The Canadian Jewish Congress has accused those protesting the Gaza slaughter of inciting hatred and violence at "pro-Hamas" rallies that featured "vicious anti-semitism." The CJC says it's collecting "evidence" thereof. Marion Boulby of the Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation has responded angrily, and seeks an investigation, too:
Organizers and supporters of any large demonstration have no control over who
chooses to show up, be they the small minority who expressed anti-Semitism or those waving Israeli flags while
shouting racial slurs and hateful slogans. Indeed, we are aware of several occasions of marshals asking police to deal
with racist demonstrators.
..
In unequivocally condemning all forms of incitement, hatred and racism we include the description on the Canadian Jewish Congress website, at your press conference and in your letter, of the rallies as “pro-Hamas.” This wilful falsification on the part of the CJC is insidiously defamatory of us and other NGOs and has been picked up by some media and reported as truth.
We therefore call on you to issue a strong public apology for these vile expressions of defamation and hatred, and against all forms of racism and incitement specifically including anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim propaganda. We furthermore expect that this slander will be removed immediately from your website. We have thus issued this as a public letter and will not hesitate to report this to the RCMP hate crimes division.
(Phil Weiss)
The CJC's transcript is in a .doc file on the link you gave above. I ain't opening no .doc file from those characters, so I can't comment on the transcript.
I don't like the reference to the "RCMP hate crimes division," aka the Canadian Thought Police.
I personally would not have internalised and regurgitated the term "anti-Semitism" in the way that Marion Boulby of NECEF does in the process of denying it. I mean, I always challenge the word, or term, 'anti-Semitism', and demand to know what it means. What is NECEF, anyway? I looked at its site and it seems to be a thinly veiled front for someone called Mordecai Briemberg.
You may not like it, Grumpy Old Man, but the Canadian Israel Lobby has put the hate crimes division to very good use in terrorizing those who speak out against Zionist violence against Palestinians. This is tit for tat.
The Hegelian dialectic is so thick in some propaganda you can cut it with a paradigm.
Not a Reason for Anti-Semitism???
Obviously, the use of the term anti-Semitism is imprecise, but Israel advocacy groups have drained the term of practically all meaning.
delia… do you have examples of that?
Delia is correct. The RCMP hate crimes division in Canada has been hijacked in particular by the Ontario and P.Q. rabid pro-Israel groups. It is fitting that this guy is making use of the hate crimes division to give them some of their own medicine.
The hate crimes division has no option but to look into it.
Because of hate crimes legislation in Canada, there is NO WAY that Daniel Pipes would get away with his Islamofascist diatribes in Canada. Neither could Lou Dobbs with his remarks about immigrants. They'd wind up in jail.
This may be OT to the thread topic, but it's apropos. Any Canadians reading, in particular, this should listen:
============================
Libertarian Today Fan | February 01, 2009 at 02:05 PM on a previous thread recommended this audio of George Kenny interviewing Dr. James Petras. 56 minutes. The audio link is here:
link to petras.lahaine.org
/>
GREAT interview. Petras is direct, balanced, calm, and fearless.
Joachim, and the racists before him, wish that were so, but it is not. The term is fairly precise and whether or not it applies to him is certainly debatable.
I would assume that by now, he curses the German social scientist who invented the term to differentiate the hatred of judaism from the hatred of the people, regardless of their religious practice.
Obviously, the use of the term anti-Semitism is imprecise, but Israel advocacy groups have drained the term of practically all meaning.
No, Joachim: the term itself continues to do all the heavy psychic lifting for them, quite automatically, that is why they insist upon it. This is how it does it: precisely because the term is historically sourced to Wilhelm Marr's pamphlet Der Weg zum Siege des Germanentums über das Judentum (The Way to Victory of Germanicism over Judaism, 1879), it functions automatically as a signal of the presence of a precursor to nazism, every time it is used.
MRW… what are the specific examples of the RCMP being hijacked by the pro-Israel groups?
Castellio, Google Globe & Mail, National Post, Canadian Jewish Congress, hate crimes division, Law crimes law, etc.
I dont have the time or inclination on a Sunday afternoon to rummage through my files. If the topic really interests you, you can prove Delia and me right or wrong easily on your own.
Examples for Castellio from a quick search:
From May, 2007:
http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/1240-regarding-israel-a-hateful-weekend.html
Also:
link to dissidentvoice.org
And from April of 2004:
http://world.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/6613/
YES!!!! the reason why anti jewish racism receives more attention, is because it is implied that it is different than regular racism. It is always implied that racism against jews is racism towards the superior people, whereas racism towards others is usually racism towards the inferior people. I reject this notion by refusing to use the term anti-Semitism in any writing I do. racism is racism. there is no form of racism more abhorrent and more devastating than another form of racism. By calling it a different thing, we would support the idea that anti jewish racism needs another whole approach to be dealt with.
Given the pro-Hamas sentiment on this blog, how wrong is that Canadian Jewish group?
If not 100% accurate than maybe 80% accurate.
Isn't it only the CJC that's asking for a police investigation?:
"Canada's largest Jewish advocacy group will ask police to investigate whether hate laws were broken during recent rallies held in cities across Canada to condemn Israel's attacks on Gaza…"
http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/570376
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090113/national/israel_gaza_protests
If Abe Foxman and the ADL are in favor of US hate crimes laws that's reason enough to oppose them. Equating anti-zionism with anti-semitism has long been a zionist project. The ADL would eventually be the arbiter of what is and what is not criminal anti-semitism.
Pro-justice somehow equals pro-Hamas and pro-child murdering is now equal to pro-justice.
This is definitely bizarro world.
~
Pro Hamas? since when Pro humanity and pro Geneva conventions and pro UN Security Council resolutions is considered pro Hamas?
Separating anti-zionism from antisemitism has long been a project for those who support Islamic Fascism.
Could this be one reason why the FBI tossed CAIR under the bus?
Hey Chris!
You snuck away yesterday and never answered my question: If Israel thought the "blockage" (just love that term!) against Israel was cause for war in '67, then do you agree that the "blockage" on Gaza is legitimate grounds for retaliation against Israel now?
Now, don't go be sneaking away on me this time! You know you have Righteousness on your side, so there's nothing to fear from an honest debate, yes?
Suzanne.
In Canada, hate speech is hate speech, even if the CJC engages in it.
Thanks MRW. Here is the direct link to the Petras Interview on the Israel Lobby:
The Art of Plain Speaking
[Audio] George Kenney asks James Petras about the 'Israel Lobby,' what's behind it, what makes it different than the tobacco lobby, the NRA, or the AARP. Total runtime fifty six minutes.
Electric Politics 01.27.2009
In the UK press one frequently finds tough criticism of Israel. See, for example, this recent essay by Mark Steel in the Independent, a thoroughly mainstream UK paper [proving me wrong the paper pulled the article sometime in the last 24 hours, but you can still find it at Mark's site]. One cannot imagine a similar essay appearing in the New York Times, or the Washington Post, or the Los Angeles Times, or the Wall Street Journal, or USA Today, or indeed any other major American newspaper. Why not? Perhaps more taboo than mentioning the 'Israel Lobby,' is asking what's behind it, what makes it different than the tobacco lobby, the NRA, or the AARP? To get at this vexing issue I turned to an extraordinarily distinguished leftist academic, Dr. James Petras. Jim is one of the very, very few people that I know of who reasons sensibly about the problem of Zionist influence and who isn't afraid to speak out. And he's an amazing conversationalist. It was kind of Jim to talk with me and I'll try to live up to his example. Seek justice without fear or favor.
Permanent Link
I just watched the clips of the Montreal protests.
Eh! Relatively tame (as far as protests go)… no tearing out of human livers–as would be the case back in Gaza.
I wonder if any of the Al Khadrs were there. :-)
Thanks, tree. I'll get to those sites.
"In Canada, hate speech is hate speech, even if the CJC engages in it." That's only in theory, because practically Zionist originated hate never gets noticed, complained about and prosecuted. I have a newspaper archive full of hate speech by zionist and or Jewish writers that goes far beyond what the demonstrators have done in the Canadian cities. Where was CJC when those violations were taking place? The high sensitivity of CJC about animosity towards Jews is morally offset by Israeli government's contempt for human life.
"I have a newspaper archive full of hate speech by zionist and or Jewish writers that goes far beyond what the demonstrators have done in the Canadian cities."
Do you mind posting some, so we can judge for ourselves?
I don't doubt there are some people who go over the deep end with the rhetoric…but I'm not sure how pervasive it is. So I'd like to see it. Thanks.
Report: Expect sharp rise in anti-Semitism
January 25, 2009
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A new wave of anti-Semitism is expected due to Israel's operation in Gaza and the global financial crisis, according to a new Israeli report.
The expected surge in anti-Semitism for 2009 was predicted in a report released Sunday by the Coordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism, the official Israeli forum against anti-Semitism. The forum is sponsored by the Jewish Agency, the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs.
The 250 anti-Semitic attacks reported throughout the world during the three weeks of Israel's military operation in Gaza represented a more than 300 percent increase compared to the same period last year."
LOL….'Due to' Israel's operations in Gaza …'anti semitism' is expected to rise.
The first thing that occured to me when I first learned of anti semitism was…how is it possible that one group of people has been hated for absolutely no reason by every one on earth since time began?
The answer of course is..it isn't possible,it isn't even probable.
For all the populations on earth thruout 21 centuries to have hated jews and for the jews to have been totally innocent in creating this hatred is totally impossible.
The whole premise is downright laughable. It is hard to believe that anyone with two brain cells to rub together would buy the 'eternal' and 'totally innocent' victim fabrication of anti semitism.
One group of people has always been innocent an everyone else earth has always been wrong…how likely is that?
Even a stopped clock is right once a day.
Hate to interupt, but some fellow named Sam was concerned about the Egyptian blockade of legitimate israeli trade. I don't seem to recall Israel lobbing missles into Egypt prior to the blockade.
Also, Egypt is blockading Gaza, yet no missles launched into the sinai. Racist gazans!
What CJC saying is that even if Israeli army is killing Palestinians with impunity, Jews have a right to seriously be concerned about verbal abuse and verbal contempt of the anti Israeli side. I don't think CJC is fair.
HAHAHA Suzanne, you must be kidding me. It is happening everyday. It's all over, I just happen to clip them for myself. I don;t really need to post anything particular, just open your usual CanWest Global owned rag anywhere in Canada on any given day. You should be able to see plenty of evidence for my claim. If the hate laws of canada were enforced unbiasedly, the National Post would have been closed down 100 times by now.
In any case, why don;t you start your own collection of the kind of hate you are concerned with, we will exchange notes in a year?
"Pro Hamas? since when Pro humanity and pro Geneva conventions and pro UN Security Council resolutions is considered pro Hamas?" The guy with the black mask over his face, the people screaming for jihad and how they were willing to sacrifice themselves for Allah didn't sound to me like they had Geneva conventions on their mind.
This is 2009. The days of taking that stuff lightly is dead and gone. Left in the last century.
Chris Bebel is blind or he is forgetful or he is plain unfair. It is true that Egypt is part of the siege, but we know that taken care of not out of choice, but under constant pressure by Israel.
Also there is something even more important that Mr Bebel is unfair and forgetful about: Hamas does not attack Egypt because Egypt does not assassinate Hamas and Palestinian religious leaders.
In other words, Mo, you don't have anything to show.
Thanks anyway, :-)
Do you mind posting some, so we can judge for ourselves? Posted by: Suzanne | February 01, 2009 at 10:22 PM
That's priceless, coming from you, Suzanne. You haven't yet posted evidence for your claim that "according to the New York Observer, Rowan Berkeley is a member of the British National Party" – quite a specific claim…
Rowan Berkeley is an anti-semitic member of the British Nati
http://www.observer.com/node/33674
Rowan Berkeley is a sick anti semitic BNP stooge
http://books.dev.observermediagroup.com/node/33673
Mohammed: Since when is being pro-Geneva Conventions pro-Hamas?
Suzanne: Hamas is not pro-Geneva Convention and This is 2009. The days of taking that stuff lightly is dead and gone.
And Suzanne, speaking for everyone I can say we're all glad that's been taken care of so tidily, now let's get down to debating whether or not someone is or isn't allowed to debate if they're a racist, or an anti-Semite, which is a special kind of racist.
As opposed to whether or not what they're saying is true or not.
Because true things said by racists are automatically not true, because of the rules governing truth and racism and anti-Semitism, which is a special kind of racism.
So being anti-Semitic means you can't criticize Israel, or any Jews at all, for anything, except Bernie Madoff, because you're an anti-Semite, and anti-Semites are not allowed to participate in public debate.
As opposed to being say anti-Arab, which is a far more justifiable form of racism, even forgivable, understandable, and will not disqualify you from participating in any debate.
Whereas being anti-Semitic disqualifies you from any debate whatsoever, about anything.
And criticizing Israel or any Jews at all for anything, except Bernie Madoff, means you're automatically anti-Semitic, and anti-Semites are not allowed to participate in public debate, so there you go.
Next question please.
well, thanks, chris. the first link begins: Rowan Berkeley is an anti-semitic member of the British Nati (not verified) says: Noted Neo-Nazi, Rowan Berkeley, tells Mary Rizzo that she is a mossad provocateur! Obviously, it isn't "the new york observer" that is saying this, but an unidentified troll. The second link says: Rowan Berkeley (not verified) says: My name is Rowan Berkeley – I post paragraphs like the one below — I accuse Jews of controlling both international finance and communism. But hey — I'm not an anti-semite! and funnily enough this is a copy of the same phoney posting in my name, by the same or another unidentified troll, that appeared here on MondoWeiss.
It is of course illegal to slander someone by posting messages in their name calculated to bring upon them hatred, ridicule, or contempt, but, 'hey', who cares? we're zionists – god wants us to lie, kill, torture, steal, exterminate, hate and destroy all that may one day threaten our self-conceit.
As James Petras puts it in his new and essential (though long) article:
Their modus operandi as documented by their internal memos is to dominate the mass media through ‘plants’ – pro-Zionist journalists, academics, ‘experts’ and editors – who write and broadcast justifications and apologies for Israeli war crimes, parroting the line of the Israeli state, in the mass media. The Zionist propagandists then circulate the planted articles by their colleagues, giving the impression of broad public support, when in fact they are reproducing prepared, Israeli-Zionist propaganda…
I can't imagine anyone running around in this day and age saying "The Jews run capitalism and communism." I mean, there isn't any communism.
A RELATED ARTICLE -
Harper’s Extreme Posture No Way to Support Israel – Published May 11, 2008 by the Toronto Star
By Haroon Siddiqui
Stephen Harper equates criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism.
“Unfortunately, Israel at 60 remains a country under threat – threatened by those groups and regimes who deny to this day its right to exist,” he told a Toronto celebration marking the anniversary.
“And why? Look beyond the thinly veiled rationalizations: Because they hate Israel, just as they hate the Jewish people.”
Many groups and regimes, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, do deny Israel’s right to exist. But not all others do so solely for the reasons cited by Harper. Some hold back recognition as a negotiating tool in the Palestinian dispute……
ENTIRE COLUMN – link to thestar.com
REGARDING THE BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY -
Neo-Nazis For Israel? – by Max Blumenthal
While much of the neo-Nazi fringe remains opposed to the existence of Israel, the whites-only British National Party recently declared its full-throated support for Israel's attack on Gaza. The shelling of Gaza City by Israeli forces has brought joy to the heart of BNP head of legal affairs Lee Barnes: "This sort of 'disinfecting' process whereby Israel is required to sterilise areas of radical Islamist support … is what all nations have to do in order to eradicate Islamist cells who have managed to take over territory either within or on the edges of their borders," Barnes wrote on his blog on January 4. He continued, "Get used to the casualties — for without them any nation so infected with Islamism will surrender, rot away into liberal apathy and then dies as it is taken over."
Nick Griffin, the BNP's Cambridge-educated, media-friendly chairman, echoed Barnes' comments in an essay called "Israel's Gaza affair:" "The Israelis will NEVER get unbiased reporting on the Brussels Broadcasting Corporation, despite being the only civilised country in the region & fighting for their very existance [sic]," Griffin proclaimed…..
ENTIRE ARTICLE – link to huffingtonpost.com
haha, Lee Barnes is a nutter.
I would assume the BNP considers Islamic Fascism to be of greater short term concern then the Jews taking over the world.
Possibly, that is why you left the group?
Possibly, that is why you left the group?
I was wondering whether he'd do that. Having to admit that there are no grounds for the original accusation, he avoids making the admission explicit by suggesting (on no grounds whatever) that I might have previously have been a member, then left, thus making it technically correct for me to deny being a member, but trivial.
This is all completely stalinist: I can think of no other historical parallel for these remorseless, squalid, organised frame-up and blackmail attempts, which seem to comprise the troll environment.
Having to admit? But I made no such assertion, merely trying to show Rowan where, in the Observer,one might have had the impression that Rowan is or was a member of the BNP.
His opinions probably give many the impression that he would not be out of his element in a meeting of such, but rather a fish in a water with a suited temperature.
His denial of such past or current membership seems tepid and uncertain. Perhaps he doesn't remember resigning or where he hid his card should the need arise.
I certainly wouldn't know, and could care less. Rowan needs no identification card for none wonder who or what he is.
Rowbot said he doesn't believe in political parties…and despite his proclivity for being an oily and unabashed liar, I'll take his word.
I'll guess he's an anarchist. They're just as insipid.
BTW–have there been openly jihadist demonstrations down here in the States?
My sense is that they'd get their heads cracked open by locals in most places. Muslims are trying to improve their image here.
With the recent FBI discussion concerning CAIR being a front for islamic terrorism, it seems that image took a terrible blow. It is a shame that arabic islam is looking more and more fascist. Not that it ever look less than fascist.