Comments on: Israel Was Right to Boot Out Falk http://blog.z-word.com/2008/12/israel-was-right-to-boot-out-falk/ Commentary about Zionism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism and the conflict in the Middle East Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:31:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5-RC1.1 By: Chas Freeman: The New Hero of the Resistance at Z-Word Blog http://blog.z-word.com/2008/12/israel-was-right-to-boot-out-falk/#comment-3811 Chas Freeman: The New Hero of the Resistance at Z-Word Blog Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:04:16 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=685#comment-3811 [...] Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories who believes that there’s something amiss with the 9/11 “narrative”. These two, along with several other journalists and scholars [...] […] Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories who believes that there’s something amiss with the 9/11 “narrative”. These two, along with several other journalists and scholars […]

]]> By: Richard Falk: I Was Misunderstood at Z-Word Blog http://blog.z-word.com/2008/12/israel-was-right-to-boot-out-falk/#comment-2561 Richard Falk: I Was Misunderstood at Z-Word Blog Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:00:43 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=685#comment-2561 [...] A conspiracy theorist with a UN mandate to promote hatred of Israel through Nazi analogies. In the abstract, such a person sounds like the product of a fevered neoconservative imagination: surely there couldn’t be anyone that bad? There is, and his name is Richard Falk. What I said before still stands: Israel was right to boot him out. [...] […] A conspiracy theorist with a UN mandate to promote hatred of Israel through Nazi analogies. In the abstract, such a person sounds like the product of a fevered neoconservative imagination: surely there couldn’t be anyone that bad? There is, and his name is Richard Falk. What I said before still stands: Israel was right to boot him out. […]

]]> By: Mira http://blog.z-word.com/2008/12/israel-was-right-to-boot-out-falk/#comment-2534 Mira Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:58:13 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=685#comment-2534 Exactly how important (as opposed to famous) is he? According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Representative_of_the_Secretary_General_for_Human_Rights_Defenders" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a> the Special Rapporteurs are unremunerated, and I read somewhere else that he is only tenuously connected to either the Geneva or NYC offices. I share the general dismay at Falk's appointment - but I feel like Dugard was worse - though more temperate - but Dugard didn't get banned. That's not to say he shouldn't have - Al Qaradawi got banned from Britain for justifying terror and threatening inter-community relations - and he wasn't even pretending to be a diplomat. Exactly how important (as opposed to famous) is he? According to Wikipedia the Special Rapporteurs are unremunerated, and I read somewhere else that he is only tenuously connected to either the Geneva or NYC offices.

I share the general dismay at Falk’s appointment - but I feel like Dugard was worse - though more temperate - but Dugard didn’t get banned. That’s not to say he shouldn’t have - Al Qaradawi got banned from Britain for justifying terror and threatening inter-community relations - and he wasn’t even pretending to be a diplomat.

]]> By: Noga http://blog.z-word.com/2008/12/israel-was-right-to-boot-out-falk/#comment-2530 Noga Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:12:53 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=685#comment-2530 Falk holds a very high position of responsibility in the UN, owing his selection very much to EU member states, the very EU that in 2004, called attention to the lack of a common definition of anti-Semitism. Consequently, a working definition was written collaboratively by a small group of non-governmental organizations which specifically pointed out what constitutes antisemitism: "*Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor. *Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation. *Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis. *Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis." I'm wondering about this lack of coherence on the part of the EU. Supporting, on the one hand, a definition of an antisemite as someone who compares "contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis." and, on the other hand, appointing to this job in which Israel's policies are very much under scrutiny someone whose incontinent pronouncements subscribe to the requisite onus of this very definition. Falk holds a very high position of responsibility in the UN, owing his selection very much to EU member states, the very EU that in 2004, called attention to the lack of a common definition of anti-Semitism.

Consequently, a working definition was written collaboratively by a small group of non-governmental organizations which specifically pointed out what constitutes antisemitism:

“*Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.

*Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

*Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or
Israelis.

*Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.”

I’m wondering about this lack of coherence on the part of the EU. Supporting, on the one hand, a definition of an antisemite as someone who compares “contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.” and, on the other hand, appointing to this job in which Israel’s policies are very much under scrutiny someone whose incontinent pronouncements subscribe to the requisite onus of this very definition.

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