When Melanie Phillips went to Australia she thought she had died and gone to heaven. She discovered that down under, unlike here in Blighty, supporting Israel does not have to be done in private, by consenting adults.
For your information, Melanie Phillips is “known to be an extremist Zionist insane warmongering Islamophobe” who must be treated with circumspection and labelled “Mad Mel” by all liberal-leaning followers of the BBC. She does appear on the BBC from time to time, but as her views are deemed insane the listeners and viewers are allowed to snigger, knowingly.
Start The Week.
Good grief. Anthony Julius is on!
There’s good news and bad news.
The good news is that Andrew Marr was unsettled by Anthony Julius’s book, and the bad news is that Marr and guests still seemed to think anti-Semitism (in the UK) is understandable because of the actions of Israel.
Or do I mean anti-Zionism.
“We could go on talking about this for ages” said Marr. But we won’t. There was an elephant in the studio somewhere, too.
It might be time to get my coat.
What a shock. Andrew Rawnsley being beaten up on Radio 5 again by endless Liebour luvvies saying how terrible it is he wrote a book about McCoward. Can’t imagine that the BBC would have people ringing up attacking him if it were an anti Tory book.
Then of course Lord Ashcroft is now getting hammered on Radio 5 as well. Endless callers and text messages saying no one should vote Tory because of Ashcroft, but of course ignore (as the BBC does) the large number of Labour non dom donors.
Actually the Antony Julius section of the Start the Week Show was really interesting. I think Beeboid Marr was genuinely shocked by what Julius and Safran Foer had to say (about Jewish people actually thinking of leaving London because of the hostile environment there). Or maybe he was just shocked that Jews had the temerity to say it (after all, he’s used to the Kapo BBC Jews and the Asajew Israel haters.
What Marr purports not to get is the BBC’s central role in this. In my view the BBC has been at the forefront of this tide of anti-semitism. NO organisation has done more to delegitimise Israel (and Jews generally). The only good Jew in Beeboidland is a dead Israeli or a self-hating lefty bigot.
Well done Mr Julius. It is refreshing to hear the truth articulated so clearly. Of course that must come as a shock to Marr and his vile pack of pampered Beeboid thought-police.
You’re quite right that Marr doesn’t get the BBC’s central role in this.
But how could he, when he doesn’t really acknowledge it, choosing to view it, as so many do, as a legitimate form of ‘criticism of Israel’s actions?’
I certainly hope he was shocked, and that it might spark off some curiosity. Who knows, it could even lead to an examination of the problem, and perhaps some practical suggestions for a solution.
It certainly needs more of an airing.
It’s not only London Jews who are thinking of leaving by the way. Manchester and regions throughout the UK experience their fair share too.
I think one of Julius’s remarks was aimed at the BBC – “bodies in the public square”… ? It would be interesting to hear whether Julius tackled Marr afterwards about BBC bias.
The elephant in the room is that Julius did not mention that the culprits are predominately Muslims.
Let’s hope with all our hearts that Mel doesn’t decide to up sticks and move to Oz. It would be a huge hole in the cause for truth in this country.
Yes, BBC Mr. Marr’s attitude to Mr. Julius was one of hostility on the issue of antisemitism.
Of course the BBC has a poor track-record on this.
E.g.
‘Top Uk military commander… warns of dark forces in the BBC’
http://www.robinshepherdonline.com/top-uk-military-commander-says-israeli-advice-key-to-british-strategy-against-suicide-bombers-in-afghanistan-warns-of-dark-forces-in-the-bbc/#more-2201
And ‘Guardian’
Start the Week is a joke so thanks to Mr Julius for stating his case clearly.
Unfortunately we got the liberal arts graduates up on the top floor that booked some Argentinian woman tell us that we need to deflect the inevitable asteroid. Funnily enough she works for NASA or something so do I smell a pitch for funding?…and don`t spare the air miles!
Thye also booked some vegetarian who scorned Julius for only being 80% veggie unlike himself-apparently factory farming isn`t quite the ticket.
These people being “scientific” get an easy ride-but conflating Anti-Semitism with anti Zionism is somehow allowed en passant despite Julius saying that this was wrong in every way-didn`t stop old Andy though!
Julius was honourable but the BBC continue to fan the flames more in indifference and postures rather than malice…but the fires will burn nonetheless>
Finally got around to listening to this. It was awful. Marr opens with a statement as fact that Climate Change is a potential catastrophe for which me must be prepared. Graciela Chichilinsky states that it’s irrational not treat the threat of Climate Change like we would anything else for which we take out insurance. The message is that we had better prepare for it even more. “These are truths which we keep having rubbed in our faces…”
No, Andrew, there’s something else being rubbed in our faces here….
As for the Antony Julius segment, Marr apparently doesn’t really believe his claims, no matter how much he professes to have been disturbed by the book. He does acknowledge the amount of anti-Semitism in literature and among the literati, but perhaps it’s better not to remind people of it. I don’t remember anybody trying to ban Shakespeare or Dickens because of hints of anti-Jew sentiment in their work, yet Marr felt the need to get Julius to talk about the concept, setting the tone for hyperbole as a debating tactic.
Good for Julius for pointing out the worldwide hypocrisy of freaking out over the plight of the poor Palestinians while so many other people live in far worse conditions and are suffering far more, yet don’t receive anything like the same attention. Marr left that one alone and moved quickly on.
And then Marr brings in a classic defense that some Jews are or have been anti-Zionist. The idea here is that if Jews can criticize Israel, and one can’t call them anti-Semitic, ergo one can’t call any other critics of Israel anti-Semitic. It’s an old trope.
Marr clearly does not believe the claims of rising anti-Semitism to the point of British Jews wondering aloud if it’s time to get out. He thought he was using hyperbole when he asked if people felt it was time to put fences and gates around schools, and had to be informed that this was already the case in some places. This is the conventional wisdom at the BBC and of their fellow travelers, as so many of us have claimed for so long, and as demonstrated here by defenders of the indefensible.
It’s not really that bad, they tell us. Marr even tries to put it down to anti-Israel sentiment. He doesn’t go so far as to say that Jews should expect violence because of Israel, but he is obviously unaware of the recent developments in Malmö.
Marr was much more moved by Jonathan Foer’s book than by Julius’s. One has to read the anti-meat book before one can refute it, but not the one about anti-Semitism.
Thanks for all the interesting comments.
I think it’s a bit much to expect Andrew Marr or any of the other BBC current affairs bods to empathise with Jewish sensitivities or understand the subtleties of what’s now called the ‘new’ anti-Semitism, but it would be a step in the right direction if they actually did discuss it more as Marr assured us he wanted to.
There are plenty of speakers who would be delighted to expand on this topic, and I don’t mean the ones we usually get on the BBC like Ms Chichilinsky who go with the flow and come out with the theory that anti-Semitism is a justifiable response to “Israel’s actions.” The superficiality, coming from that lady, is mind-boggling.
It is something that needs a proper airing in the MSM.
Anti-semitism does get a good airing in the MSM, but in a promotional sense.
I don’t necessarily expect Marr or any Beeboid to empathize with Jewish sensitivities. I do expect someone who’s job involves discussing current affairs and vital national issues to be aware of the current situation of Jews in the UK.
Marr was genuinely shocked that any Jew would think there’s a problem, to the point of total ignorance of the security measures some Jewish institutions have had to undertake. He also displayed his ignorance of the Malmö scene, and his personal bias against Jews who support Israel, or, I guess, don’t criticize it enough.
whose job…
David,
You’re right, of course. That comment was meant with an air of resignation rather than expectation. You get so used to hearing this POV from the BBC.
Apologies if it sounded as if I was disagreeing with you.