Sussex Friends of Israel – Our Code of Conduct is based on the Principles of Respect, Responsibility and Integrity

SFI Pays Tribute on its Facebook page to 

Gerald Kaufman as only it knows how

this is an example of 'engaging meaningfully with those working towards a peaceful, just, democratic and lasting resolution of the conflict'

As the British political world and many of his friends throughout paid tribute to a great British parliamentarian, Gerald Kaufman, the Father of the House of Commons, there was one exception.  Sussex Friends of Israel.  Whereas the world mourned, SFI celebrated in their own unique way - with an orgy of hate and vitriol.  Here we see the true face of our Friends of Israel.  Yet people like our local Brighton Councillor Penn still frequent these bigots and racists.

On their About Section Sussex Friends of Israel says it is 'dedicated to developing greater support, awareness and understanding of Israel through education, communication and community partnership.'  They promise to ‘engage meaningfully with those working towards a peaceful, just, democratic and lasting resolution of the conflict between Israel and its neighbours.’  They have a whole section on ‘Respect, Responsibility and Integrity’  SFI ‘respects the opinions, knowledge, insight, experience and expertise of all members of the general public.’ 

It is heady stuff.   We are told that ‘Supporters should be willing and able to explain the basis of personal ethical decision-making.’  In particular they wish to avoid ‘unwelcome verbal, offensive, abusive or physical behavior – especially when
such conduct interferes with another person or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment..’

these comments must be seen in the 'British eclectic tradition'

Clearly a bunch of liberal do-gooders

After all ‘The underlying philosophical approach in this code is part of the ‘British eclectic tradition’.   Although of course it is difficult to live up to such principles, SFI ‘seeks to ensure that moral principles and codes function act as guidelines for thinking about all decisions that need to be made.’ And they emphasise again that ‘Respect, responsibility and integrity are the collective responsibility of everyone associating with Sussex Friends of Israel.’

Under ‘Editorial Guidelines’ we are told that ‘SFI is committed to delivering the highest editorial and ethical standards when disseminating on-line content across all communications platforms including, but not limited to, the SFI website, Facebook and Twitter.’  And the Facebook discussion that they had after the sad death of Gerald Kaufman MP was a splendid example of the 'highest editorial and ethical standards' SFI set themselves!

An ethical Jew, even if he is a Zionist, which Kaufman was, is anathema for these bigots

In particular ‘SFI strives to be fair and open-minded, explore a range of points of view, objective in its approach and even handed in its judgements.’  This latter-day manifesto of universal human rights goes on to say that ‘SFI respects the fundamental human right to exerise freedom of thought, conscience and religion. SFI’s duty is to avoid unjustified offense or likely harm. It seeks to achieve this by providing an on-line forum for constructive comment – even when opinions become contentious – without denigrating others’ beliefs.’

The only question I have to ask is how such delicate flowers would survive in the hot house atmosphere of Israel where racism and intolerance is the norm.  One wonders whether their Zionism could even survive a trip to the Promised Land.

‘Without denigrating others beliefs’ they again emphasise that ‘Respect, responsibility and integrity are the collective responsibility of everyone associating with Sussex Friends of Israel.’

I think readers have to agree that this is such a good example of 'an on-line forum for constructive comment – even when opinions become contentious – without denigrating others’ beliefs.'

One has to confess that any group of people would have difficulty living up to such noble standards.  It is true that this manifesto slightly differs from their behaviour outside the Sodastream shop when Shaike (an Israeli) used to shout 'primitive' in the face of a Palestinian, still not everyone can follow such codes.

So how you might ask do SFI treat the late and much respected Gerald Kaufman, Father of the House of Commons, someone who fervently believed in peace and a two states solution?  Well here are a few of the kind, caring, concerned etc. comments of contributors about Gerald Kaufman:  Indeed we are spoilt for choice:

unlike SFI who talk about 2 States, Gerald Kaufman actually meant it hence why he met with Arafat

There is Sylvia Landman whose tribute consists of ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish’

And in a similar spirit of tolerance, once Julian Kruger ‘I'm sorry good riddance.These Jews are the worst of the worst’.  Rob Levy tells us, using a picture of Yasser Arafat of the PLO and Kaufman that we should ‘Judge a man by the company he keeps...’.  I suspect Rob didn’t mean that in the sense most of us might understand it.

Alex Ian helpfully commented that ‘every dog has his day’ whilst Sylvia Landman, clearly a woman of few words and even fewer thoughts could only contribute one word ‘Traitor’.  Lizbeth Ruffman informed us that there is ‘Nothing worse than an anti Semitic Jew.’  Who ‘will not rest in peace’

I realise that the anti-Semites who read this post will misinterpret phrases like ‘every dog has his day’ ‘Traitor’ and the bit about Kaufman 'will not rest in peace’ but they are all well meant

Peter Inskip was more profound altogether ‘May he finally find the peace his comments would not let others find while he lived.’ Whilst ‘Michelle Albagli’ expressed the ‘Hope he is now where he belongs’ which I suspect doesn’t mean what most of us would hope it meant. Reuven Magnes could only muster a ‘what a repulsive man he was’ which was echoed by Leslie Ann Rose who agreed ‘Repulsive ..... a great adjective to describe Kaufman!  For Stephen Packter he was ‘A Jew who brought legitimacy to being anti Semitic’ whilst Ros Ellis pined that ‘Some days are better than others. ....’  Philosophical meanderings at a time of  tragedy no less!  

Tony Lynas was angry that ‘The Labour Council will be splashing the cash on the Muslim voter to buy the vote in the by-election just like in Oldham’ wherea Rob Levy wondered whether whether ‘we can anybody find a positive reference to Israel made by Kaufman at any stage in his life?’  At least Peta Stockton decided to keep shtum ‘On the basis that you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, I'll say nothing’ 

As you can see Sussex Friends of Israel does its best to live up to its high ideals

Devorah Rosner Marcus however didn't agree:  ‘I know it's in poor taste to speak ill of the dead,’  yes Devorah it is, but why waste an opportunity like this before going on to say that ‘this man stirred up so much hate and dissension not only within his party but throughout the country, that I think it's safe to say that no good hearted, moral conscienced decent human being will miss this embarrassment of a human being. May g-d have mercy on his soul.’  For a minute I saw a hanging judge with that funny cap on pronouncing sentence.  Melvyn Wiseglass demonstrated how easy it is for people to be the exact opposite of their names when he said ‘Good riddence to this evil evil man who calls himslf Jewish.’ and in the process demonstrated that spelling wasn’t his penchant.

Daniel Leons-Marder, whilst agreeing that Kaufman was a thoroughly disreputable type, had to emphasise the question of race.  ‘A Jew you don't like is still a Jew.’  Certainly one of the more profound statements to come out of SFI.  But Melvyn Wiseglass was having none of this:  ‘True’ he replied ‘but that type of Jew reminds me of the Jews that helped the nazis to exterminate there fellow Jews.’  Robert Wolf feels compelled to respond to this:  ‘Melvyn Wiseglass I do not know much about Kaufman but please do not judge the Kappos , you were not there , they tried to stay alive , their lives were at risk , Kaufman is far worse , his life was never in danger , he was just a nothing , a total waste of space .’

The last comment is the most interesting.  He starts off by saying he knows nothing about Kaufman, makes some sensible comments about the orderlies in the extermination camps (‘kapos’ is the ritual abuse of non or anti-Zionist Jews) and then ends up saying Kaufman ‘is far worse... he was just a nothing, a total waste of space’ which is quite rich since Kaufman achieved far more in a single day than these snakes will manage in a decade of Sabbaths. 

Eddie Goldberg contributed on of the more meaningful comments:  ‘Looked like E.T, behaved like a Nazi. Glad he lived to see the Donald in power before he died.’ Zionists like The Donald.  To which Irene Michlin had to insist that ‘oh well, even a nasty Jew is a Jew.’ which again is one of the more thoughtful statements of SFI, not a group exactly overendowed with brain.  Before saying a blessing.ילנה מייקפר informed the collective that ‘The most dangerous are leftwing Jews with money. Traitors.’  Traitors to what he never said.  Alon Kazakevitch is made of sterner stuff.  ‘Palestinian grief is my pleasure.  It's nasty but i have no reason to have any sympathy for my enemies.’  You can just imagine him in a Black uniform with a swastika or two protruding.  

Hamish Mackenzie observed that ‘This politician could make inflammatory remarks about the sitting govt and visit Israel and not live in fear of a fatwa’  Sylvia Landman’s tribute was short and sour:  ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish’  whereas for Barry Ziderman there was the dichotomy that he was a ‘Good Labour politician - Lousy Jew’  Julian Kruger Didn’t beat around the bush ‘I'm sorry good riddance.These Jews are the worst of the worst’ whereas Maurice Klein was of the opinion that there was ‘One less kapo germ to worry about’

But we should be grateful for SFI  because when they are talking to themselves and not putting on a PR show for others then they show what a group of small minded, nasty little bigots they are - racists to the core

One of SFI's ethically integrity laced discussions - respect being the key word

Fake Charity ‘Campaign Against “AntiSemitism” ’ Attacks Tony Greenstein - Author of Petition to Charity Commission

Hatchet job by the CAA

The ‘New International Definition of Anti-Semitism’  Saying Anything That Upsets Zionist Propaganda Organisations like the CAA

I have to confess that I felt a certain embarrassment at the fact that Israel’s favourite propaganda organisation in this country, the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, had not until yesterday attacked me.  Indeed searching their site I came up with no mentions whatsoever of my name!

I am however pleased to announce that as a result of my campaign, I have now gone within a week from 0 to 3 appearances on the CAA website!

However by launching a petition questioning their charity registration I have brought the wrath of god on my head (I assume that that’s not anti-Semitic!).  It seems as if the CAA had some difficulty deciding how best to approach the matter.  It was clearly important to attack me but the question was how.  In the end they opted for the hackneyed ‘left=right’ formulation ‘TonyGreenstein’s attempt to shut down Campaign Against Antisemitism showcases thesimilarities between far-left and far-right’. 

some of Gideon Falter, CAA Chairman's directorships

I guess this shows something of a lack of imagination but what can you expect from people whose only answer to anything is to shout ‘anti-Semitism’?

The idea that the left and right are really one and the same has a good pedigree.  No less  than Adolf Hitler pursued this particular theme as part of his belief in the International Jewish Conspiracy Theory. In a speech on 28th July 1922 Hitler spoke of how:

The Jews were a ‘capitalist people who ‘found a way to lay their hands on the fourth estate. [the proletariat] The Jew founded the Social Democratic, the Communist Movement… On the Right, he attempted to intensify all existing wrongs to such an extent that [the worker] … would be provoked beyond measure.’

It is also idiotic.  Because some on the Left support Brexit and the BNP do, does that mean that the Left=BNP?  Perhaps because both dogs and cats have tails that dog=cat?  It is an absurd process of ‘logic’.

My place in infamy is assured!

However the CAA is nothing if not crude.  They say that they are not surprised that Jenny Tonge ‘signed up to a petition proposed by notorious antisemite Tony Greenstein.’  To make such a statement, without a whiff of evidence, is clearly defamatory.  The CAA is increasingly being forced into assertions of anti-Semitism without any underlying or justifying rationale.

The CAA referred to a hack article in the ‘paper wot supported Hitler’ the Daily Mail Online attacking the petition which noted that ‘We are extremely grateful to Baroness Deech, Bob Blackman MP, Matthew Offord MP and Mike Freer MP, all of whom rushed to defend our work.’  They are all Tories, not a species usually known for their hostility to racism.  I can’t remember any of the above supporting the Dubs amendment supporting the admission of child refugees into Britain.  But then the ‘anti-Semitism’ of the CAA has little if anything to do with what most people consider to be racism.

The CAA explain that ‘Mr Greenstein is to be squarely defined as an antisemite under the International Definition of Antisemitism, which states that “Denying the…intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany…during World War II” is antisemitic.’  It is in fact the International Holocaust Definition of Anti-Semitism.    The IHRA definition uses more cautious phrases such as 'might' or 'could' but for the CAA the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism outlaws anti-Zionism.

Certainly denying the intentionality of the genocide of Jews, and others during the Holocaust would indeed be anti-Semitic.  But of course I have never done so.  What they are objecting to is the fact that I have drawn attention to the fact that the Nazis, quite consciously, supported the Zionist movement in Germany prior to the outbreak of war. 

That is a fact that Zionist historians themselves, like for example Lucy Dawidowicz and Francis Nicosia have admitted.  I realise that it is painful but that’s how life is.  What it isn’t however is anti-Semitic.  Unless the truth is also anti-Semitic.

On 28th January 1935 Lucy Dawidowic writes in her book ‘War Against the Jews’ that Reinhardt Heydrich, who Gerald Reitlinger rightly describes as the “real engineer of the final solution” issued a directive stating:

‘the activity of the Zionist-oriented youth organizations that are engaged in the occupational restructuring of the Jews for agriculture and manual trades prior to their emigration to Palestine lies in the interest of the National Socialist state’s leadership.’  These organisations therefore ‘are not to be treated with that strictness that it is necessary to apply to the members of the so-called German-Jewish organizations (assimilationists)’. [Lucy Dawidowicz, War Against the Jews, pp.118, citing Mommsen 'Der Nationalsozialistische Polizeistaat pp.78/9 and Nicosia, Zionism and anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany, p.119.

In May 1935 Schwarze Korps, which was the paper of the SS, wrote in a similar vein:

the Zionists adhere to a strict racial position and by emigrating to Palestine they are helping to build their own Jewish state.... The assimilation-minded Jews deny their race and insist on their loyalty to Germany or claim to be Christians because they have been baptised in order to subvert National Socialist principles.  [Randolph Braham, The Politics of Genocide – The Holocaust in Hungary, Vol. 1. Columbia University Press, 1981 p. 484, fn. 94., 5 May 1935, L. Dawidowicz, p.118, citing Karl Schleunes, The twisted road to Auschwitz – Nazi policy towards the Jews 1933-39, 1970].

Just as today people like Robert Spencer, one of the founders of the Alt-Right movement in the USA, support Israel as a fellow ethnic nationalist state.  Indeed the phenomenon of white supremacists and Islamaphobes supporting Israel as a racial state that they would like to emulate is common throughout Europe, from Le Pen to Geert Wilders to Herr Strache.

In 1936, the Palestine Post reported the demand that:

… the German Zionist Federation be given recognition by the Government as the only instrument for the exclusive control of German Jewish life was made by the Executive of that body in a proclamation today. All German Jewish organizations, it was declared, should be dominated by the Zionist spirit. [http://www.counterpunch.org/2002/12/23/51-documents/ Lenni Brenner, 51 Documents, 23.12.02.]

So well established is the close relationship between the Zionist movement and the Nazis established that it is barely worth arguing.  The Zionists, when the Nazis came to power, welcomed their arrival as confirmation of their thesis that Jews had no place in another peoples’ land. 

Berl Katznelson, a founder of Mapai and editor of Labour Zionism’s daily paper, Davar, saw the rise of Hitler as “an opportunity to build and flourish like none we have ever had or ever will have”.  [Nicosia, ZANG, p.91]  Rabbi Joachim Prinz, one of the leaders of German Zionism and later President of the American Jewish Congress and Vice Chairman of the World Jewish Congress admitted that:

“It was morally disturbing to seem to be considered as the favoured children of the Nazi Government, particularly when it dissolved the anti-Zionist youth groups, and seemed in other ways to prefer the Zionists. The Nazis asked for a 'more Zionist behaviour.” [Joachim Prinz, Zionism under the Nazi Government, Young Zionist (London, November 1937), p.18]

Nor is this simply in the past.  Zionism is based on the idea of the rejection of the idea of a Jewish diaspora, it is called ‘negation of the diaspora’.  Of course there is a contradiction between the fact of the existence of Jewish communities outside Israel and the Zionist belief that it is only in Israel that a Jewish life can be fulfilled.  However whenever there is a rise of anti-Semitism (as oppose to the fake kind, anti-Zionism) then Zionism responds as it always has.

This is why, with the election of Trump and the coming to power of people like Steve Bannon of Breitbart and the Alt-Right as his Strategic Advisor, we see that Zionism is reacting once again in the ways that Zionism has traditionally reacted.   It welcomes genuine anti-Semitism, it seeks to work with it.  Hence why Mort Klein and the Zionist Organisation of America invited Bannon to its annual gala dinner.  In what is a familiar refrain he says that as Bannon is a friend of Israel he cannot be anti-Semitic. Bannon and Breitbart: Friends of Israel, not anti-Semites.

In America this has caused liberal Zionists considerable anguish.  After all they have been brought up with the idea that Zionism is opposed to ‘anti-Semitism’ which they have been told manifests itself as opposition to Israel and yet when it comes to anti-Semitism of the far-Breitbart Right, Zionism has no objections. 

The Jewish Forward, a liberal Zionist paper seemed shell-shocked, not only by Trump’s victory and the open anti-Semitism of his supporters, but at the welcome they received from the Israeli government and the Zionist movement.  In what seemed to be a journey of self-discovery How Steve Bannon and Breitbart News Can Be Pro-Israel — and Anti-Semitic at the Same Time, the Forward’s Naomi Zeveloff declared that:

‘though it would seem impossible to hate Jews but love the Jewish state, these two viewpoints are not as contradictory as they appear.

Zeveloff cited Steven Cohen, a sociologist at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion that there is “little correlation” between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, and that “Many people who dislike Jews like Israel and many people who are critical toward Israel are affectionate toward Jews.”

This might seem like bread and butter to some of us, a statement of the obvious, but to those who have been brought up on anti-Zionism=anti-Semitism propaganda, it is indeed a revelation.

Zeveloff was shocked by the fact that although Trump 'has professed an ultra-right view of Israel... many of Trump’s followers spout anti-Semitism.'  Zeveloff cites Yael Sternhell, a Tel Aviv University professor of history and American studies, that "As long as Jews are in Israel fighting the ‘good fight’ with the Arab world as a bastion of American ideals and values in the Middle East, then they are very useful and admirable allies,” but “Once they are home demanding a multi-cultural democracy, demanding that the country accommodate their religion, their belief and their custom that is a different story.”

The CAA’s hatchet job is having none of this.  Anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are one and the same.  It says that ‘Mr Greenstein may be known also for the company he keeps: often appearing supporting Jackie Walker, who has also (twice) suspended by the Labour Party for antisemitism. Ms Walker’s antisemitism is well known’. 

I am of course very happy to keep company with Jackie Walker, and note only that this article is libelous of her too!  McCarthyite guilt-by-association is one of the favourite ploys of the CAA.

The CAA are clearly worried about my accusation that their ‘anti-fascist’ work was merely a façade, window dressing for their real purpose of attacking anti-Zionist groups and anti-Zionism.  They say that my assertion to this effect ‘will no doubt raise eyebrows’ with the Charity Commission ‘since, as it is well known that challenging fascist neo-Nazis is a primary focus of our work, and has been since our campaign was founded.’   

It is also well known that the CAA was founded in the midst of Operation Protective Edge, Israel’s genocidal attack on Gaza, in order to combat opposition to that war, which it deemed ‘anti-Semitic’ I’m not sure how they keep a straight face.

The CAA also make reference to minor convictions of mine 33 years ago.  Not only are they long spent but this is in itself an offence under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and of course nothing to do with my views whatsoever.  But then again the CAA have no alternative but to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

What is becoming clear though is that the CAA is in receipt of some of the $50m that Gilad Erdan’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs has budgeted to combat BDS.  There are also a number of other allegations concerning them which I shall reveal in due course.

Gerald Kaufman MP RIP – A Wonderful Example of Jewish Humanitarianism and Support for the Palestinians

The Victim of False Accusations of Anti-Semitism by Political Pygmies like John Mann

If there's one parliamentary speech you should commit to memory it is this one

If there is one parliamentary speech that you should commit to memory it is that of Gerald Kaufman in the debate on Israel’s attack on Gaza (Operation Cast Lead) on January 15 2009.  It is a speech that the fake anti-racists and opponents of ‘anti-Semitism’ will accuse of being ‘anti-Semitic’ because it

1.    accused an Israeli military spokesperson of speaking like a Nazi. 

2.    It compared the murder of his own Jewish grandmother in the Polish town of Staszow to that of Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza. 

3.    It accused Israel and the Zionists of cynically exploiting what happened during the Holocaust to Jews in order to justify what the Palestinians are now experiencing.

All of them true – but the truth to day is anti-Semitic.

Pipsqueak MP Mann attacked Gerald Kaufman in Zionist paper - shamefully Corbyn went along with this nonsense

It was a deeply humanitarian speech which compared two human rights tragedies.   Yet what Gerald Kaufman said in 2009 will now be termed ‘anti-Semitic’ under the ludicrous McCarthyite IHRA definition of anti-Semitism which Theresa May opportunistically adopted and which Jeremy Corbyn in a shameful act of submission accepted. [Jeremy Corbyn’s acceptance of this Tory definition of ‘anti-Semitism’ is shameful and must be reversed].  Below is the most powerful section of Gerald’s speech.

According to the far-right rent-a-mouth MP John Mann, Gerald Kaufman was ‘a disgrace to Parliament and the Labour Party’.  Some of us would say that it is the Labour Party’s disgrace that it harbours such a devious little opportunist such as John Mann in its ranks.

Gerald Kaufman in the last year

My first encounter with Gerald was over 30 years ago, when he was a stalwart of Poale Zion and a staunch Zionist.  Suffice to say we didn’t agree!  Gerald was always on the Right of the Party, the last surviving member of Harold Wilson’s government but he was also a highly principled man.

An attack by despicable Zionist 'charity' Campaign Against Anti-Semitism is indeed an accolade - there were no les than 21 attacks on Gerald for bogus 'anti-semitism' 

Gerald was not like some of the Zionist robots in Parliament - the Joan Ryans, Wes Streetings and Tom Watsons.  When he saw in which direction Israel was going, because he was still attached to the memory of the earlier Labour Zionist leaders, he became active and highly vocal in his support of the Palestinians. 

Unlike the hypocrites of the Jewish Labour Movement and Labour Friends of Israel who mouth support for 2 States whilst supporting the occupation and the settlements and the consequent repression, Gerald Kaufman spoke out vehemently against the brutality of Israel’s wars against Gaza and its Occupation.

Gerald Kaufman on a parliamentary delegation to see the Occupation for himself

I am happy to print in its entirety Gerald’s wonderful speech to the House of Commons on January 15 2009 at the time of yet another genocidal Israeli attack on Gaza.

Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab):

I was brought up as an orthodox Jew and a Zionist. On a shelf in our kitchen, there was a tin box for the Jewish National Fund, into which we put coins to help the pioneers building a Jewish presence in Palestine.

I first went to Israel in 1961 and I have been there since more times than I can count. I had family in Israel and have friends in Israel. One of them fought in the wars of 1956, 1967 and 1973 and was wounded in two of them. The tie clip that I am wearing is made from a campaign decoration awarded to him, which he presented to me.

I have known most of the Prime Ministers of Israel, starting with the founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Golda Meir was my friend, as was Yigal Allon, Deputy Prime Minister, who, as a general, won the Negev for Israel in the 1948 war of independence.

My parents came to Britain as refugees from Poland. Most of their families were subsequently murdered by the Nazis in the holocaust. My grandmother was ill in bed when the Nazis came to her home town of Staszow. A German soldier shot her dead in her bed.

My grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza. The current Israeli Government ruthlessly and cynically exploit the continuing guilt among gentiles over the slaughter of Jews in the holocaust as justification for their murder of Palestinians. The implication is that Jewish lives are precious, but the lives of Palestinians do not count.

On Sky News a few days ago, the spokeswoman for the Israeli army, Major Leibovich, was asked about the Israeli killing of, at that time, 800 Palestinians—the total is now 1,000. She replied instantly that

“500 of them were militants.”

That was the reply of a Nazi. I suppose that the Jews fighting for their lives in the Warsaw ghetto could have been dismissed as militants.

The Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni asserts that her Government will have no dealings with Hamas, because they are terrorists. Tzipi Livni’s father was Eitan Livni, chief operations officer of the terrorist Irgun Zvai Leumi, who organised the blowing-up of the King David hotel in Jerusalem, in which 91 victims were killed, including four Jews.

Israel was born out of Jewish terrorism. Jewish terrorists hanged two British sergeants and booby-trapped their corpses. Irgun, together with the terrorist Stern gang, massacred 254 Palestinians in 1948 in the village of 

15 Jan 2009 : Column 408
Deir Yassin. Today, the current Israeli Government indicate that they would be willing, in circumstances acceptable to them, to negotiate with the Palestinian President Abbas of Fatah. It is too late for that. They could have negotiated with Fatah’s previous leader, Yasser Arafat, who was a friend of mine. Instead, they besieged him in a bunker in Ramallah, where I visited him. Because of the failings of Fatah since Arafat’s death, Hamas won the Palestinian election in 2006. Hamas is a deeply nasty organisation, but it was democratically elected, and it is the only game in town. The boycotting of Hamas, including by our Government, has been a culpable error, from which dreadful consequences have followed.

The great Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban, with whom I campaigned for peace on many platforms, said:

“You make peace by talking to your enemies.”

However many Palestinians the Israelis murder in Gaza, they cannot solve this existential problem by military means. Whenever and however the fighting ends, there will still be 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza and 2.5 million more on the west bank. They are treated like dirt by the Israelis, with hundreds of road blocks and with the ghastly denizens of the illegal Jewish settlements harassing them as well. The time will come, not so long from now, when they will outnumber the Jewish population in Israel.

It is time for our Government to make clear to the Israeli Government that their conduct and policies are unacceptable, and to impose a total arms ban on Israel. It is time for peace, but real peace, not the solution by conquest which is the Israelis’ real goal but which it is impossible for them to achieve. They are not simply war criminals; they are fools.

When Gerald was attacked recently over a speech in the House of Commons because he had referred to ‘Jewish money’ I responded on my blog, pointing out the hypocrisy of his accusers.  That there were nearly 600 references to ‘Jewish money’ in the Jewish Chronicle and that it was a common phrase.

Geoffrey Alderman and Gerald Kaufman –Jewish Chronicle Columnist’s Exercise in Hypocrisy

The Witchhunt of Gerald Kaufman - Crucified for Supporting the Palestinians

Sir Gerald Kaufman, veteran British Parliamentarian and Zionist compares Israelis in Gaza to the Nazis

 

That did not stop the Jewish Chronicle and its hateful neo-con editor Stephen Pollard or the despicable ‘charity’ Campaign Against Anti-Semitism from maligning him.  The CAA had, by the time of Gerald’s death published no less than 21 posts attacking Gerald Kaufman.  I sent references to my blog to Gerald at the time and he kindly wrote back:

Dear Mr Greenstein

 Most interesting.   And many thanks.

 Best wishes

 Gerald Kaufman

From: Tony Greenstein 

Sent: 08 December 2015 00:26
To: KAUFMAN, Gerald
Subject: Re: The Silence of the Normally Volluble Geoffrey Alderman re Sir Gerald Kaufmann MP - The High Price of Hypocrisy

I didn't like this bullying hypocrisy.  It has nothing to do with anti-Semitism but support of the Palestinians.  Going onto the Campaign Against anti-Semitism site one would think you and Jeremy Corbyn are the main sources of anti-Semitism in Britain today.  The BNP and EDL, being pro-Zionist, don't get a look in.  Sheer madness but it means that if you accuse people who are not anti-Semitic of anti-Semitism the real anti-Semites are let off the hook.  A case of the boy who cried wolf.

I just had an idea that 'Jewish money' might not be that rare a phrase, although it is not helpful to use it (!) because of the implications.  I was taken aback when I did a search on the JC's website.  Geoffrey Alderman is particularly hypocritical given that he has used the phrase himself and excused opposition to anti-Semitism as a form of political correctness.

I saw the nasty little report in the Jewish Chronicle about when a reporter burst in on you at the House of Commons and thought you might be feeling a little down, so please use my research as you see fit.  

Today the Palestinians are the Jews of the Middle East.

best wishes

Tony Greenstein

On 7 December 2015 at 22:45, KAUFMAN, Gerald <gerald.kaufman.mp@parliament.uk> wrote:

Wow !   What amazing research ! 

Fake Charity 'Campaign Against Anti-Semitism' Runs Scared that it will lose its 'Charitable' Tax Advantages

Zionist ‘Charity’ Seeks Help of former Hitler supporting Daily Mail and Tory MPs to help it in its McCarthyite work

 

The decision of the courageous peer, Baroness Jenny Tonge to sign the petition calling for the so-called Campaign Against Anti-Semitism to be deregistered as a charity, sent the CAA into a fit.  You couldn’t have bettered the headline ‘Baroness who quit Lib Dems over anti-Semitic row says Britain's top group fighting hate speech against Jews should lose its charitable status’. 

A top group that has nothing about Holocaust denial groups like the British National Party on its web site and 70+ articles attacking Jeremy Corbyn as an anti-Semite.  They make a particular speciality of attacking anti-racist and anti-Zionist Jews.  Moshe Machover, Gerald Kauffman and Jackie Walker are just a few examples of the people they demonise.

Unfortunately Tingle didn't manage to read his own online newspaper

One particular source of personal embarrassment, that they hadn't so far attacked me, has at last been rectified and my reputation restored!  In a report on Palestine Solidarity Campaign and how they need to eradicate 'anti-Semitism' in the movement they report on how 

'For example, the Brighton and Hove branch of PSC and various branches of PSC in Scotland have scheduled events to explain how “false antisemitism allegations silence the Palestinian voice”, with speakers including Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein, both of whom were suspended by the Labour Party for antisemitism.

Sign the Petition

You see how the CAA works.  Alleging that Zionist organisations like the CAA make false accusations of anti-Semitism against people who oppose Zionism, which is a fact known to most people, is in itself anti-Semitic.  You don't have to believe that Jews are inferior, that they have peculiar characteristics, that they deserve to be discriminated against or indulge in conspiracies. Good gracious no.  If you attack Zionists (who the CAA conflate with Jews) for attacking their opponents as 'anti-Semitic' when they are not, then you too are anti-Semitic in their Alice-in-the-Wonderland world.

Mail Online article of 16.11.16.

The fact that Zionists claim that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitic and therefore that all anti-Zionists are by definition 'anti-Semitic' as e.g. Mick Davies, former head of the Jewish Leadership Council claimed when giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Anti-Semitism is irrelevant.  Anti-semitism is what we say it is.  The fact that these people are died-in-the-wool Zionists is irrelevant.  Like Humpty Dumpty they define the terminology.  Words mean what they want them to mean.  The only question is whose master!

Of course the fact that Jackie and I have been suspended from the Labour Party for 'anti-Semitism' despite not yet being given the allegations or charges, is 'proof' of our anti-Semitism.  And these rascals claim they are a bona fide charity.

Jackie Walker, being Black and Jewish, is an especially attractive target for these Zionist scoundrels.  In one of its attacks the CAA call Jackie a holocaust denier on the basis of her quoting Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion!  Only when they realised that the words ‘Nazi’ and ‘Auschwitz’ don’t always add up to helping Hitler, did they hurriedly delete the post.  But none of this was reported by the racist Mail and what isn’t reported doesn’t exist!

The Mail also attacks me and, as is normal for the paper, gets its facts wrong despite me having twice corrected them.  I was not ‘barred’ from joining the Labour Party last summer.  I wasn’t allowed to become a registered supporter or rather my vote was fished out of the ballot box! 

Rent-a-mouth John Mann MP managed to make an appearance

The Mail, horrors of horrors, informs its readers that ‘Mr Greenstein has previously stated online that 'Zionists collaborated with the Nazis' and helped 'round up' Jews to send to Auschwitz.’  This is indeed a shocking story.  Accusing the Zionist organisation, which bases its claim to a Jewish state on the Holocaust, of actually having collaborated with the Nazis.  And what is the truth of this terrible accusation?

Well you could turn to the Mail Online for 16^th November 2016 where you will read the headline ‘War hero known as the 'Jewish Oskar Schindler' HELPED the Nazis kill hundreds of thousands of Jews, claims new book based on Holocaust survivor testimonies’.  In the story you learn that ‘Mr Bogdanor says he can prove he only managed to secure the agreement in return for helping Eichmann to deport the rest of Hungary's nearly 800,000 Jews to Auschwitz.’

The Mail castigates me for making the same allegations that it did!

Unfortunately the appropriately named Mr Tingle hadn’t done some basic research and for example read his own online archives first.  In fact whereas I claim that Kasztner helped send to Auschwitz some 437,000 Jews, the Mail puts the figure at 800,000!

What the Mail claims is ‘New research, based on Holocaust survivor testimonies’ is in fact a very old story.  In his magnus opus ‘The Destruction of the European Jews’ the late Raul Hilberg, Professor of Holocaust Studies at Vermont University wrote that:

‘Eichmann stated in his memoirs that Kasztner “agreed to keep the Jews from resisting deportation – and even keep order in the camps – if I would close my eyes and let a few hundred or a few thousand young Jews emigrate illegally to Palestine.  It was a good bargain.’ (p. 903)

Hilberg was citing an article in Life magazine of 5^th December 1960.  Eichmann’s revelations were undoubtedly stirred by the Kasztner Trial which was taking place in Israel at that time.  As a result of accusations that he had collaborated with the Nazis to send thousands of Jews to their deaths, Kasztner, a senior official in the Israeli Labour Party and scheduled to be a member of the Knesset at the next elections, had sued his accuser, Malchiel Greenwald.  The state had paid for and insisted on such a prosecution but it backfired and it was Kasztner who was on trial.  The judge, Benjamin Halevi, found that Kasztner had ‘sold his soul to the devil’ when finding the allegations against him proved.  Although the Supreme Court overturned the verdict by 4-1 this was on a legal technicality. 

So the accusation against me in the Mail, of accusing Zionists of having  collaborated with the Nazis in Hungary has a rather good foundation!  But expecting an idiot reporter like Pringle to read back copies of his own online paper is probably rather too much to expect.

It is interesting though that in its report of Paul Bogdanor’s book, Kasztner’s Crime, the Mail Online conveniently omits the fact that Kasztner was the de-facto head of the Zionist Rescue & Relief Committee and the head of the Zionist movement in Hungary and a representative of the Jewish Agency in Palestine.  In other words the Mail managed to omit entirely the fact that Kasztner was a Zionist.  Still rewriting history is what one expects of the Mail.

The Mail also found a rent-a-quote toe rag of an MP one Bob Blackman, Tory MP for Harrow East, who said: 'This web page is just the sort of abject nonsense that has got no place in public life.’  No place in public life.  Presumably it should be banned, outlawed, removed.  Because the CAA works, apparently, with the CPS and has the support of Theresa May.  All very fine but none of this is charitable.

Another well known anti-racist, known for his work in support of child refugees NOT, Mike Freer, Tory MP for Finchley & Golders Green, called my petition 'a nonsense'.  Which is probably about all that the man is intellectually capable of.

Gideon Falter, Chair of the charity and also a trustee for the apartheid ‘charity’ the JNF UK is quoted as saying that 'This absurd petition aims to close down our charity on the basis that anti-Semitism is not a real problem and we are just trying to stifle debate about Israel.  Again another few lies.  We haven’t said that anti-Semitism isn’t a problem rather that we don’t want genuine anti-Semitism confused with people who oppose the racist Israeli state and Zionism, both of which Falter supports.

Neither do we wish to close down his ‘charity’.  It’s just we preferred that political organisations were honest and didn’t try to dishonestly obtain tax and financial advantages by pretending to be what they are not.