Zionism Is Bullshit 271


In 2009 I spoke to a demonstration of 300,000 in London against another Israeli massacre in Gaza, which coincidentally killed just over 1400 people, the same number claimed killed during the recent Hamas attacks. Strangely Western politicians did not shout out about Palestine’s right to self-defence. A lesson for those who think history began on 7 October 2023.

I am rather proud of this speech. Sadly, every word applicable today.

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271 thoughts on “Zionism Is Bullshit

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  • s m wood

    Zionism is not Jewish; Jewish is not Zionism. Zionism is a political terrorist organization founded in the 19th Cent. It has hijacked Jewish identity, culture, and historical mythos. It has used this cloak of Jewishness to further their aims of Eretz Yisrael. Much as German culture, identity and mythos was hijacked by gangsters in the 1920s and 30s. it has a military wing the IDF. Be aware if not concerned. It is totalitarian, uncompromising and has a nuclear capability. “Massada” is a Zionist Mythos Icon and there is lurking in background. The “Samson” option.
    I am of the opinion having worked in the region and visited Israel on a number of occasions, discussing this question with rabbis, my brother-in-law and many Jewish people both within and outwith Israel since late 1970s. Zionism poses the greatest threat to peace and stability not only in the local region but to the worldwide community. I am concerned. They are just that psychotic as to be capable of any extreme action. no matter????

    • Crispa

      A strong statement but backed up by this quotation from an Informed Comment article http://www.juancole.com actually discussing the role of Iran. Note the date.
      “For the last few months Jerusalem has become the center of nationality struggles. Until then we were living peacefully. The Orientals were grateful to their European coreligionists for the help they brought to their moral and material misery. Zionism was created supposedly to bring about closer relations within Judaism; all it has succeeded in doing is to cause fighting between nationalities.” Albert Antebi, December 1901
      Other 19th – early 20 century accounts of Palestine would also support it.

    • Goose

      Netanyahu is perceived almost like a mob boss by many Israelis.

      The way this dangerous man has charmed American politicians, and many European ones too is concerning. Does this, describing his recent televised speech, seem like the words of a rational leader:

      Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been slammed as calling for ‘a holy war of annihilation’ against the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip after he invoked the ‘Amalek’, a nation in the Hebrew Bible that the Israelites were ordered to wipe out in an act of revenge. ‘You must remember what Amalek has done to you,’ he said in a speech yesterday announcing the start of a ground invasion in Gaza, adding that Israeli soldiers were part of a legacy that goes back 3,000 years.

      • Casual Observer

        3000 years ? Was that when Moses and his mob got rid of the people who were already residing in the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ ?

        It never pays off for Israel to encourage the delving into their history. I’m amazed at the Israeli UN delegation all sporting yellow Magen David today, clearly control of the narrative is slipping away from them, and they’re flailing.

      • Andy

        “charmed” No, it is a combination of money and blackmail, e.g. Pelosi’s $millions and Clinton’s visits to Epstein’s island on the Lolita Express.

        For those that expose the truth who cannot be blackmailed and refuse the money, jail on trumped up charges awaits. Ask Craig and Julian.

        However, I will bet that Craig has never been offered a large bribe. I once exposed a corrupt sales manager at a large company and his director boss asked me, “Did he ask for a backhander from you?” I said, “No they never do.” He was confused by this so I added, “They figure out if you are honest or not very quickly and are only corrupt with other like minded thieves.

    • Peter

      “Zionism is not Jewish; Jewish is not Zionism. Zionism is a political terrorist organization founded in the 19th Cent.”

      I am still waiting to find or hear an adequate definition of the meaning, or an articulation of the range of meanings, of the word “Zionism”.

      It seems to me (I openly acknowledge my shortcomings on the issue) that when using the term one should qualify exactly what one means.

      On one level it simply refers to the basic belief that Jewish people should have a homeland, unrelated to any specific political ideologies or parties. Wikipedia gives at least fourteen types of Zionism:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_Zionism

      It can also refer to a range of political parties and including frequently to the political descendants of Theodor Herzl.

      More recently it is frequently used to refer to the colonialist (I would say fascist) mentality, philosophy and policies of recent Israeli governments.

      But many significant Jewish people call themselves Zionists and are condemnatory of the colonialist policies of Israel.

      Gerald Kaufman called himself a Zionist but was as trenchant and unstinting a critic of the crimes of Israel as you could expect to meet:

      https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gerald-kaufman-zionist-who-turned-israel-disgust

      Kaufman’s final sentence in this video (cut short) is “They’re not simply war criminals, they’re fools.” :

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWe8gRolEJk

      David Graeber likewise self-identified as a Zionist but was also relentless in his criticism of Israeli governments.

      So, from a simple belief in a homeland for Jewish people to the genocidal policies of Netanyahu, to me it is a word that carries too much baggage and has too much work asked of it, and so requires qualification when used.

      I know, I need to do the work, but until I have a clearer grasp of the use of the word, from the general to the specific, I will keep it at arm’s length.

      All views gratefully received.

      • AG

        short of an answer I only recall that Noam Chomsky pointed out repeatedly over many years that – in his view – the term “Zionism” had turned 180degrees in its true meaning.

        Which would imply that it originally did NOT exclude the possibility to integrate Non-Jews/Non-Zionists in any meaningful project.

        Norman Finkelstein, a great admirer of Chomsky, in his “Image and Reality” about the Palestine Conflict argues that on the other hand there is no and never was any serious Zionist branch (be it military, labour, cultural) that ever did anything else BUT demand hegemony.

        Your question as I understand it, is highly relevant and not yet fully answered. Much of history has gotten lost over the decades. Of course Finkelstein e.g. in the vastness of his knowledge would surely be able to come up with examples contradicting his pronounced position.

        Chomsky on his part drew much positive experience from the pre-war Kibbutzim movement, which he personally described as progressive and open-minded.

        Finkelstein does point out that the Zionist agenda would turn into conquering the enemy as early as 1920s. Which would suggest that before that era began there indeed were alternative outcomes in the cards.

        Additionally if we talk about “big politics” – Zionism that always would need considerable time to trickle into the population and would need time to alter the general sentiment (just like e.g. in UKR it took many years for NATO to attain the support of the people there with the heavy support of all kinds of agents.)

        When this option of a progressive Zionism definitely did run out (supposing it existed at some point), and whether WWII pushed the matter one direction or the other, is also unclear to me.

        • Peter

          @ AG

          Thanks for your reply. Yes, it is a complicated history but Chomsky and Finkelstein are good leads to follow up.

          I’ve also found a brief history of Zionism by Michael Stanislawski which I will take the time to read over the next couple of days. Seems a good place to start, though I will probably need to read a few books.

          Better late than never I guess, thanks.

      • Bayard

        “I am still waiting to find or hear an adequate definition of the meaning, or an articulation of the range of meanings, of the word “Zionism”.”

        You could probably say the same about many “-isms”, like liberalism and communism.

    • Stevie Boy

      Don’t you think it’s the case that all Israelis are essentially illegal invaders? The Palestinian land was stolen, and still to this day more and more land is being stolen. The latest atrocities are just a continuation of what happened in 1948.
      I have no sympathy with Israelis’ plight: they should leave if they don’t like it. They’ve been happy enough and silent enough right up until their comfy lifestyle was attacked.

    • Brianfujisan

      From Ian’s Chris Hedges Post –

      ” During the siege in Sarajevo, when I was reporting for The New York Times, we never endured the level of saturation bombing and near total blockage of food, water, fuel and medicine that Israel has imposed on Gaza.

      Also.. I see the Celtic Board have Just Banned All of the Green Brigade supporters for Supporting Palestine

      • Ian

        A few paragraphs later he concludes the comparison to Sarajevo:

        “The Israeli siege of Gaza more resembles the Wehrmacht’s assault on Stalingrad, where over 90 percent of the city’s buildings were destroyed, than Sarajevo. “

        • Cynicus

          “I see the Celtic Board have Just Banned All of the Green Brigade supporters for Supporting Palestine”
          ==========
          This is pure self-interest by the Celtic board who (with good reason) fear UEFA who applied disciplinary action against Celtic, including a £8,600 fine in 2016 for displaying Palestine flags in a game against Israeli side Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

  • Ian

    An absolutely excoriating letter to the Israeli government from its own citizens, who have to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal. it pulls no punches asking searching questions for the lies and deception they have been told, abour their own dead – still no confirmed list or who exactly killed them – and of course the genocide that is taking place in their name:

    https://mondoweiss.net/2023/10/an-open-letter-to-israelis-from-israelis-we-deserve-the-truth-about-october-7/

    No media in this country would print such a letter or even consider the arguments expressed in it.

    • Aguirre

      One would have thought that the Israeli government – anxious to avoid charges of “you’re making up these atrocities stories – babies beheaded, girls * raped, etc…) – would have lost no time in inviting an international commission to visit the scene of the Hamas incursions and to pronounce. This would have been possible from a practical point of view since the scenes in question were inside Israel and not in Gaza. And it should have been done quickly, to avoid accusations that the evidence had been tampered with.

      Does anyone know whether the Israeli government did invite in such a commission of inquiry? Or whether anyone outside Israel proposed that such a commission should be sent?

      If the answer to either or both of these questions is “no”, do readers have any thoughts as to why that should have been?
      _______________

      * if memory serves, it was at first women who were raped; the rape of girls took a couple of weeks to be claimed.

  • Jack

    Top UN official resigns over body’s failure to stop ‘genocide’ of Palestinians
    The organization has “surrendered to the power of the US” and given in to the “Israeli lobby,” Craig Mokhiber has said
    https://swentr.site/news/586302-un-official-gaza-resignation/

    In other news, Israel now want to outsource the occupation of Gaza to the west?? There is no end to the israeli audacity.

    US, Israel weighing peacekeepers for Gaza – Bloomberg
    “One option would grant temporary oversight to Gaza to countries from the region, backed by troops from the US, UK, Germany and France. Ideally, it would also include representation from Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates,” Bloomberg reported.
    https://swentr.site/news/586319-us-israel-gaza-peacekeepers/

    • AG

      as to Mokhiber: Daily Mail immediately started to attack and smear him. Incredible these people:
      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12694209/United-Nations-Craig-Mokhiber-RESIGNS-Israel-Hamas-war-Gaza-genocide.html

      And of course this was one of the very first Google hits (I am looking for a pdf version of the letter to translate it for German friends.)

      p.s. found the pdf:
      https://hrvoices.org/assets/attachments/documents/cm_final_letter_signed_pdf.pdf

      • AG

        may be I am being sentimental early in the morning but Mokhiber´s letter is remarkable, after all it is now in the open public for everyone to read.

        Maybe it would deserve a separate post by Craig Murray.

        Mokhiber´s last paragraph:

        “The UN’s failure in Palestine thus far is not a reason for us to withdraw. Rather it should give us the courage to abandon the failed paradigm of the past, and fully embrace a more principled course. Let us, as OHCHR, boldly and proudly join the anti-apartheid movement that is growing all around the world, adding our logo to the banner of equality and human rights for the Palestinian people. The world is watching. We will all be accountable for where we stood at this crucial moment in history. Let us stand on the side of justice.

        I thank you, High Commissioner, Volker, for hearing this final appeal from my desk. I will leave the Office in a few days for the last time, after more than three decades of service. But please do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance in the future.

        Sincerely,
        Craig Mokhiber”

        • pretzelattack

          I’ve seen some second tier officials resign, and that’s great, indicates some dissension in the ranks. so far, no top officials though. probably they have all been bought/threatened.

          • AG

            of course there were folks resigning all the time over the decades but it mostly went unnoticed. This seems to be different. And thanks to social media its possible, for the first time, to actually let ordinary people know while in the past informed via newspapers and the BBC they would have never found out. (Unless your name was Noam Chomsky and you were reading 30 dailies. But who has that privilege?)

          • Aguirre

            Speaking about resignations and being threatened reminds me of the resignation from the John Major government of David Mellor, exposed for sucking the toes (and much else, no doubt) of a wannabe actress. Is my memory playing tricks, or did not Mellor, some little time previously, adopt a public position favorable to the Palestinian causeAguirre

  • Republicofscotland

    Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has said that Israel’s airstrike on a refugee camp in Gaza “can be legally justified”.

    No surprises in the above .

    “The likely future foreign secretary has been attending elite gatherings in the US while courting MI6 and displaying his establishment credentials on Labour’s foreign and military policy, which is likely to be near-identical to the current government.

    “If I become foreign secretary I will not hide my trans-Atlanticism”, David Lammy told an audience at Chatham House in London in January.”

    http://markcurtis.info/2023/05/26/david-lammy-washingtons-man-in-labour/

    Lammy is also an avid Nato supporter and Bilberberger.

    https://wikispooks.com/wiki/David_Lammy

  • Jack

    You cannot make this up,

    Keir hails anti-racist boycott efforts in the 60s.
    The Bristol Bus Boycott to fight against racial discrimination took place 60 years ago and was a defining moment in Britain’s Black history.
    The next Labour government will tackle structural racism and deliver opportunities for everyone.

    https://www.facebook.com/labourparty/posts/pfbid02etmhWA49DvFoPbfn5CBwq4bDMp6tPLTdXhBBG83dPAUxymwYSW3CfTWnimEzSG9nl

    But urging a boycott to end the apartheid in Israel he will never do:
    “The Labour party does not and will not support BDS”, Keir Starmer said in a speech to the Labour Friends of Israel annual lunch. “Its principles are wrong – targeting alone the world’s sole Jewish state.”
    https://travel2palestine.org/labour-does-not-back-bds/

    Strange also that he could impose sanctions on Russia then being the “sole russian state” SIgh.
    Britain must respond to Putin with a full set of sanctions, now.
    https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1496143999282909194

  • Ian

    A chilling despatch from the ever reilable Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, describing the unhinged hysteria, whipped up by the government and media, permeating the country:

    https://archive.ph/0XET1

    “Those who before the war considered themselves liberals, people of peace and human rights, are now adopting an updated worldview: They are indifferent to the atrocities taking place in the Gaza Strip; a majority even want to see them intensified.

    From now on, it is forbidden to even empathize with the residents of Gaza.

    Fascism has become the only proper position.

    Channel 13 News colleague Netali Shem Tov sees “too many buildings standing in Gaza.” Such is the distilled evil in the face of the Gaza catastrophe, the horrors of which are almost never shown to Israelis.
    This is the dark time. The time of the barbaric attack by Hamas and the time of the lost conscience and sense of reason in Israel. “

  • Republicofscotland

    Suella Braverman speaking openly.

    “Part of the reason for her anger is that her husband, Rael, is Jewish. “The Jewish community is our community,” she said. “My husband is a proud Jew and Zionist.

    “He’s lived in Israel. We have close family members who serve in the IDF. My children will be raised with a strong sense of Jewish values and their Jewish heritage. We enjoy Friday night dinners at our mother-in-law’s.”

    https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/police-must-understand-that-jews-do-count-says-braverman-4Q7armNPfrgXcW2P2VIv65

      • Republicofscotland

        Jack.

        I think there are many, many reasonable Jewish people who would disagree with Braverman, infact many Jewish people have openly called for a ceasefire, we mustn’t tar all Jewish folk with the same brush, as you say Braverman is a stupid woman.

    • Stevie Boy

      “My husband is a proud Jew and Zionist”. AKA fascist bastard.
      All Jews are not zionists but all zionists are fascists.

  • Goose

    Theresa May celebrated the centenary of the Balfour Declaration with Netanyahu in No. 10. In 2017, they kept that quiet.

    How outrageous is that? Given all the the pain it’s caused the Palestinians.

    As to historical claims to the land.

    Are Jews a race? That debate was settled decades ago by geneticists and the US courts. The factual answer is : no they are not: there is no Jewish genotype or genetic marker that denotes someone’s Jewishness. I – or others here – may have more right to live in the ME if ‘land rights’ are solely based on our DNA. Many European Jews and Russian Jews are relatively recent, in historical terms, converts.
    Many take offence at this. They want to claim Jews are a race for obvious reasons, as it strengthens the land claim. The IHRA working definition of antisemitism Western govts have rushed to embrace tries to have it both ways; by claiming it’s anti-Semitic to say the State of Israel is a racist endeavor. But Israel is an ethno-religious state that’s undeniable. Black Jews who can get residency face intense discrimination:
    https://mepc.org/commentary/ethiopian-jews-confront-racism-israel

    And the non-Jewish population of Israeli Arabs are classed, if not second class citizens, then downgraded citizens. Due to 2018’s controversial “nation-state law”.

    The law did three big things:

      1. It stated that “the right to exercise national self-determination” in Israel is “unique to the Jewish people.”
      2. It established Hebrew as Israel’s official language, and downgrades Arabic — a language widely spoken by Arab Israelis — to a “special status.”
      3. It established “Jewish settlement as a national value” and mandates that the state “will labour to encourage and promote its establishment and development.”

  • Ian

    Director of the Turkish Friendship Hospital, (the only cancer hospital in Gaza):

    We announce that we have run out of fuel, which has led to the hospital being completely out of service.

    We tell the world not to leave more than 10,000 cancer patients to certain death due to the hospital being out of service.

    https://t.me/PalestineResist/17665

  • harry law

    Who can save the Palestinians now? Nasrallah’s second-in-command has appealed to the leaders of the Arab world, in my opinion a forlorn hope. Israeli leaders have expressed that they do not want a war with Hezbollah; now I wonder why.
    Obviously any war with Hezbollah could mean the destruction of the Israeli state. This link to Foreign Policy – “Israel Needs Weapons to Stop Iran’s Bomb: Jerusalem needs help from Washington to prevail in a terrible conflict” (15 Oct 2023) – includes also a link to a presentation by Uzi Rubin, a missile expert. The existential threat these precision missiles pose to the postage-stamp-sized Israeli state with most of its population and industrial capacity within the Tel Aviv area.
    Uzi Rubin, a former head of the Israel Missile Defence Organization and a pre-eminent missile expert, has a chilling presentation he gives on the all-but-existential threat posed by precision-guided munitions to small states. Rubin uses Greece as an example, but it’s obvious he’s really talking about Israel. By perusing easily available public sources, Rubin suggests there are roughly 30 facilities in all of Greece that allow modern society as we know it to function there — systems for water, fuel, electricity, sea and air transport, and communications. Generously assuming his tally of critical targets undercounts the actual number by a factor of three, Rubin soberly makes the point that with fewer than 300 precision-guided munitions, an adversary could quickly make life unviable for Greece’s 10 million citizens.
    If anything, tiny Israel may be even more vulnerable than Greece. Though the two countries are close in population, and Israel’s land area is not even 20 percent of Greece’s. And while Israeli counter proliferation efforts have severely limited Iran’s ability to transfer precision-guided munitions along various routes to Hezbollah, some Israeli officials privately suggest that the terrorist group could already have several hundred in its arsenal. Once it acquires 1,000, it could fire 10 precision strikes at each of Israel’s 100 most critical pieces of national infrastructure. Even assuming a 90 percent success rate for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence, the math at that point will favour Hezbollah, putting the possible paralysis of Israeli civil society within its reach. Hezbollah have the precision missiles to destroy Israel, and as Rubin said in another speech all that is necessary to construct a precision missile is a smart phone and some winglets, which Hezbollah have in vast quantities. Those aircraft carriers and support vessels are sitting ducks off the coast of Israel.
    The ‘Arc of resistance’ led by Hezbollah have only one objective: to save the Palestinians including Al Quds and Al Aqsa. Failure of Hezbollah to intervene after Israel has crossed all Hezbollah’s red lines, does not bode well for Palestinians or even Hezbollah (for surely they know they will be next). Nasrallah will be speaking live on TV on Friday..

  • ET

    Michael McDowell writes in today’s Irish Times:
    https://archive.ph/avwuQ/again?url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2023/11/01/how-far-will-rishi-sunaks-government-go-to-deny-the-slaughter-in-gaza/

    In the article he robustly critics the current UK government stance. Citing Braverman, Cleverly and others he says:

    “Those who leave their homes and take to British streets to protest what some western politicians justify in Gaza are not advocating terrorism; on the contrary, they demand that mass killing, maiming, terrorising, and brutalising should stop. Advice that they stay at home is grotesque.”

    Later in the piece:

    “These questions remain. How can a military operation in Gaza succeed? Now that northern Gaza is cut off, will it be pulverised in the search for Hamas in their bunkers and tunnels? Will Hamas still exist in the south of the Gaza Strip? Will southern Gaza also have to be razed? Will all those who survive be rounded up to search for Hamas members among them? Will torture techniques be used to identify and locate the entire Hamas movement? Or will finding and killing the Hamas leadership suffice? Will there be internment of Hamas detainees or mass graves?

    How long will all this take? What will happen to the survivors among the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza? Who will be in charge? Who will be allowed to rebuild? When will the Israelis leave? What will they leave behind? How many of the hostages will survive the razing of Gaza and the hatred of their captors? What will happen on the West Bank?”

    Michael McDowell bio:

    “Michael has been in active politics since the mid-1980’s when he served as Director of Elections for Dr. Garret Fitzgerald (a previous Taoiseach/Irish Prime minister). He was elected as a TD (MP) for Dublin South East (now the constituency of Dublin Bay South) in 1987, 1992 and 2002. He served as Attorney General from 1999 to 2002, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2002 until 2007, and as Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) from 2006 until 2007. He was elected to Seanad Éireann (Irish upper house) in 2016 as an Independent member on the NUI (National University of Ireland) panel.

    • Goose

      Israel : We’ve won

      Hamas 2.0 : Really?

      The operation will be a Pyrrhic victory at best. And if Hamas didn’t exist, something similar would fill the ‘resistance’ vacuum. Look at the West Bank, and docile Abbas, if he’s still conscious in his compound? He sits in Ramallah as Palestinians are chased off land by armed settlers backed by the IDF, and Israeli bulldozers that level houses. Who in Gaza would want those people in charge? I doubt Abbas’ gang could win a ‘free and fair’ election if held today, even in the West Bank.
      Whatever comes next, Western govts can’t be allowed to proscribe another party, at the behest of the Israeli lobby. Classing your opponents as terrorists to get their views disqualified, is what has led to this current mess. We can see from the bombing, that applying the ‘terrorist’ designation to only one side, is absurd. With so many Gazan civilians buried under the rubble.

      • Aguirre

        “II doubt Abbas’ gang could win a ‘free and fair’ election if held today, even in the West Bank.”

        This is no doubt why Abu Mazen has not called an election in the West Bank for almost 20 years now.

        • Goose

          The whole thing is a a disgrace, and our leaders, and media, a bunch of hypocrites.

          They know full well an official Palestinian army fighting the Israelis is a non-starter. They’d be annihilated due to the force imbalance. So an armed resistance movement is their only viable option. But the the West immediately proscribes any such organisation as a ‘terrorist’ organisation at Israel’s behest. Heads I win, Tails you lose.
          Arab countries should press the West to be allowed to arm the Palestinians like the West is arming Ukraine : air defences etc. Wonder what the response will be?

  • Republicofscotland

    I’ve no time for this man or his party, a party that kicked Scottish independence into the long grass, but here at least, he manages to say the right thing.

    “I am sorry to those innocent men, women and children in Jabalia Refugee Camp that the world could not protect you.

    This blatant disregard for human life must be condemned unequivocally.

    Do not let any more children die. We need an immediate ceasefire, nothing less.”

    https://nitter.net/HumzaYousaf/status/1719471560749191373#m

  • nevermind

    For now 2 hrs solid, here south of Norwich, we have US 35B fighter jets flying attack loops and best m Ng runs from great height and at deafening noise.
    What are they planning? More goading strikes on Syria and Lebanon?

    • nevermind

      Should be be bombing runs, sorry, my predicted txt took over, oops here comes another lot above, they love a bit of cloud cover.

    • Goose

      Conjecture: They want to destroy Hezbollah and wage war on Iran asap.

      Taiwan has elections in January and If the result goes against pro-China parties, China may react by launching a blockade, or full invasion according to Western hawks (unlikely, as Xi Jinping knows China isn’t ready yet, he mentioned 2027 in a speech).

      A false flag to trigger action against Hezbollah and ultimately Iran, isn’t out of he question. All this from Oct 7th onwards may have been planned as a series of chained events to achieve strategic objectives.

  • Dr Michael Duncan

    Q for Craig – today is – among other things – anniversary of the birthday of Edward Said. He famously described the Oslo Accords of 30 years ago as the’Palestinian Versaille’ (wrt 1918 treaty).
    You would have been an active diplomat then and must surely have a view of why that initiative did not assist with a peaceful solution. Any views on the Oslo Accords?

  • Jack

    Israeli forces since Oct. 7 killed 133 infants under 1 year old in Gaza: Report
    Israel’s attacks killed 133 infants under 1 year old, total of 444 babies, 1,527 preschool and elementary school-aged children, and 523 high school-aged children
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-forces-since-oct-7-killed-133-infants-under-1-year-old-in-gaza-report/3039031

    The stats just keep adding but It is like no one care anway, 1 child is too much but here we have like almost 4000 children killed. But no one dares to name the culprit of this massmurdering.

    Biden’s support among Arab Americans plummets amid Israel-Palestine conflict: Poll
    The latest numbers by the Arab American Institute show that Biden’s support from Arab Americans for his 2024 reelection bid has plummeted from 59% to 17%. That is a 42% nosedive in the president’s support since 2020.
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/bidens-support-among-arab-americans-plummets-amid-israel-palestine-conflict-poll/3039607

    But why would Biden care, the arabs do not give him any money like a certain other group..

    • Pigeon English

      One of your topics is
      The use of language.
      3 weeks ago babies and Holocaust survivor and children etc. were killed in bla bla and taken as hostage.
      In Gaza it’s civilians and in a small print 3500 children (according to Hamas run Health …… designated as terrorists’ organisation) died.
      BBC never asked about babies and children IDF spokesman just civilians issues

  • Antonym

    Every accusation of Murray against Zionism can be made against Islamism, except that the former has been ravaging half the globe for 1400 years vs 100 years only on postage stamp size Judea.
    Gaza’s population is 70% below 30 years old, created during the decades that Israel let them self govern so automatically any casualties are younger. Hamas started this rocket barrage plus hostage and civilian killing spree, denying this is too obvious.

    Being married to a Muslima has its disadvantages: you have to be come a co-hypocrite victim acting sheeple in the 1.8 billion strong herd. The final solution for Islam is Self-education through Internet, enough of 1300 years old violent and sexist hodge pot called Qur’an, the worst excuse for a holy book.

    • Jack

      Islamism is a religious/political ideology, Zionism on the other hand is a nationalistic ideology. ISIS, ZIonism and Nazism have more in common, all three use ethnic cleansing to create a pure nation of only their group of people.

      • Antonym

        Islamic states are well known for their cultural diversity /S Their internal racial diversity is also pretty mono; on top black Muslim nations are bottom of the totem poles vs white oil Arab territories.

        Deny l is a river straight through a country that had polytheist Greeks and Pharaoh worshipers originally.

    • Ian

      Clearly you haven’t read the Torah or the Old Testament. The childish argument ‘they started it’ is pathetic (and not even true).
      Colonialism has ravaged the globe, Israel is a colonialist settler enterprise seeking land and resources from the native population.

      • Antonym

        Quite some framing and gaslighting needed for that statement: many you can fool youth who didn’t read history beyond 300 year ago…

        The Old Testament is waaay past is expiry date. Get updated.

        • Pigeon English

          Judaism and Zionism is based on the Old testament and Christianity is second edition and Islam is the third edition IMO as Atheist.
          For Muslims all those books are ” Holly”.
          Problem is that they follow it more than “we” do( unfortunately IMO).
          For sure the first Atheist must be from Palestine and I claim that land to be Atheist state for Atheist people. No Tora no Bible and no Quran!

          • Casual Observer

            Well they are 600 years behind Christianity on an evolutionary scale, and if we look back on the Christian side of things in the 15th century and beyond, its a veritable frenzy of zealots vying for supremacy.

  • Republicofscotland

    Another hospital bombed by the Zionists, I think this is the hospital in question.

    “The St John Eye Hospital Group (SJEHG) is the only free specialist ophthalmic service available to a population of over 1.4 million in Gaza and is committed to treating patients regardless of their ethnicity, religion or ability to pay.”

    ” Massive fire broke out in #Gaza’s Eye Hospital after an Israeli strike using a thermobaric bomb.”

    https://nitter.net/QudsNen/status/1719739812880543807#m

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