Mr Bagel: Two Jews, Three opinions and a couple of bald faced deceptions.The Guardian beats its drum of support for 'Independent Jewish Voices'

Tuesday 6 February 2007

Two Jews, Three opinions and a couple of bald faced deceptions.The Guardian beats its drum of support for 'Independent Jewish Voices'

I think its common knowledge that there are a multitude of positions held by Jews on almost every topic.

When the Guardian announces that
Prominent Jews call for open debate on Israel
, I read the headline it with a certain measure of cynicism, when the author just happens to be Julian Berger then it is time to take out the smelling salts.

Not because anything contained within the article will be a shock to ones sense of reality, more to do with the dreary dream like quality this author seems to affect anything he writes about.

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It seems that a few Jews have decided that they would like the opportunity to express their own opinions via their own chosen vehicle. Well blow me down, gee whiz Julian Berger, you've got quite a scoop there, don't tell me in the Diaspora world consisting of millions of Jews there might be more than one opinion.

Rather than see this as a celebration of democracy and free thinking Julian sees it as a confirmation that supporters of Israel really are misled and wrong.

Well, with my box of smelling salts in hand and a relatively alert disposition for this time of night I thought I might actually bother to look closer to both what our esteemed writer (or is that dribbler?) of the 'I told you so left' and 'those Jews that dare to have an opinion differing from the elders' was harping about.

Apparently the big kerfuffle is over a blog some leftist leaning Jews have starting contributing to. In the so prophetically named 'Independent Jewish Voices' blog Mr Berger lets us come to the realisation that

"this group of prominent British Jews will today declare independence from the country's Jewish establishment, arguing that it puts support for Israel above the human rights of Palestinians."

You'll have to excuse me quoting Mr Berger who expresses his interpretation of the open letter printed in the Guardian's 'comment is free' section.

To examine Mr Berger's authorship and his premise it requires us to visit the new blog Independent Jewish Voices.

I find the home pages introduction to be most telling.

"Independent Jewish Voices' (
IJV) is a network of individuals who wish to have a platform for critical debate on major political questions, the situation in the Middle East in particular. The initiative was born out of a frustration with the widespread misconception that the Jews of this country speak with one voice - and that this voice supports the Israeli government’s policies."

Immediately I posit where exactly does this ' widespread misconception that the Jews of this country speak with one voice' exist?

It's a sham to claim that in Britain there is a conception that Jews speak with one voice. It's a sham on account few people would subscribe that Jews do actually speak with one voice, unless they're card carrying National Front members with multiple copies of the Elders of Zion in their limited sized bookcases, most Britons are educated enough to know there are differing views amongst the Jewish Community.

Its an appeal to the 'borg mentality' to even speculate that Jews 'all stick together' and only express one voice.

(This isn't a denial that there isn't a serious problem of Anti Semitic behaviour prevalent in some sections of British society hiding under the guise of 'anti Israeli' positioning. Anti Semitism of course is not the same as Anti Zionism, but clearly there is evidence that Anti Semitism is being expressed and hiden under the political guise of 'Anti Zionism'.)

Its just not within the Jewish community that Jews are known to 'differ in their opinions' on a widely differing base.

Even Tony Lerman in his 'comment is free' piece Reflecting the reality of Jewish diversity

who has been strongly criticised for his anti Israel stance acknowledges;

"Although the Board of Deputies of British Jews is recognised by government as the Jewish community's representative body, over the last 20 to 30 years the number of other organisations pursuing their concerns with government and local authorities or simply expressing an independent voice has grown enormously."

Next paragraph on the Home page of

IJV
we read,

"In the year that sees the 40^th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, our project is to create a climate and a space in which Jews of different affiliations and persuasions can express their opinions about the actions of the Israeli government without being accused of disloyalty or being dismissed as self-hating. The need for such debate becomes even more urgent as the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate."

This paragraph places me slightly on the back foot. The 40th anniversary of the occupation of..what?

Don't you mean the 40th anniversary of when 3 Arabic countries tried to drive the fledgling state of Israel into the sea? Usually called the 6 Day War?

I'm thinking can this paragraph actually have been written by a Jew? Certainly not an Israeli Jew who faced the ominous real risk of absolute genocide had the 3 Arab countries won.

It's here so quickly and early into the
IJV's
introduction that our opinions start to divert at supersonic speeds.

The home page introduction continues;

"From a wide range of backgrounds and with a wide range of views, we all share the belief that the interests of an occupying power should not count for more than the human rights of an occupied people, together with

1. a commitment to human rights

2. the conviction that Palestinians and Israelis have a right to peace and security

3. a condemnation of racism in all its forms, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia "

A rather broad enough definition to be more inclusive rather than exclusive. Of course it's interesting to note that the Human rights of 'an Occupied People' don't quite make it past the borders of Israel to other middle Eastern Nations.

I do wonder if this rather large omission in the concern of Human rights in Arabic countries does not signify a rather unbalanced and disproportionate view?

What about the rights of Christians in the Palestinian territories? The anti Christian bigotry of Hamas in Bethlehem comes to mind? They're not necessarily victims of the 'Occupying Power' does this mean because they are victimized by Hamas they're Human rights aren't quite as important?

Yes the Boundaries of relevance have been set, the roles of Oppressor and Oppressed firmly established, now all that is needed is one last action.

This group from, and I quote ' a Wide range of backgrounds and with a wide range of views', who uncannily feature a disproportionate number of Professors and Doctors from British Academia as
signatories
even for Jewish demographics, do deserve our qualified support, I move we sponsor them all to have extended study sabbaticals in one of those amazingly liberal, free thinking institutions such as Birzeit University in the West Bank.

Why the
Oxford University Student Union
is already in the throes of establishing affiliation to Birzeit University.

Interestingly participants on
IJV's signatory list
will have a lot of common concerns with the the 51 representatives on the student council at Birzeit University, 23 of which belong to Hamas, 5 to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and 2 to Islamic Jihad.

A little reality therapy never did any academic, harm did it?

_____________________

BTW: Looking forward to that large supplement in next weeks Guardian of Muslims speaking out against Jihad.

Because we all know the
Guardian isn't Anti Semitic

References:
Guardian: Prominent Jews call for open debate on Israel
Independent Jewish Voices Blog
IJV declartation
Guardian 'comment is free':
A time to Speak out
Dry Bones cartoon used with appreciation from
Drybones.com