BBC radio 4. Sunday programme with Roger Bolton. Interview with John Mann, M.P. for Bettislow, chairman of the all-party Parliamentary Group against Anti-Semitism and co-founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism.
Roger Bolton:
“Some of the incidents are pretty low level.”……“relatively small amounts of physical assaults.” ……“ Israeli governments say any criticism of Israel is antisemitic.” etc. etc.
Listener asks why the BBC sent hundreds of BBC people to report events in Gaza and hardly any to report events in Sri Lanka where there were far more casualties.
News Editor:
He is chairing an inaugural conference, co-hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of all places, on Tuesday. One hundred parliamentary representatives are attending, from over forty countries.
The conference is about the alarming rise in antisemitism in UK and worldwide.
Roger Bolton:
“Some of the incidents are pretty low level.”……“relatively small amounts of physical assaults.” ……“ Israeli governments say any criticism of Israel is antisemitic.” etc. etc.
World Service:
Feedback type programme called “Over to You”
Listener asks why the BBC sent hundreds of BBC people to report events in Gaza and hardly any to report events in Sri Lanka where there were far more casualties.
News Editor:
“People are more interested in Gaza.”
Join the dots.
I doubt whether there has been any rise in antisemitism as such.
In fact, I’m pretty sure the Muslim youths who have taken to beating up elderly Jewish gentlemen in N London since the Gaza operation were antisemitic before. Just less obviously so.
Strange. I know (or have known) many Jewish people over the years. The odd one has been anti-Islamic, while most have not.
Conversely, I have known many more Muslims, and this includes the whole social gamut, from barely literate through to doctors of various types. And I have yet to find a single Musilm that isn’t anti-semitic even in the smallest way. Often, the worst are the highly educated, as they are that much more subtle and sly with it…
Not only does the BBC refuse to send reporters to Sri Lanka, recently they are also refusing to report at all about Darfur. There hundreds of thousands of Black Moslems have been massacred by Arab Moslems. But the BBC never ask Moslems protesting about the deaths of just over a thousand Moslems in Gaza why they are so silent about the vastly greater massacre of their co-religionists in Darfur.
But the BBC never ask Moslems protesting about the deaths of just over a thousand Moslems in Gaza why they are so silent about the vastly greater massacre of their co-religionists in Darfur.
This is because the LEFT and it’s media subsidiary at, for example, the BBC, refuses to see religious motivations for international conflict when it involves Moslems.
There is naturally, a total double-standard applied to Christians and Jews. For instance, the liberal-left desperately wants to believe that Bin Laden and Hamas are motivated by political rather than theological means and constantly try to downplay Islamist ideology.
Dagobert | 15.02.09 – 11:21 am
Probably best not to go there.
– once the shebab wake up to the fact that Muslims are dying in Darfur, they’ll find a way of blaming America or Britain for “allowing it to happen”, just as they did in Bosnia, Chechnya and Kosovo.
That’s if they can’t blame the Jews…
“But the BBC never ask Moslems protesting about the deaths of just over a thousand Moslems in Gaza why they are so silent about the vastly greater massacre of their co-religionists in Darfur.”
Palestine was designed to be a running sore as a source of conflict in the Middle East.A number of rich and powerful neighbouring states could solve the problem over night.Why do they not lift a finger? Simple they want to be rid of Israel.Now the ME is awash with money,what is the going rate for a BBC journalist?
Tom,
I was about to go jihad on your comment…but then finished what you wrote and had to laugh in agreement 🙂
BTW, anyone see a bunch of MP’s have headed over to check out Gaza for themselves with the aim of finding out from the gazans affected what the conflict was like for them.
They have asked Israel for permission to enter…why not just go through Egypt? Or does it make for better headlines if Israel declines their entry?
And…how impartial do you think these clowns will really be (considering the clown who has organised it was supposedly the most vocal in calling for a ceasefire) and I wonder if they will ask anyone about the role Hamas had in bringing the war to civilians in Gaza?
Mailman
On radio 5 a group of leftists (so called comedians) were talking about Blier making a come back.
“..Only if Prince Philip died and Blair married the Queen…” spouted one lefty tosspot.
Lots of sniggers all round.
Do you think if I said “Could George Bush make a come back if Obama died and he married Michelle…” on radio 5 I’d get away with it? Ho ho ho so frigging funny.
Jacqui Smith:
I see from the Sunday papers that Miss Smith sold her old house in Reddich for a £115,000 profit in 2004. Now remember according to her parliamentary expense returns, at this time her Reddich house was her second home; her primary residence was her sister’s box room in Peckham. This convenient and quite frankly absurd ordering of her living arrangements has allowed our Home Secretary to trouser some £116,000 in the past six years.
But If Reddich was her second home then Miss Smith should have paid capital gains tax on the profits accrued from the sale of her first Redditch house. The potential tax liability here could be around the £50,000 mark. However, if the Inland Revenue were informed that this had been the Home Secretary’s primary residence (contradicting her Parliamentary expense claims) then there would have been no capital gains tax to pay.
Strangely, Jacqui Smith’s office is refusing to tell the media whether she paid capital gains tax on the sale or not. In doing so, they are perpetuating the sleaze story. Now to coin a phrase that Jacqui is so fond of • if she’s done nothing wrong, then what has she got to hide? After all, if she did declare to the Inland Revenue that Reddich was her second home – she would kill the sleaze stories stone dead.
Equally the Home Sec. is refusing to confirm where she has listed her primary residence for council tax purposes. Same question • if she has been consistent in her residency declarations • then what has she got to hide?
A suspicious mind • aren’t journalists supposed to have an inquisitive mind • might think that Jacqui has something to hide. But clearly the BBC’s journalists don’t think so • none of the above questions have been raised by Auntie. Nor have they reported on the ever increasing holes in Jacqui’s case. Apparently her neighbours have now reported her to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner • because contrary to her public statements, she’s never at her sister’s during the long parliamentary recess and spends a maximum of 3 nights there a week, when Parliament is sitting. Again the BBC have not reported this • why?
O/T on the latest defection – spot the difference:
Guardian – Labour’s welfare reform chief defects.
Scotland on Sunday – Defection to Tories hits Brown.
Channel 4 – Labour adviser defects to Tories.
Telegraph – Senior government adviser defects to Conservatives.
Mail – Labour’s Welfare hard nut defects to Tories.
BBC – Government adviser to join Tories
Move along. Nothing to see here.
“People are more interested in Gaza.”
Since the only PEOPLE Beeboids know are other Beeboids then I guess that statement is completely true.
Stalin MacSporran | 15.02.09 – 12:55 pm |
–
“defects” would only be right if the person left one party to join another. I don’t think that’s the case here.
I worked in Israel for six months and I was never aware of any anti-islamic language or behavior, but I did notice they work very hard and were very family orientated. Pity about their neighbors, who bring their kids up to hate Jews.
“People are more interested in Gaza.”
Since the only PEOPLE Beeboids know are other Beeboids then I guess that statement is completely true.
Ratass Shagged | 15.02.09 – 1:19 pm | #
Exactly. Most of the normal people I know – ie those who work in private companies rather than the NHS, Councils, BBC etc, view the Gazans as the authors of their own misfortune, and are pro-israeli.
I always gloss “Beeboids” as “trots”, because, as far as I can tell, that’s what virtually all of them are or were at some point in their adult life.
I have come accross very few people of any seniority in publicly-funded organisations who haven’t been activists in the SWP or similar trot outfits at some time in their adult lives. Even BBC presenters like Michael Rosen are trots, a terrifying thought as he was the Children’s Laureate for a while.
These people, with their policy of “permanent revolution” and their present alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood, are a pernicious presence in our society, far beyond the effect and influence of the BNP.
Anonymous at | 15.02.09 – 2:25 pm | #
is me. I forgot the basic rule that “the preview button is your friend”
Mr. Shagged,
People certainly are more interested in Gaza, and in particular, as you say, Beeboids.
All day we get the latest news concerning this trip to Gaza being undertaken by an all-party group of M.P.s who want “to see for themselves” the after effects of the Israeli military onslaught. You know, the one “That caused the deaths of 1300 people-mostly-women-and-children”
As if they hadn’t seen enough already by watching the BBC, they feel the need to stir up a bit more anti-Israel outrage in the hearts of their constituents.
Their leader Richard Burden M.P. will be popular with his Birmingham voters. He is Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group which seeks to foster good relations and understanding between Britain and Palestine and to promote a just and durable peace in the Middle East.
I’m not sure his visit will do exactly that, but it will do wonders for the ever increasing Jew hate that’s so fashionable these days.
Somehow I truely doubt that clown will say anything other than “its a nightmare for Gazans”.
Thus earning himself a few more muslims votes in Birmingham.
Mailman
If people are interested in what is happening in Gaza, take a look at how muslims are treating their fellow muslims (warning – brutal, not for the fainthearted!)
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1d6_1234539823
“People are more interested in Gaza”
Not so much that the beeb can be bothered to cover this:-
Reuters Sat Feb 14 2009 8.34 pm
Anti-terror police seize three vans headed for Gaza.
Can anyone else see the parallels between the banking / credit bubble and the immigration / multiracial Britain bubble . They are good for us and no criticism of either is accepted , argued or even acknowledged by the great and the good . Well , now that one of those bubbles has resoundingly burst , how long before the other great water bomb soaks us all . As per , no one could have seen it coming .
D McGregor | 15.02.09 – 4:23 pm
“Can anyone else see the parallels between the banking / credit bubble and the immigration / multiracial Britain bubble”
I’m struggling to be frank.
On the theme of antisemitism, just came across this on BBC tennis news:
Extracts from the BBC report:
‘Israeli player Shahar Peer has been refused a visa to take part in the Dubai Tennis Championships. …
…the WTA Tour said Peer was denied entry into the United Arab Emirates for the tournament, which features all the world’s top-10 ranked women’s players.
UAE officials have not given a reason for the move, but the country does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
The only Israelis usually allowed into the UAE do so under dual nationality, and the player’s brother and spokesman Shlomi Peer confirmed she had been denied a visa. …
WTA chief executive Larry Scott said the women’s tour was “deeply disappointed” by the decision.
“Ms Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament and it’s regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right,” he said. …
Scott said the WTA would “review appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament”.
“No host country should deny a player the right to compete in a tournament for which she has qualified by ranking,” he added.
Fellow players also voiced their disappointment at the news….
World number 48 Peer faced protests over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza at the ASB Classic in Auckland last month from around 20 people who called on her to withdraw from the tournament. …’
I am surprised that the ITF agrees to have a tournament in a place that denies visas to sportspeople on the basis of nationality.
(NOTE: Not citing this BBC report as an instance of BBC bias. However, not saying either that BBC bias re Israel or Gaza may not have an effect on what happens to a tennis player or other Israeli or Jewish person.)
If the Gaza population has grown by 40% in ten years (1997-2007), then exactly how scared of the Israelis are the Palestinians?, how do they explain this huge leap?.
Also, if medical supplies are in the dire straits that the BBC has repeatedly claimed, then why is the Gaza infant mortality rates so low?. Could it be that having Israel for neighbors is more beneficial than the BBC will have us believe?.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7891434.stm
Buried at the end of the article is a comment mentioning that almost 70% of Gazans are registered as ‘refugees’, how is that possible?, if the Palestinian population has increased by 400,000, then how could the proportion of ‘refugees’ have increased?.
Lots of questions, unfortunately the BBC never seems to answer them!.
“News Editor:
“People are more interested in Gaza.”
Isn’t The “Special way the BBC is funded” supposed to obviate having to pander to a mass audience.One of the Beebs goals was to educate,perhsps they should send the staff to night school?
I just heard File on Four, a repeat of the one described in David Vance’s post a few threads down. I have a sneaking feeling that our good friend Lucy Ash isn’t a great fan of Israel. Throughout this programme Israel’s malevolent culpability for “Gaza” was a ‘given’, and Egypt’s suspected collusion with Israel regarding the Rafah crossing was the subject of much negative speculation. The Muslim Brotherhood were represented as a benign organisation, a cuddly brotherhood of warm and fuzzy brothers.
But in contrast, an unusually daring decision has been taken by someone to repeat Michael Buerk’s interview with Geert Wilders tonight at 9 oclock, The Choice BBC radio 4
News Editor:
“People are more interested in Gaza.”
Oh and the BBC doesn’t have influence over what people are and aren’t interested in? Has this moron ever considered the fact that if the Beeb saturated the airwaves with coverage of Sri Lanka, then the people he claims are “more interested in Gaza” would be more interested in Sri Lanka instead?
Next he’ll be telling us that the Beeb’s obsession with global warming is nothing more than a reflection of public demand.
It’s comments like this which betray the BBC’s institutional sickness. They’re so out of touch with reality I doubt if there’s even any possibility of reform.
“Roger Bolton: “Some of the incidents are pretty low level.”……”relatively small amounts of physical assaults.” ……” Israeli governments say any criticism of Israel is antisemitic.” etc. etc.”
This line is popular on the left, it’s nothing more than an excuse to evade and rationalize their own antisemitism. It’s not that “any criticism of Israel” is antisemitic – but when they’re restricting themselves to the condemnation of Israel while refraining from a condemnation of Hamas…and when they remain silent about real atrocities across the world while holding angry demonstrations in protest of the steps Israel takes to defend itself against people whose actions they appear to have no problem with….THAT’S why we call them antisemitic. The Jews provoke a special rage within them that just isn’t provoked by other groups.
An enemy without helps contain the enemy within. If Israel WERE wiped off the map, or if peace and harmony were to break out, how many of Hamas’s angry young men will put away their Kalashnikovs and enrol in high school? The ME is addicted to hate. These MPs who claim to be “friends of Palestine” are the sort of friend who give a drug-addicted friend money to buy more drugs. No friend at all, really.
Stu | 15.02.09 – 3:45 pm |
Reuters Sat Feb 14 2009 8.34 pm
Anti-terror police seize three vans headed for Gaza.
It was that group of MPs, obviously.
Those Jews could help themselves if they got beaten up by Nazi whites, not Religion of Peacers.Then we`d beleive them.
If the Gaza population has grown by 40% in ten years (1997-2007), how do they explain this huge leap?.
Colin W | 15.02.09 – 5:22 pm
There is evidence the figures are faked. In principle it is no different than registering ‘phantom employees’ and then pocketing their wages. As the foxes are in charge of the chicken coop no one checks.
Almost 70% of Gazans are registered as ‘refugees’, how is that possible?
UNWRA’s unique measurement defines everyone who lived in Palestine at a certain date and their descendants as refugees and eligible for aid. In addition deaths are often not acknowledged to contine on the gravy train. Unlike anywhere else in the world where refugee numbers gradually decrease the numbers increase in Palestine.
BTW, anyone see a bunch of MP’s have headed over to check out Gaza for themselves with the aim of finding out from the gazans affected what the conflict was like for them.
Mailman | 15.02.09 – 12:16 pm
Perhaps a group of honest politicians might like to join them?
These ‘fact-finding tours’ to anywhere are always a fraud.
“Some of the incidents are pretty low level.”……”relatively small amounts of physical assaults.”
In similar vein, last week Jimmy Carter – a firm BBC favorite – sought to demonstrate the disproportionate Israeli response to the home made rockets by comparing the death toll of Israelis & Gazans in the months preceding the last month’s conflict. Carter ignored the fact that Israel sought to minimise Israeli civilian casualties by means or air raid warnings & bomb shelters, whereas Hamas want & celebrate Palestinian deaths (e.g. The Palestinian Forum in Britain has called for your attendance of a festival, taking place on Sunday, in the centre of the capital city London, celebrating Gaza’s victory and solidarity with its people.)- see Harry’s place)
Carter also lamented the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza by Israel, which destroyed, among other things, “churches”.
By the way , who is this Jimmy Carter guy ?
Anti – semitism in the uk isn’t in the least “alarming” any more than “islamophobia”, “institutional racism”, homophobia or any other bout of whingeing by a minority group. Britain is the most tolerant place in Western Europe towards pretty much every minority, including Jews.
I didn’t see the interview but if the Beeb is challenging some random group’s claim that we’re all a bunch of prejudiced fascists then all well and good, however what we should be pressing is for them to extend this attitude to all the other “reports” and “spokesmen” – the Runnymede Trust would be a good start.
Cockney | 16.02.09 – 2:33 pm
Anti – semitism in the uk isn’t in the least “alarming” any more than “islamophobia”, “institutional racism”, homophobia or any other bout of whingeing by a minority group. Britain is the most tolerant place in Western Europe towards pretty much every minority, including Jews.
We know you find the subject tedious, you’ve said so often enough. But even by your standards this is an ill-considered comment.
Britain may well be tolerant, but there’s tolerance and tolerance.
Tolerant of cultural diversity, tolerant of alien cultural practices, tolerant of criminal behaviour, tolerant of dumbed down television.
Antisemitism is alarming, especially when it has been whipped up by biased, emotive, one-sided, ignorant, exploitative, sensationalist BBC reporting.
Antisemitism as a concept is alarming. IMHO antisemitism in the UK is not a major issue in the slightest. Britain’s Jewish community are big and largely very successful boys and don’t need patronising concern from join-the-dots “right wingers” keen to deify them on the basis of a religious connection to Israel.
Anonymous 3:39
Thanks for that link and the warning.
Why haven’t clips like that been shown on the BBC ?
Cockney | 16.02.09 – 5:47 pm
I know little of ‘The Jewish Community’ or, for that matter, any big and largely successful boys, but I do know a bit about, and have experienced, low level but hurtful antisemitism. I am not a right winger and I do advocate joining the dots, and in this matter I agree that your ‘O’ is rather ‘H’.
Cockney | 16.02.09 – 5:47 pm |
IMHO antisemitism in the UK is not a major issue in the slightest. Britain’s Jewish community are big and largely very successful boys and don’t need patronising concern from join-the-dots “right wingers” keen to deify them on the basis of a religious connection to Israel.
Maybe you’re right. Only 37% of people in the UK think Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their own country, down from 50% two years ago. Things are improving.
Only 15% in the UK think it’s “probably true” that Jews have too much power in the business world and the financial markets. That’s a decrease of at least 25% from two years ago, so things are looking up. The only place it’s a blip on the radar seems to be the Foreign Office. The 9% rise in attacks during the first half of last year barely qualifies as significant, I guess.
Jews are successful and relatively safe now, but for how long? No matter how many arguments you may win about anti-Israel not automatically meaning anti-Jew, the attacks on Jews will still happen because of anger at Israel. There’s no escaping that.
David P,
I’m sceptical that 2 yrs ago 50% of Britons thought that British Jews were more loyal to Israel than the UK. Even 37% seems unlikely. As for 16% of Britons blaming “Jews” for the financial crisis! That is unbelievable. Some might blame Scots, or Americans, but Jews? That’s truly bizarre. Do you know that the most popular business show on UK TV is fronted by a businessman who makes no secret of his Jewish family. Have you ever been to the UK? What do you think? (I don’t know if you’re Jewish, but did you see or hear anything anti-semitic?) I live here and I’ve heard anti-Muslim talk, but I can’t remember hearing anti-semitism.
John | 17.02.09 – 11:55 pm |
Some might blame Scots, or Americans, but Jews? That’s truly bizarre.
Most people – especially in government and on the BBC – are blaming the US bankers for this. The easy next step is the belief that Jews have too much control over US banks. Atlas shrugged isn’t so alone in his Jewish banker conspiracy theories, sad to say.
Do you know that the most popular business show on UK TV is fronted by a businessman who makes no secret of his Jewish family.
Are you talking about Max Flint? Well, people who wouldn’t let their daughter marry a Jew are often first in line to see the Jewish doctor or accountant. Yes, I realize this seems like I’m twisting popular trust of a Jewish businessman into anti-Jewish sentiment. I’m not Jerry Seinfeld’s Uncle Leo, though. In reality, it’s hardly a dichotomy to think that Jews are good at business while still not trusting them in other areas, although I don’t mean to imply that most people think that way. I’m just saying that it’s not impossible for people to think Jews are good at money while not being trustworthy for other things.
I’ve been traveling to the UK fairly regularly for over well over a decade, have done business with a handful of British companies (including the BBC), and have several friends and at least one relative there. I’ve never actually been around too much of the country, but have certainly met and worked with people from many regions.
Yes, I am of Jewish extraction, and I have witnessed anti-semitic sentiment on many occasions. It’s never the level of “dirty Jew” or anything violent, but there are plenty of thoughts expressed as freely as Carol Thatcher’s golliwog which reveal a few anti-Jew feelings. These are low-level sentiments, and certainly popular throughout the West, nothing especially British by any means.
It’s often along the lines of a couple of the beliefs outlined in this survey: Jews have a little too much control over…pick one: government, banks, business, media, fashion, music; Dual Loyalty (which really means “Israel First”, no?); a far higher percentage of Jews are wealthy than other groups, but this is due to slightly unsavory genetic traits and not positive ones; Jews have far too much control over US foreign policy (see “dual loyalty”). Things like that.
The things is, I’ve found the more dangerous feelings – the ones regarding Israel and the US – as being more common among the younger generation. The older generations seem to be more likely to reveal a Jewish ancestor in slightly hushed tones, although never truly embarrassed about it. Or a certain Welshman would say things like, “You know, Proyser, if you didn’t keep saying you were Jewish, nobody would know,” as if I was somehow embarrassing myself.
What’s depressing is that some complaints from the younger crowd are occasionally supported by claims of “my Jewish friends agree with me”. Those Jewish friends always turn out to be secular and dedicated Leftoids, and often not really connected to their Jewish roots in the first place. Those who have no respect (or, at least, sympathy) for their Jewish roots are often the first to condemn Israel, although those on the far Left tend to do that as well.
Having said all that, I want to point out that the figures are down from previous surveys, which I find encouraging. The one you bring up about dual loyalty is very timely, of course. I think it’s reasonable to make a connection between that and last year’s Israel/Gaza problems. Israel was in the news so much – and often portrayed so badly – that the popular subject of “anti-Israel is or isn’t anti-Jew” must have been discussed amongst private citizens an awful lot, even though there was no real public debate. I think it’s a good sign that more people in Britain are slowly seeing the paradox of people at these protests claiming that criticism of Israel does not mean criticism of Jews while standing next to somebody shouting “Back to the gas chambers”. The Beeboids haven’t figured that one out yet, but more of the public are starting to.
What’s really too bad is the rather unholy communion of anti-Israel Muslims who are openly anti-Jew with anti-Israel white, non-Muslims in these protests. The non-Muslims turn a blind eye to the anti-Jew activities of their fellow angry “youths”, to the point where it becomes tolerance out of sympathy for the feelings of the angry crowd and not of its victims. That’s a very dangerous path.
If the BBC is intellectually unable to see this, I have to wonder if it’s because – no matter how many Jews are at various levels of management – this survey taken there would produce similar results. That would ultimately be more dangerous to society.
Thanks for that David, once again I appreciate the time you have taken and you express yourself clearly.
Most people – especially in government and on the BBC – are blaming the US bankers for this. The easy next step is the belief that Jews have too much control over US banks.
Certainly the Prime Minister says the problem started in the US and spread, but I’ve never heard a connection being made between sub-prime loans and Jewish bankers. Maybe it’s the people I know don’t think like that? The news did report that Madoff was Jewish, but that was because he’d exploited that affinity to swindle other Jews and Jewish charities.
Do you know that the most popular business show on UK TV is fronted by a businessman who makes no secret of his Jewish family.
Are you talking about Max Flint?
I don’t know Max Flint, I’m referring to Alan Sugar who hosts The Apprentice. I think in the US it’s Donald Trump.
I’ve been traveling to the UK fairly regularly for over well over a decade, have done business with a handful of British companies …I have witnessed anti-semitic sentiment on many occasions
I’m sorry to hear that. There is widespread low-level prejudice which can be mild teasing or more sinister. You can get that between adjacent towns even.
I’m glad you’re encouraged by the direction the survey figures are heading, but I still find the figures quoted hard to believe.
John | 18.02.09 – 7:21 pm
I don’t know Max Flint, I’m referring to Alan Sugar who hosts The Apprentice. I think in the US it’s Donald Trump.
It never would have occurred to me that The Apprentice was considered an actual business program. Who would care if the host of that is Jewish?
I’m glad you’re encouraged by the direction the survey figures are heading, but I still find the figures quoted hard to believe.
Well, it is from the ADL. But I don’t think they spent the entire time polling London mosques, either.