Millionaire eco-tycoon Dale Vince appeared to call Hamas “freedom fighters” last year and then waged a war of censorship against any media which reported his words. But the Guido Fawkes blog is standing up to him. The Telegraph has the story.
During an interview with Times Radio, in which he was asked whether a Hamas terrorist attack was Palestine defending itself, Vince said: “I think one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, right? That’s how it works.”
Angela Rayner, now Deputy Prime Minister, branded the comments “appalling”, while a slew of media outlets published reports suggesting the businessman had expressed support for the terrorist group.
Yet rather than backtrack, Vince has stood by his remarks and launched a wave of libel lawsuits against his detractors.
Now the tycoon is stepping up his assault as he seeks a court order that would effectively block access to the right-wing Guido Fawkes blog.
For Vince, who donated £5m to Labour in the run-up to the General Election, the campaign is the “most important piece of the puzzle” as he tries to clear his name. But the move has sparked accusations that Mr. Vince is using a tactic most commonly deployed in copyright cases in an effort to silence his critics.
Following widespread coverage of the comments, Vince went on the defensive.
Lawyers for the businessman filed a string of lawsuits, claiming the clip was used to imply that he was supporting Hamas’s actions, including “mass murder, kidnapping and rape”, during the October 7th attacks.
He has already successfully sued GB News and the Daily Mail for libel over their reporting as both outlets agreed to pay “substantial” damages and cover Vince’s legal costs.
In addition, Vince has started proceedings against Reform Chairman Richard Tice and Tory peer Shaun Bailey, while legal threats against a trio of current and former Conservative MPs triggered swift apologies.
Now, though, the former Just Stop Oil donor who switched his allegiances to Labour last year, has stepped up his campaign with a lawsuit against Paul Staines, the Editor of political blog Guido Fawkes.
Staines has long boasted that his Irish nationality and the fact his blog is hosted in the U.S. means he can ignore British court orders. However, the blogger has declared that on this occasion he will forgo any safe haven protection and defend the lawsuit head on.
In a blog post last week, he said: “We have no intention of apologising for reporting and commenting on his disgraceful equivocation. We’re going to make a stand and defend free speech and our reporting of the words he said.”
Staines also said he has given Vince the opportunity to “put on the record unambiguously that he does not think Hamas are freedom fighters”, but that he declined to do so.
Worth reading in full.
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Commies, Commies everywhere but not an axe to sink.
Where in this did Dale Vince state that he considers Hamas freedom fighters?
The critics would be happy if he gave an answer they find acceptable? Who’s really trying to censor opinions?
You genuinely cannot work it out from what he said and the context of the question? Even Rayner worked it out.
It would be easier if you just quoted where he says it but since he declined being “put on the record” (ironically an attempt to have his speech controlled in the way the Left does) I doubt there is a quote.
I don’t recollect Angela Rayner opposing the government’s pandemic response or saying how “appalling” it was despite this being based on promoting fear in the population i.e. terrorism. One man’s politician is another man’s terrorist.
Israeli Govt vs. Hamas is just Terrorists vs. The Terrorists they ensured were funded. Some may agree, some may disagree but that’s the subjective nature of it.
Edit: subjective except for the funding.
I remember Rayner defending all the fascist countermeasures on Talk Radio to JHB.
“I think one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, right? That’s how it works.”
Ergo, according to Vince, Hamas are freedom fighters. Any questions, let me know.
Have you noticed it’s always the terrorist supporters that wheel out that old line? Never fails. As if there’s any sort of ambiguity involved when it comes to known death-obsessed Jihadists that can’t stop broadcasting to all and sundry how much they hate everyone who isn’t like them and want to take over the world…Jesus wept. Good and patriotic people oppose terrorism, West-hating traitors aren’t backwards in coming forwards about showing their contempt and where their loyalties lie.
Many in the British Isles saw the IRA as terrorists for obvious reasons. Not all Americans thought that way but from their perspective, were they any less good or patriotic for supporting them?
Repeating this well-used slogan, which can be controversial, recognises that some may consider them freedom fighters but is that him expressing his personal view?
Well his comments sound pretty charitable and supportive of a Qatari based ultra-violent cartel of medieval gangsters, whose primary goal in life is to destroy Israel and Jews from the river to the sea. He’s not quoting anyone else here. He said this.
Dale Vince also wants to disarm Israel in the face of this ongoing threat, thereby aiding Hamas in their goal of wiping them out. So on balance, Dale Vince is demonstrably a Hamas supporter.
Do you think Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-term efforts to ensure Hamas remained funded, including up to a few weeks prior to the attack, may have been more significant than this opinion? If so, why would this spat make DS headlines yet nothing on Netanyahu?
I don’t know about that and I haven’t seen any evidence of it. I do know that almost $10 billion of Palestinian funding was provided by various Middle Eastern countries and spend on weapons, tunnels and various other ways of attacking Israel and brainwashing its populace into believing that they’re the one true enemy. I also know for a scientific fact that Dale Vince is a posturing, bovine, morally deranged dildo.
It’s easy to find articles on it, particularly in the Israeli media where they are acutely aware of the problems it has caused.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/10/world/middleeast/israel-qatar-money-prop-up-hamas.html
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-20/ty-article-opinion/.premium/a-brief-history-of-the-netanyahu-hamas-alliance/0000018b-47d9-d242-abef-57ff1be90000
https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/hamas-israels-own-creation/
DS: a “-1” green downtick. How is that achieved?
Someone trying to agree with you when it’s not their true opinion. DS reads your mind.
By the way, I do disagree with you.
More likely it’s a bug.
The most obvious interpretation of the reply is that he is stating his opinion – which is what he was asked to. He may have been making a general point but that seems unlikely to me. I think the point here is that he’s trying to wiggle out of saying something that makes him look bad. But without more context, which I do not have access to, it’s hard to be sure. I’m not keen on anyone suing anyone else for this kind of thing – how a phrase is interpreted. Although I am an admirer of Bridgen I was dubious about him suing Hancock. Calling someone anti-semitic is just an opinion and as such it should be up to the court of public opinion to determine how accurate it is. Suing should be limited to telling lies on matters of fact, IMO.
Given the political views that seem to accompany the green movement: stating Hamas are terrorists may have been more damaging? He’s responding like a politician would and leaving it open to interpretation. If he does think Hamas are freedom fighters, that’s his opinion.
I agree suing people for this is not the way to go but the legal system isn’t about facts, it’s about interpreting them and the best storytellers cost more.
It’s also worth remembering the UK government defended its relationship with Qatar despite their support for Hamas. Perhaps Labour will consider this “appalling” but I doubt it. One governments terrorist funder is another governments ally.
True but it’s good when the other side is hoist by their own petard. Once he used that slur outside Parliamentary privilege it was fair game.
I’d prefer our side were more consistent, but I am hesitant to be too
critical of Bridgen who has paid a price for his efforts
Seems pretty clear to me he is supporting Hamas actions. A simple “Yes / No” would clearly have done and still could. How he can win cases when his meaning is clear to 99.9999% of people is beyond me.
And GB News has form caving into pressure like from Ofcom. They let Mark Steyn down and they let their based viewers down. Dolan you are a sellout and cos play freedom fighter.
It could equally be argued that anyone supporting the Israeli government before Oct 7th 2023 enabled Hamas. Hamas didn’t develop a new belief system for Oct 7th and their support from the Israeli government wasn’t a secret.
Interesting as well that Angela “I stole your money” Rayner was more than happy to take his money. I think I am more appalled by the fact that a known thief accepted a massive donation from a known terrorist activator and a man who clearly implies it is okay to behead women and children.
“Deputy Prime Minister, branded the comments “appalling”
These little thumbs are doing my head in. I just upticked you but you’re still on 0, other people seem to be in minuses for their green numbers. What on earth does a minus green number signify??
DS mods, you’re twisting my melons, man..
I agree Mogs. The ticking seems to have gone a bit weird.
Hamas ARE “freedom fighters”.
Fighting for their freedom to wipe Israel and Jews off the map from the river to the sea.
It doesn’t matter whether they are Jews or any other religion or race. They are a foreign occupying force of 76 years.
Who is fighting whom? Who is bombing whom?
It must surely be clear by now that Israel is trying to wipe out all Palestinians in Israel, both in the Gaza strip and in the West Bank.
The Lancet recently reported an estimated 186,000 dead now in Gaza.
Haaretz recently reported, as The Grayzone has been reporting for months, that a large percentage of Israelis killed on 7th October were indeed killed by the IDF following the Hannibal directive.
Israel also told the Palestinians a day or two ago to evacuate Gaza City and move to the south. Move again. Of course, they are not allowed to leave the prison of the Gaza strip, just move about from one bombed area to another and hope they will survive.
And if they survive the bombing, will they survive starvation?
Charming people, the Israelis.
Not just Jews, infidels- anyone who is of any faith and none
A bit like ISIS then?
Obama knows about ISIS. his dirty little secret.
More like the French Resistance in WWII but more justified after 76 years of foreign occupation.
I actually agree with Vince on the basis of the statement as reported.
Is he suing for simply reporting what he said or for any interpretations made by the defendants?
Either way it strikes me as bullying by Vince simply because he is rich.
I have watched the video. By no stretch of the imagination can there be any doubt as to Vince’s intended meaning.
I was talking about the phrase not the context in which it was used. It depends on which side of the fence you sit as the whether you see a group as one or the other. Vince is clearly a supporter of Hamas/critic of Israel and sees them as freedom fighters. I disagree. They are clearly terrorists and this was one of the few things the old government got right.
Clearly a man with too much money, and with a very high opinion of himself and his standing in society. How marvellous it must be to be able to use his money to shut others up who dare to use his own words against him. It never fails to amaze me that people with so much money have so little self reflection in that they are so weak and thin skinned that they will actually amplify the negative things they are trying to cover up, wheras if he had ignored the comments he could have remained a unknown, individual. Now he has exposed himself in an unflattering light. Better that he would have used his millions to try and help those Israeli hostages and families, and those Palestinian pawns to find safety and peace. But ego seems to be the winner on this one.
As I understand it Dale Vince’s millions come from the “green” industry. Or to be blunt taxpayers via subsidies paid to Nut Zero scamming outfits.
I am happy to be corrected if wrong.
His whole business is subsidy based largely – I did wonder if Labour forgot how much he gave them when I saw their comment… though maybe now they are in power, they no longer care about keeping donors on side
Has Guido set up a donations page because I would be delighted to chip in?
Of the thousands of utterly detestable leeches with a public platform Dale Vince is in the top twenty.
The legal profession would be delighted as well. Thank you for your service.
So you are a member of the ‘legal profession?’
No, I was thanking you on their behalf because they probably won’t acknowledge it.
Very kind of you.
I remember the days I was on Facebook and found a website dedicated to my old boarding school, and there was no win no fee lawyers trawling for scandal.
Does the article “in full” mention BP’s contribution to the Treasury?
To be precise :
bp’s own operations directly created a £15 billion gross value-added contribution to GDP. bp directly generated £1 in every £170 of UK GDP in 2022. bp employed 15,468 people and stimulated a further 68,000 jobs along the UK supply chain.
in contrast to this Green opportunist who is bleeding the taxpayer dry.
Much appreciated
Thank you