bring Hamas into existence, that they walked into a deliberate trap, and condemning these evil terrorists who burn babies.
Still falling for the burn baby story? Even Jeremy Bowen didn’t fall for that one. Look up war propaganda from WWII, Iraq etc etc. Same MO. Works every time.
The problem is the whole system is corrupt and serves big corporations not the people as Russell Brand mentions a lot.
So it isn’t about taking sides? But Hamas are psychopaths and Netanyahu isn’t? That’s taking sides.
The Declaration is one sided. It buys into divide and rule just like the 2-State solution has D&R enshrined in its title. There are two sides. The People (Jews, Christians, Muslims, non-believers and all the rest) and then the psycopaths who keep wars raging while they cash in. It is and always has been a vast transfer of wealth. Money gets printed, we pay the interest on the money that never existed and so it goes on.
No Ken Loach on the list I see…
Hopefully a lot more normies have been woken up this week looking at the disgraceful behaviour of the ‘protesters’ and even more so the shameful response of the police and authorities.
Seeing this in various countries across the world too. They make out that it’s just some peaceful public praying, en masse, but it conveniently serves as a reminder to all onlookers of just how many of them there actually are. I agree with the article that it’s a display of the strength found in numbers;
”Islam and its representatives are showing more and more clearly who will soon be in charge in this country. Just one day before the solidarity rally with Israel and the Jews, strict Muslims knelt in prayer in front of the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday evening.
Countless Muslim and so-called “Islamist” groups called for the demonstration of Islam’s power.
On social media, for example on Instagram, many accounts celebrated the prayer campaign by singing Quranic suras, a hallmark of political Islam. Allah believers were called upon to bring Palestine flags or something similar to the “prayer” on Saturday evening in front of the Brandenburg Gate. As can be seen from the pictures, the predominantly young Arab men complied with this request.
Particularly perfidious and presumably deliberately planned: Exactly on the eve of the solidarity rally for Israel at the Brandenburg Gate , Islam’s demonstration of power, disguised as a public prayer, was held. Because this public whining about Allah is nothing else: a targeted demonstration of power of their claim to Germany.
Are the stupid bio-Germans who watched this demonstration of Islam’s power in the heart of the German capital in disbelief slowly becoming aware of what they have been brought into the country?
At least in the comment columns, there seems to be a widespread realization that we have clearly allowed ourselves to be lured into an Islamic migration trap:
“Thanks to Merkel. Thank you to the old parties!”
https://journalistenwatch.com/2023/10/22/machtdemonstration-des-islam-gebete-vor-dem-brandenburger-tor/
So long as people fall into either created camp, divide and rule wins the day. Well done, you’re doing the psychopaths work for them.
I think you see what you want to see..I have seen thousands of ordinary people all around the world joining the protests to call for a ceasefire and peace. I’m with them 100%…
I know what I saw thank you and experienced in the city of Leeds where I was born this weekend in the main precinct pedestrian area!
Ordinary people shopping with young children, frightened of the Islamic protests, ushering them to a safer place.
I have never felt unsafe in my city until this weekend.
My under 6 year old grandchildren are staying with me so where do you ‘appeasers of fundamental Islam’ (they want the Uk to be a caliphate one day and so far their plan is going well) … where shall I take my Grandchildren and feel safe?
Think about it because I do! Can I take them for new school shoes in Leeds at the moment. NO!
Our police would arrest me if I dared to protect my family from barbarism.
Unfortunately there has to be a side you either start protecting our safety Or not.
Stark reality.
I did see a short vid clip on Twitter showing Leeds centre, so I had a small glimpse of what you’re referring to. A few local guys were telling the mob to ”f*ck off, this is our town”, sort of thing. Don’t blame them in the slightest and I can imagine how intimidating it must be encountering such a large and vocal body of people, many advocating for ”Muslim armies” to rise up and encouraging jihad, or worse, antisemitic slogans and chants. That level of hostility, especially in your own home town, is never a welcome sight and there’s so many of them they’re hard to just ignore.
Speaking of baying mobs and hostility en masse, this war has nothing to do with England so why on earth would a St George’s flag enrage so many people chanting about Palestine? To me it just shows how triggered they are, like some sort of mass formation has taken over and they’re reduced to one hive mind, a single body of intolerant hatred towards anyone perceived as a threat to their collective psychosis. Why are they so focused and threatened by a man with an England flag? They could have just ignored him. Bizarre..
https://twitter.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1716239682864861472
Yes and is it not just marches in Leeds, “Our Town”. Our country.
Our security forces say they have 1000’s on jihad terrorism watch in Uk but not against exclusively Jews or Israel but against our way citizens our lives on uk our western culture.
So the war elsewhere I believe an excuse or catalyst to raise the game of the Muslim army here and yes there were present the ‘useful fools.’
We have ordered school shoes on line and went to hopefully a more safe country walk and lit a candle in a country chapel. For my uncles who fought for our national safety which has been given away already.
Perhaps safer on this walk but for how long?
While some of us were looking on at those Globalists in the WEF, we have Jihad right under our noses. Though there seems to be a connection between mass uncontrolled migration and the agenda of the Globalists like OS and WEF etc.
Yes why do the Police have a problem with an English flag….In England FFS!
Jihad = struggle. Islam = Surrender (to God).
Did you feel safe a week ago? Or last year? Or do you walk around feeling frightened that ‘they’ those others who you hate, are coming for you all the time?
Im sorry you had a bad experience in Leeds but it doesn’t mean it’s indicative of the whole world…and if you are going to call people names, it’s best you don’t come across yourself as a rampant Islamophobic racist don’t you think?
I was shopping with family
That is it
Islamophobic or common sense of a perceived danger.
You decide…but I’m sure the ‘Muslim Army’ weren’t actually bringing about ‘ the Caliphate’ in Leeds last week..unless you know something?
I too saw the demonstration in Leeds (it was on Saturday 14th) and took a few phone pics. It assembled in the pedestrianised main shopping street, Briggate, and marched to the City Hall, where speeches were given. There were two or three hundred demonstrators, half of them whites of the lefty peace campaigner sort. In Briggate, police had allocated an area to the demonstrators and you had to walk round it to proceed on your way. I saw no frightened shoppers or children: some seemed to find it a minor nuisance, others were mildly curious.
Above all, it was not an Islamist demonstration or even a Muslim one. There were headscarves to be seen but no burqas. I listened to the first ten minutes of the proceedings outside City Hall. Not a single placard or chant referred to Islam. The organisations represented were the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the trade union Unite, and various university and local groups. I also heard no mention of Jews as such. It was a purely left-wing affair, and similar demonstrations have been held in the same place before.
The Muslim community were conspicuous by their absence. If they had turned out in force, it would have been a far, far bigger event. I returned via Bradford. Somewhat to my surprise, absolutely nothing was happening there. I spotted a few people waving a Palestinian flag in the city centre and the occasional Free Palestine sign in shop windows and that was it.
This is a fear whipped up by the press. This is how the psychopaths want you. The London marches were peaceful and Jews and Arabs marched side by side. Get in touch with your Shadow Side.
More on the vigil here. Never before have I seen so much footage and so many reports of such brazen antisemitism and proud support for terrorism from all over the world. If people don’t know the whole objective of radical Islam by now then they never will. Proper dhimwits.
”Thousands have attended a vigil in central London calling for the safe return of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas.
The solidarity rally in Trafalgar Square was organised by a number of Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council.
Many participants sang Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, and carried Israeli flag posters bearing the images of hostages and the missing.
Others chanted “bring them home,” falling silent as the names of around 200 hostages were read out.
Addressing the crowd, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said: “It’s at a time such as this that we discover who our true friends are.”
“It’s at a time such as this that words do matter and to all our friends from whom so far we haven’t heard a single word, your silence is deafening. Words do matter.
“Sometimes we hear reference to both sides or the two sides but we ourselves know there are indeed two sides, one is good and the other is evil.
“Israel uses her forces in order to protect her citizens while Hamas uses its citizens to protect its forces. Words do matter.
“Those who fail to condemn, condone. Those who refuse to call Hamas terrorists allow the legitimising of their brutal deeds.”
https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/whats-going-on-in-israel-today-5Bqk1ZWrqj2FM36A9p9UA
Have to scroll all the way to the end to sign?
I have signed.
The sight of hundreds of thousands of on the streets of London supporting, or effectively condoning Hamas terrorism, disgusts me.
When it comes to militant Islam, people should remember the words of Pastor Niemoller.
So are millions of us supposed to ignore the fact that Netanyahu and his Government built up the Hamas we see today? Doesn’t it matter?
Why do Palestinians ‘deserve’ punishment for Hammas..but the man who paid and supported them gets a free pass….? How the frick is he a good guy?
There have been protest against this Government all year, there are calls for his resignation every day in the Israeli newspapers ..the families of the kidnapped people don’t trust him, they have criticised him openly….and polls show over 80% want him gone…
So whatever casual racism, Islamophobia, and complete lack of compassion is being shown by many people here….this cannot alter the truth…
…the man is a monster…he is directly involved, and he should resign…
https://www.vtforeignpolicy.com/2023/10/a-brief-history-of-the-netanyahu-hamas-alliance/
I wish you well ..but you lost me around ‘..the latter is horrible no doubt, but not in the same league’…
No doubt the 2000 children and babies had it coming to them…
No one is forgetting what happened in Israel, the Israeli Government and the IDS are doing that job by making sure their ‘atrocities’ are on a scale no civilised person can countenance….
please tell me, in your view, what would be a PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE?
It is not a matter of what is proportionate (although is cutting off energy, water and medical supplies and bombing the hell out 2 million people really proportionate?). It is a matter of what is effective. Right now Israel is doing exactly what Hamas wanted. Hamas does not care how many of its own people die or how many innocent Palestinians die – there are plenty more recruits while the population of Gaza has nowhere else to turn . Hamas problem was that Israel was beginning to normalise relations with the Arab states. They needed the Middle East to explode again which they seem to be on the verge of achieving. Israel need to be seen as the good guys not the avenging angels. It is very, very hard to do but restraint is vital or Hamas will succeed beyond its wildest dreams.
You need to be aware anything that goes into Gaza is seized by Hamas.
Would you have sent aid into Berlin in 1944?
Spot on , similar to most African Aid packages that go missing !
What a dreadful way of looking at things..
I’m sure the numerous fantastic humanitarian aid workers, including our own British Red Cross who are putting their lives on the line to bring innocent civilians aid, will be chuffed that their hard work can be dismissed in a sentence….
What is wrong with you people??
It has succeeded by the looks of it
I will read it and decide whether to sign later.
The image used to promote this on the DS site is disturbing. If this is about British Jews why is the image of a mass of people waving the flag of Israel? The Star of David is an appropriate symbol for Judaism – not the flag of the state of Israel.
Very good point!
Far too many people seem to conflate, either innocently/ignorantly or deliberately/manipulatively, judaism/Jews with Israel; this has been used to smear people like Jeremy Corbyn as anti-semitic, as if objecting to Israel’s behaviour/actions and apartheid state were the same thing as hating Jews, which it isn’t.
The picture heading this article reinforces that “confusion”.
Signed
No Archbishop of Canterbury, nor any Archbishops?
Not surprising.
The word ‘Israel’ and God’s multiple promises in the Bible, of the land to His people must have slipped their attention.
One day they’ll have to look into the blazing eyes of Jesus and explain themselves.
The Gates of Hell await the Archbishop and the rest of the Globalists!
Free speech is free speech no matter how ugly or offensive you find it.
Looks like even the best of us fall into the divide and conquer politics.
Sad to see so many old friends fall for the grievance politics and demand to be heard screaming about how their victimhood is worse than your victimhood, so what else can one do but kill babies?
Babies for babies, seems fair. Left or right doesn’t seem to make a difference in the ever more pressing “need” for sacrifices to Moloch.
Im about done with DS and the FSU I think.
It’s starting to feel very normy around here.
Jib jab items are still worth the read every now and then. But losing my subscription.
“Im about done with DS and the FSU I think.
It’s starting to feel very normy around here.
Jib jab items are still worth the read every now and then. But losing my subscription.”
What has the FSU done wrong in your eyes?
Why would you cancel your subscription just because you disagree with what appears to be the proprietor’s line on one issue? Or is it a red line for you?
I happen to agree with your view on free speech.
I’m concerned that TY is fanning the flames of this issue and falling into the trap of playing for a team. I don’t think the deceleration is balanced. I don’t think it is ok to tout Free speech as your primary concern but then point fingers at people NOT getting arrested for their speech. I get that he thinks it’s unfair, but no-one should be arrested for free speech. Shouting that this or that group deserves it more is not helpful from the leader of the FSU.
I think Toby Y has fallen into a trap here. He should retain his dispassionate self to be in charge of the FSU. That’s why I will be forced to withdraw my support.
I tend to agree with you, but for me it’s not a dealbreaker. If there wasn’t a dire need for more recognition for freedom of speech as essential to a functioning democracy, and there was a plethora of organizations campaigning for it, I might be tempted to do the same. But we are where we are (in bad shape).
I am a free speech absolutist so defend these creatures, I highlight the double standards especially from the left. Better to have things in the open to know thy enemy.
I am not going to be coerced into taking sides and this, in my view, is such a move. Yesterday, in our Stand in the Park, which has become a sort of sit in the café, one of our number said the words ‘Well, you’ve got to take a side, haven’t you?’ when commenting on the current situation on Israel/Palestine. I said no because that plays into those that divide us and I am concerned about a ramping up of sectarian positions. I don’t support Hamas and I don’t support the Israeli government. I support all people who wish no harm to others of different ethnicity or religious background and who don’t wish to impose their ideas or values on others. Live and let live. I am aware of the fervour among some members of the Muslim community to try and create a Muslim caliphate in this country and I strongly oppose that: this is a Christian country based on Christian principles. Anyone who doesn’t wish to abide by that can leave, just the same as I wouldn’t try to impose Christianity on Muslims in a Muslim country – well, you wouldn’t get far would you? Personally, I don’t really follow or adhere to any organised religion although I live my life based on Christian values and these are rooted in this country despite the useless and woke ArchB of Canterbury. I will always support the oppressed be they Jews or Muslims but will not take up their cause.
Agree.
Theres also the small matter of escalation.
I am Christian and what’s going on now is very eerily reminiscent of some scripture.
Calls for calm, peace and negotiations should be the lessons that should have learned from the post 9/11 era.
We are creatures susceptible to herd behaviour and herds respond with emotion.
”They” know this and Israel Palestine is the biggest division politics trump card.
Next stop: Tank the Economy and blame it on the War.
It’s just a verbal declaration of support. It isn’t recruiting for the IDF
I think I made myself perfectly clear on my position. Not being drawn into the controversy doesn’t make me an apologist for either side not does it imply I view the declaration as something other than what it is!
https://thenewconservative.co.uk/downing-street-surrenders-to-islam/
And this just appeared in my Inbox. Seems I am not on my own.
Hey huxtable, where’d your post go?? There was nothing naughty or even controversial there. Is Hardlines on duty again? I’d best not type ”black” and ”racist” next to each other then
Let’s see if my post lasts longer than yours…LOL!
Yes, this;
”Such an unmistakable capitulation cannot be viewed alternatively. If the authorities truly intend to treat Islam with kid gloves in perpetuity, they might as well roll out Sharia law nationwide and admit that non-Muslims are second-class citizens.
The biggest threat to national security in Britain isn’t ‘white supremacy’; it’s the carte blanche afforded Islam, and judging by this latest show of strength outside Downing Street, the authorities aren’t even pretending to be even-handed anymore.”
Great article and people are writing similar all over the shop. If this was really just about peaceful praying then they can do that until the cows come home in their mosques, but they’re obviously deliberately being visible for a reason, and it’s pretty clear what that is. I perceive it as passive aggression. They had all the massively attended pro-Palestine demos just recently but no, they have to go on to do this across the world now. As your article says, it’s one rule for them lot and one for everybody else, and the police are nothing but useless, enabling traitors to the native people of Britain.
Indeed Mogs, where did my post go?
Last night I checked the Victoria’s Secret thread and my post had gone from there too. It’s back now, or was an hour ago.
Would I be paranoid in thinking my posts are being censored?
No word from DS Editorial.
Thanks Mogs. Great post.
And I certainly don’t want to see any surrender to Islam in a Christian country either, HP!
My posts are being censored Aethelred.
Not to forget the minority group in Palestine, the Christians, many of whom were unwelcome in Israel when it was founded and thus sought safety in Palestine. They comprise a few percent of the population (only 1% in Gaza) however they are more numerous than many favoured social minorities in the West, especially those with degrees of gender dysphoria.
Reading this mornings comments on the Hammas topic shows how varied and uncertain peoples views are ! Toby’s declaration seems to be a repost to the 2000 virtue signalling luvie,s who did their version without reference to the direct – actually by hand ! face to face ! slaughter ! worse than an abattoir ! of terrified ordinary people , followed by hostage taking which doubles the pain for the relatives knowing what the human scum holding them are putting them through !
I don’t think the Daily Sceptic is the right place for the Israel/Hamas conversation, or for that matter, the Russia/Ukraine conversation, unless it relates to free speech. I can read this stuff on Fox News.
Having said that, I am happy to sign the declaration and have done so.
The reality is that Hamas is a gangster outfit whose sole purpose is to milk Palestinian grievance for power and profit.
They are no more likely to call time on their activity than pharma bosses are likely to confess that the Covid vaccines are bit dodgy and they are going to stick to making Lemsip from now on.
If I was Israeli I’d say either Hamas goes or Palestine goes. Give each family $100K to emigrate to other Muslim countries. What’s that, $200bn?
https://www.globalresearch.ca/eu-staff-members-express-fury-over-von-der-leyen-stance-israel-hamas-conflict/5837409
EU staff not happy with the Commission’s position re the Israeli response.
Still waiting for her Pfizer TXT message deals!
Very good start,but how sad,but unsurprising that so few supporters are from the left rather than conservatives and libertarians.
Jewish people need more protection.
Where has crisisgarden’s comment gone?
I was trying to comment on it and got an error message (new one on me) “Comments on unapproved posts are not allowed”
Now it has disappeared
It might have been unacceptable..! I do feel strongly about it; as many other non-Zionist Jews do..
I couldn’t see anything in it that broke forum rules as I understand them
My comment was to ask you if you think the establishment of the state of Israel was a wrong move, and what you would have liked to have seen done differently.
I think Jews should exist as a diaspora and yes, the establishment of the State of Israel was not only wrong but paradoxically the greatest threat to Jews, whose plight was cynically being used by imperial powers to gain a permanent foothold in the energy rich Middle East. Palestine was never Britain’s to ‘give’ and now we have the product: an unholy alliance of religious fundamentalism, siege mentality and American militarism. I’ve been saying this for the last 35 years, it didn’t make me popular as a kid I can tell you!
It has certainly caused trouble. I suppose some people would argue that the diaspora thing didn’t work out that well, at least in some countries, and that something had to be done. I think you can also argue that what’s done is done. Imagine you’re a Jew born in Israel – it’s the only home you’ve ever known, and it’s a pretty decent country. I would say you’re unlikely to want to leave, and equally unlikely to want to share the country with a lot of non-Jews.
But if you don’t want to share the country with non-Jews then you are by definition racist. I’m not advocating for an end to Israel (although at this point that’s on the table) but unless it can prised from the hands of the fascists who currently run or fund it, it will never be safe. Jews in London, Sydney, Moscow, or New York are far safer than those who live in Israel.
“But if you don’t want to share the country with non-Jews then you are by definition racist.”
Well I think most people are fairly racist, including me. Given the choice between living in an England which is mainly full of English people and one that isn’t (and therefore isn’t really England any more) I would vastly prefer the former. Many Native Americans choose to live in special areas reserved for them.
“Jews in London, Sydney, Moscow, or New York are far safer than those who live in Israel.”
Maybe, at the moment. But that has not always been the case and it may change.
I agree about the people running Israel, but then I’m not keen on the people running lots of other countries, including my own.
PS I would still like to know what happened to your original post.
I have had a lengthy post disappear.
WE ARE OWED AN EXPLANATION
I didn’t see your post but cannot imagine there was anything untoward about it. I agree. Maybe email them?
It wasn’t rude tof and no bad language but I bluntly stated that all those claiming to be followers of Islam need to be exported to a Muslim country of their choice.
Let’s see how long this post lasts.
Not a proposal I would completely go along with personally but I think the site should allow it to be expressed so that people can give their views.
Either that or the site decides to leave off the whole Israel subject on the basis that it is divisive.
One or the other.
A fair comment.
As an aside, as someone who has taken a keen interest in the plight of Palestinians for about 30 years, I am seeing a very different form of media coverage this time, which I think points to something larger at work.
In the past, Israel’s mass killing of Palestinians was basically suppressed by western media, often using headlines like ‘50 Palestinians have died’ rather than ’50 Palestinians have been killed’ (that was one of the BBC’s favourites)
This time is different. If I hold my nose and look at CNN or MSNBC, they are being surprising and unprecedentedly balanced in their reporting. While this should be a positive development, I don’t think they have suddenly become morally outraged by the treatment of Palestinians. I think the entire purpose of the media at the moment is to cause division and force us to pick a side. Divide and conquer. I found it surprising that the legacy media were telegraphing protests last week before they happened. An odd thing to do unless you want protests.
I fear the oncoming Middle Eastern conflagration will suit the powers that be, and they will use it to further erode human rights in the name of preventing extremism.
Spot on.
Well said, CG!
“The final peace’s (sic)are being put into place.
Large numbers of dinghy divers are being trained as SIA staff.
Meanwhile our army/RAF are sending 37k+ to Estonia
Go figure what’s about to happen.”
Posted by Gracie at TCW today.
John O’Looney was told months ago by Black Watch officers that when the poo hits the fan in the UK our armed forces will be abroad.
I fear something nasty is approaching.
In wars, doctors, nurses and paramedics treat all, irrespective of race, religion or colour. Magen David Adom (MDA) is Israel’s Red Cross, providing pre-hospital care and blood services. In addition to the sympathy expressed in these pages, a donation to MDA would also be appreciated (I hope I have not broken any editorial rules by saying that).
I’m totally with Jews and utterly reject antisemitism. However, I’m not with Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza, nor in encouraging Israel to ‘invade’ Gaza (after all many were against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine). I detest the retaliation against civilians – two wrongs don’t add up to a right. I would sign this petition like a shot if it were purely and just for Jews, especially our British ones. But I am seriously worried by the whole Gaza attack which, to me and quite a few others, felt like a kind of 9/11 false flag event, or, if not that, then a Pearl Harbour event.
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
I’ll sign a declaration of peace on both sides and for all parties to STOP this and the debacle in Ukraine IMMEDIATELY.
I stand with British jews but I would not sign the declaration as written. Because it does not acknowledge the role of the state of Israel in the conflict. History did not start 2 weeks ago. I also stand with the people of the Middle East who may be having a massive regional war foisted upon them. Your line on Ukraine is very similar…condemn Putin’s Russia. And by the way, I do not like the way allegations of anti-semitism have been weaponised in this country and the USA to cancel political opponents. I am starting to wonder if you are a tool of the establishment.
Like many of the comments so far I feel deeply uneasy about this initiative. Will it actually make a difference at a local level? I abhor the situation we are in – the atrocities in the middle east and the growing tension about them in the west – and support everyone’s right to speak out and conduct civilised discussion about the facts. But how can we encourage everyone in our society – especially at a local level – to come together and stand up against those who are dividing us?
I do wonder how ANYONE could take a side on this long running disturbance between Israel and Palestinian. ANYONE!!!
You might want to check the links to the declaration. My email gave me an “unsafe link” warning. I suspect it is because you have used “http” instead of “https”.
And the Declaration to protect British Muslims – who judging by many Telegraph commentators on useful idiot Allison’s opinion pieces (she isn’t in Israel or Gaza or the marches) are the ones also suffering discrimination and more of it. When you put that up I’ll sign them both.