An MP has been refused by the Commons Table Office when they tried to table a question asking how many meetings Gould had held with Werritty and/or Fox. The Table Office say the question has already been answered – even though we know for certain that the answer given was untrue.
This was the untrue – or at the very least radically unfull – answer cited by the Table Office:
Adam Werritty
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings HM ambassador to Israel has had with the Secretary of State for Defence (a) in Israel, (b) in the UK and (c)
31 Oct 2011 : Column 374W
elsewhere since May 2010; whether Mr Adam Werritty was present on any such occasion; and which (i) other officials and (ii) other people were present on each occasion. [76970]
Alistair Burt: All meetings which our ambassador to Israel has had with the former Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) since May 2010 are set out in the Cabinet Secretary’s report of 18 October 2011. Our ambassador to Israel was also invited by the former Defence Secretary to a private social engagement in summer 2010 at which Adam Werritty was present.
It is remarkable rule of parliament that apparently once a minister lies about something, parliamentarians are never allowed to ask about it again.
Meantime I have submitted a Freedom of Information request about a Freedom of Information request! I have asked for any notes, minutes, emails or correspondence relating to the handling of my FOI request for the Gould-Werritty correspondence. You may recall that my request was declined on grounds of cost, and dealt with in the remarkable time of just 76 minutes, the answer ebing received at 11.31 pm!
Finally the editor of the Jewish Chronicle has declined to publish the following article, which I submitted to him as a comment piece covering the JC’s promotion of the charges of anti-semitism against Paul Flynn for pursuing the Gould/Werritty issue. This is a shame, because the JC used to give space to liberal views, and because I believe a serious percentage of their readership would have been interested in the other side of the story.
There is a genuine argument that it was not wise to appoint Matthew Gould as Ambassador to Israel, and the accusations of anti-Semitism levelled at MP Paul Flynn MP by Dennis McShane, and reported by Martin Bright in the JC, do not address that argument.
Of course being Jewish does not in any way disqualify Matthew Gould from being a British ambassador. We are fortunate in the UK to have many brilliant Jewish diplomats. Jon Benjamin in Santiago is an example of an absolutely first rate ambassador with whom I was once privileged to work.
But Israel/Palestine remains, beyond dispute, a scene of unresolved conflict. The Israeli government, for example, recognises that conflict by invoking the San Remo Agreement to justify its naval embargo of Gaza. The San Remo agreement only applies in times of armed conflict. The dispute is also witnessed not just by events on the ground, but in diplomatic terms by the whole paraphernalia of Middle East peace negotiation, including the post of Quartet envoy occupied by Tony Blair.
So the situation surrounding Israel is not normal and involves conflict. That is, of course, by no means unique. Nearby Cyprus is subject to a dispute that has many parallels. I was Head of the FCO Cyprus section for three years, and tried hard but failed to make progress in resolving the “Cyprus question”. Winning trust was extremely difficult; it would have been well nigh impossible had I been ethnically Greek or Turkish. For the Head of the FCO Cyprus section, or for our Ambassador in Nicosia, to be ethnically Greek, Turkish or either shade of Cypriot just would not be practically useful. I hope nobody will accuse me of being anti-Greek or anti-Turk for saying so.
Similarly, it is just not helpful to have an Ambassador in Tel-Aviv who is Jewish or Palestinian. It just isn’t practically wise. This is not a matter of high policy. There may be Jews or Palestinians of such exceptional personal qualities they could rise above any suspicion of partisanship and be effective. But Matthew Gould has proven himself not to be that talented.
Matthew’s frequent declarations to the Israeli media of his personal commitment to zionism are neither helpful nor necessary for a diplomat. Take for example this from the Jerusalem Post of 29 May:
“British Ambassador Matthew Gould declared his commitment to Israel and the principles of Zionism on Thursday”
That really is a very peculiar thing for a diplomat, who is supposed to have just the one national commitment, to say. I was dismissed as an Ambassador – by FCO ministers including Dennis McShane – for too strong a personal commitment to human rights. A personal commitment to zionism is by comparison a good thing, apparently.We also cannot pretend that in 2011 to declare oneself a “zionist” in political terms merely has its 19th century meaning of somebody who believes in the existence of a state of Israel. The readership of the JC knows that the term “zionist” has accrued baggage of support for settlements and a greater Israel, for the annexation of the whole of Jerusalem, and of links with the non-Jewish foreign policy neo-Cons both sides of the Atlantic. who also declare themselves ardent zionists at every opportunity.
It is also worth noting that, of the entertained guests who have passed into Gould’s Tel Aviv residence, a disgruntled British Embassy source tells me that well less than 5% of invites have been to Israeli Arabs who constitute 20% of the population.
Finally, we have to consider the extraordinary relationship of Gould with Adam Fox and Liam Werritty. It has been shown that the trio met at least seven times, including several meetings before the election, according to Gus O’Donnell’s replies to Paul Flynn at the Public Administration Committee. The FCO refuses point-blank to say how many times Gould met Werritty without Fox, and refused within the hour (at nearly midnight!) my emailed Freedom of Information request for the Gould/Werritty correspondence.
No other official was ever present at any of the Fox-Gould-Werritty meetings – one of many strange facts about them. Gus O’Donnell’s report mentions only two of what we now know was a much larger series of meetings. We really need to know what Gould, the “committed zionist”, was doing with the two extreme Atlanticist neo-cons – and why the government is so anxious to hide it..
That is a genuine question, and to scream “anti-semite” at anyone who asks it devalues the term.
Another quality piece; succinct and to the point. Keep following this up please.
Especially like this bit: “…Adam Fox and Liam Werritty”
What if Matthew Gould had announced, ‘You cannot do this job without being a passionate supporter of the PLO?’
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Preposterous? Not quite.
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He went so far as to tell the Jewish Telegraph, ‘You cannot do this job without being a passionate Zionist.’
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Diplomatic behaviour? By continuing to entertain this idiot savant, Her Majesty’s diplomatic service risks making itself at best a global laughing stock.
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http://bit.ly/tM4kup
The idea of a FoI request over an FoI response had me in stitches, I recon this one will be a long and ardeous wait. An excellent testing article the jewish cronicle did not pass, how long did it take them to say NO to it?
Should one open a book?
7/5 that A. Werritty met Gould more times than Liam Fox did, or
11/12 that the three are innocent as charged here. Small print: bets depend on a prolonged FCO game called FoI ‘R’Us.
Been to Famagusta and remember the borderline runing straight through it, there is no love lost between Cypriot Greeks and Turks, their conflict is as protracted, although its arguable that the excesses and restrains apparent on Israels relationship with the Palestinian people, if you can call the conflict a relationship, are far harsher and dictatorial than in the Cypriot conflict.
Craig,
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“British Ambassador Matthew Gould declared his commitment to Israel and the principles of Zionism on Thursday”
That really is a very peculiar thing for a diplomat, who is supposed to have just the one national commitment, to say. I was dismissed as an Ambassador – by FCO ministers including Dennis McShane – for too strong a personal commitment to human rights. A personal commitment to zionism is by comparison a good thing, apparently.”
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That statement encapsulates the complete argument. I personally would go further by transposing ‘peculiar’ with ‘intrinsically corrupt’ or ‘distinctly tactless’ in gracious terms.
Another point, I think that your artcile will be published many times over, thanks to the JC’s ponderances. I’m sure that PEye will not leave this chance tethered.
That looks like the product of enormous deliberation and care, Craig. Diplomatic, in the best sense, and wholly publishable. As you say, the JC is capable of printing views dissenting from its own: I cannot see why this was rejected.
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However, as a piece on R4 this morning mentioned, there is something of a turf war going on between British Liberal/Reform and Orthodox Jews at the moment, with Sachs’ successorship as the central issue. It might just be that the JC doesn’t want to give hostages to either side.
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(Unworthy thought: what if the BBC reflected the demographic of the country and gave ten times as much time to Muslim issues as Jewish ones? Only the Archers would be left)
Craig,
Seldom, I have enjoyed reading a piece, as I did reading your post. The refusal of JC to publish your contentions, clearly are indicative of their intent to carry on with their one sided, and unbalanced approach. In their failure to introduce some balance and coherence into the furore of their own making, less charitable souls could misinterpret the refusal to publish as an attempt to obfuscate the nature of actualities, through conflation of the remarks made by Paul Flynn, and charges of antisemitism. In an effort to hinder the processes of accountability and transparency, which are of vital importance to any kind of a society seeking to maintain a modicum of democratic checks and balances.
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On the lighter side, having found you are secret anti Greek, anti Turk, and anti both at the same time was amusing. Although the lessons therein, for those whom seek knowledge and education are invaluable, given the spirit of humanity that has offered these lessons so freely and without any expectation for any returns.
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Thanks for the read Craig.
Craig, Great Article and Of course they would call you anti-Smite, after all they have managed to shut everyone else up by screaming anti-Smite, Holocaust denier!
I sometime wonder if they realize that these words have passed their sell by dates!
An FOI request about an FOI request?
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Joseph Heller eat your heart out!
Indeed, Jives, pure Heller.
I have left a copy of your article on the der Spiegel magazine’s newsdesk with a contact detail, who knows whether they bite.
Passerby,
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You said, “In their failure to introduce some balance and coherence into the furore of their own making, less charitable souls could misinterpret the refusal to publish as an attempt to obfuscate the nature of actualities, through conflation of the remarks…”
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I have experienced the same obfuscation through conflation with ‘conspiracy theorist’ to create fallacy, illusion, ridicule and humiliation in my own and others attempts at unraveling and extricating the truth buried deep in the events surrounding the London bombings. Despite attempts at throttling his work, Tom Secker has produced a brand new investigative and analytical documentary which I link and also apologise for going off topic:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFllLvhgYm8
Please
Invite is a verb.
The noun is invitation.
Thanks
Solute to British Briends of Israel. Paul Flynn M.P. apologised for doubting the British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould’s loyalty to Britain.
However, Ben Obama has refused to fire his Jewish ambassador ro Belgium, Howard Gutman, for blaming Israel for fuelling anti-Semitism among Muslims – At least for the time being!
http://rehmat1.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/lobby-axe-jewish-ambassador-to-belgium/
Bit of a kick in the kishkes here (breaking)
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/59974/mep-sorry-put-pressure-diaspora-blog.
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I wish I had the same PR team working on antidragonism.
Raquel Scotch: good point; I missed that having already been derailed by the “less than” earlier in the same sentence ¹.
Apart from that pedantry, excellent article. It’s funny but I don’t recall any election manifestos by any of the major parties promising support for Israel’s actions outside the borders which have been acknowledged over the last few decades.
¹ Yes, I have joined a longer queue in a supermarket rather than use the “Less than 10 items” till. “Fewer than 10 items” or “Less than 10 kg” would have been fine.
Another brilliant blog Mr Murray. Why would an organ as powerful as the Jewish Chronicle refuse to publish such a well-argued and important letter? Why did Robert Halfon not allow my comments on his blog? Isn’t democracy about other people being able to argue their case, even if it is not in line with editorial policy?
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A listener from Suffolk was allowed to explain why it is necessary to remove Iran’s nuclear capability on George Galloway’s radio programme.
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http://bit.ly/vSvBAw
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I won’t spoil it for you.
Just found this comment on CiF Seumas Milnes article, now closed. So the Guardianhas finally come to conclusion that its OK to publish what others have published before.
” DamePeggyMountJr
8 December 2011 9:09AM
All this in the context of the whitewash investigation into the Fox-Werrity scandal where Gus O’Donnell somehow managed to over-look a number of meetings they had with our ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould.
Some very serious accusations have been made about these meetings – notably that at least one took place with representatives of Mossad and specifically discussed preparations for military action against Iran. The government refuses to provide the correspondence that could shed light on the situation (namely correspondence between Gould and either Werrity or Fox – which ought to be easy enough, what with one of them being employed by the FCO).
So in the light of the debacle in Iraq, we’ve got a government who chooses not to take seriously accusations of a minister of state and a serving ambassador possibly conspiring with a foreign power to ferment another war against a sovereign nation.
Here we go again…
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/liam-fox-adam-werritty-and-the-curious-case-of-our-man-in-tel-aviv-6268640.html“
I see (link above) that Sir Robert Atkins was induced to apologise for his observation that the Israelis’ treatment of Gaza was reminiscent of the persecution of Jews last century. And oh, the indignation!
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Here’s Stephen Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicale, in similar vein:
“Writing about the disruption of an appearance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on 1 September 2011 at the BBC Proms he asserted that the actions of pro-Palestinian activists had a “chilling air” reminiscent of “the way Nazi party members broke up meetings” in Weimar Germany.[8]”
(Wikipedia: Stephen Pollard.)
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So Stephen doesn’t do irony, then.
It’s odd – the Guardian have published an article by Marina Hyde criticising Nick Clegg
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/09/david-cameron-europe-raspberry-nick-clegg
Perhaps things are about to change there?
On the other hand …
No he does not Komodo. here is more proof that Israels ‘iron dome’ is an abject failure. Still the missiles are not intercepted making reprisals unecessarry, or, hang on, is this ongoing killing of civilians and alledged terrorists designed to stop Hamas and Fatah organising and uniting?
Seumas Milne argues that the festive Iran war has already started, others say that a Syrian opposition would break links with Iran, war noises galore, I give it another week or two for something to break seriously.
oops link missing…:(
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/12/201112934825392889.html
Is Werritty dead? One of the best things that could happen to Adam Werritty from the neocons point of view is a premature death. There have been no sightings of him for more than a month. He is under police investigation, but the Leveson Inquiry, in which the police are accused of being paid by the press for information about the whereabouts of certain individuals could not have come at a better time for him and his corrupt cronies. Perhaps we should raise our concerns about his whereabouts. The longer he is at liberty the more chance there is of him:
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a) being murdered like Dr David Kelly
b) faking his death like John Stonehouse
c) vanishing like Houdini or the Cheshire Cat
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Until I know different I can only assume they’ve done him in.
Is Mary all right? Haven’t heard from her for a week, when she was off to hear a Palestinian speak the next day.
@ John Goss,
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Mary posted earlier today or last night.
Thanks Jives, must have missed it.
Brilliant letter, Craig. It just demonstrates how very biased that specific media organ is that the editor cannot countenanace what is a very rational argument – and one which they ought to give their readers the opporuntunity to assess. Apart from anything else, they are patronising thir own readership. What a shame (in both sense of the word).
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On the broader canvas, unfortunately, in my experience, many (I hesitate to say, all) of these ‘mainstream’ media organs, self-appointed ‘representatives’ and projections of the Jewish community in the UK, seem simply to be uninterested in engaging in/allowing for any form of real dialogue or exposure to anything which exemplies the complexity of issues relating to the Levant, or to possible alternative and/or imaginative readings/writings of the Muslim/Jewish interaction, etc., let alone actual critique. I’m afraid I’ve given up trying with them. It’s a waste of time.
“…accusations of anti-Semitism levelled at MP Paul Flynn MP by Dennis McShane”
What, the Dennis McShane who also happens to be on the Policy Council for Labour Friends of Israel and just happens to be a corrupt snout-in-the-trough parasite? Paul Flynn is obviously a speaker of truth and integrity in that case.
“On 14 October 2010, it was announced that the Parliamentary Labour Party had suspended the whip from MacShane while he is under criminal investigation in respect of his expenses claims.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_MacShane
Yes, MacShane is a neocon, an avid supporter of US/UK wars, etc.
Apparently Argentine is mending ties with Iran and telling EU to get lost. Their Foreign Secretary in an interview with Iranian TV said ” the European Union, which is insisting on Buenos Aires to downgrade trade ties with Tehran, is Iran’s main trade partner followed by China, India and Japan. This is a clear case of double standard and do as say and not as I do”.
On the other hand Japan is imposing new sanction in place yet refuses to curb Iranian crude oil imports! maybe Iran will stop exporting crude oil to Japan, plenty of other takers!