Gobsmacked, I think is a fair way to describe my feelings. Sorry to rant, but it’s hard not to be indignant at this. After Raed Salah, I really thought it wasn’t possible for the Guardian to become more idiotic, and more openly tolerant of racism, in its invitations to guest writers. Silly old me. Yes,… Continue reading The Guardian reaches a new low (ii)
Category: anti-semitism
Labour and anti-semitism: a good start, but not enough
I know this happened a couple of weeks back now, but I just wanted to comment on Ed Miliband’s piece in the New Statesman, where he uses his Jewish heritage to try to rebuild bridges with London’s Jewish community after the disaster of Ken Livingstone’s relationship with them over recent years, which started to go… Continue reading Labour and anti-semitism: a good start, but not enough
Anti-Semitism: it’s a European thang
If it makes anyone feel any better, it’s not just the British left which has trouble accepting the resurgence of anti-Semitism, there are echoes of the same denial in other, neighbouring parts. Read the following piece from a Swedish correspondent of mine, Niklas Smith, in response to last week’s Centre Left, and you will see exactly the same… Continue reading Anti-Semitism: it’s a European thang
Faced with anti-Semitism, the left commentariat’s eerie silence
Well, mostly: there are always exceptions. “No-one can justify the Toulouse attacks”, said Stop The War Coalition’s Lindsey German, “but…” and, without irony, proceeded to attempt to do precisely that, with the usual litany against Western imperialism. It was, predictably, all our fault. However, we expect that from the Stoppers. More interestingly, there were a… Continue reading Faced with anti-Semitism, the left commentariat’s eerie silence
Hats off to Val Shawcross
If Andrew Gilligan’s blog is to be believed (I admit, a not entirely moot point), we learn, via the excellent Harry’s Place, that Val Shawcross, Ken’s running-mate in the London mayorals, has commented on the former’s lack of wisdom in his choice of friends the extremist Al-Qaradawi, and his comments to Jewish journalist Oliver Finegold… Continue reading Hats off to Val Shawcross
2012: A year to fix the party
As our leaders sit back and take stock during the holidays, they might reflect, not just on the daily parliamentary grind against Cameron and the coalition, but of something else: of the time that opposition affords parties to deal with their own problems and, in dealing with them, help show their fitness to govern. They’re… Continue reading 2012: A year to fix the party
Two reactions to extremism
Compare and contrast: a. Tory MP, snapped next to man dressed as Nazi, sacked. b. Labour MPs invite real, declared anti-Semite to speak at Westminster: still in post. I am no fan of the Tories, but…something’s not right here.
Flynn: tolerating the intolerable
Last week, two things happened which produced condemnation by our politicians. Jeremy Clarkson appeared on national television threatening to shoot strikers in front of their families. And Paul Flynn MP, interviewed by the Jewish Chronicle, spoke against having a Jewish ambassador for Israel, after suggesting in Parliament that he might be working for a foreign… Continue reading Flynn: tolerating the intolerable
The world still doesn’t know about the PSC
Well, from my New Statesman article last Friday about anti-semitism, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and their fellow-travellers, I learned a couple of things: that there are an awful lot of crazy people in the world, most of whom, it seemed, wanted to comment on my piece; and that there are also sensible, decent people on the left… Continue reading The world still doesn’t know about the PSC
Anti-Semitism is the new black
My second piece for the New Statesman is here. It’s also the no. 2 post over the last couple of days appearing in the Most Popular section on the NS site.