This week's postings on JfJfP.com
In the week April 6th-12th, 2015 the theme which is strongest, if you take the Jewish Chronicle as a reliable guide, is the UK’s general election. The publication makes a sustained and dishonest attempt to to prove that Ed Miliband has single-handedly driven Jews away from Labour just because he said something critical about Israel’s attack on Gaza. As Ed is usually fulsome about Israel, read for yourself what the Labour leader has had to say.
Miliband attacked for ‘betraying Israel’
Let’s blame Ed for Jews’ drift the right
Also on the general election our signatories’ blog this week is by Ben Samuel who is standing as the Green candidate in Hendon. Putting Human Rights First
If you are a signatory and would like to contribute any comment on Israel/Palestine, the role of JfJfP, a review of a film or book, account of a visit to Palestine or Israel…. contact postings@JfJfP.org
Other parties are also standing.
The issue which raised the most coverage was the PA’s accession to the International Criminal Court. However, as most of the questions considered have been covered in previous postings, we have not reposted these articles. Instead, there is Alaa Tartir’s thought-provoking suggestion of six steps that can be taken now, by various actors, to bring Palestinian independence closer. Building a Palestinian nation
Results of the March election are already being felt in the voice given to Palestinian Israelis by the presence of Joint List in the Knesset. New MK Youssef Jaareen speaks powerfully about the discriminatory laws and practices on which ‘the only democracy in the Middle East’ is based.
The democracy governed by discriminatory laws
The other theme is simply history. Past events which have shaped the course of Palestinian Israeli history include:
● the Deir Yassin massacre of April 9th 1948. The pattern that brutal assault on a Palestinian village established was of Israeli impunity in acts of great violence and ethnic cleansing, terrorising other villages of unarmed and unprotected Palestinians fleeing in horror. Zochrot memorialises this every year.
The massacre that set the pattern
● Jewish refugees. A snapshot of attitudes to Israel amongst Jews in Britain in 1967 comes from an article at the end of that year published by the Association of Jewish Refugees in Britain (AJR). It is an attitude of gratitude to a country which was still seen as a Great Power and credits the UK with the most important role in creating Israel. Some historians may not agree.
Britain’s role in making Israel’s history
● the understanding, and abuse, of what is antisemitic. Brian Klug examines the past to see if there really has been an historic rise in antisemitism, as is frequently claimed. In the course of this he very helpfully clarifies what is and is not antisemitism . Yes if the ‘figure of The Jew’ appears in the discourse, no if the conduct of Israel in Operation Protective edge is being discussed.
Historic error of claims of great rise in antisemitism
The ongoing horror of life for Palestinians (and Syrians) stranded in Yarmouk refugee camp is very contemporary as different factions, including ISIL, compete for dominance.
Middle East splinters has a report of Hamas’ decision to resist ISIL militarily while the PLO has decided not to, and Hassan Hassan gives a detailed guide to those Palestinian splinters.
And much else besides.