Below are some pictures of the Gaza protests in London today. Other protests were mounted in Paris, Athens and Madrid. Would that the genocide in Darfur elicited such righteous anger.
Grinning inanely beneath a banner comparing Israel’s defensive operation with the Nazi slaughter of six million Jews - and millions of others, including gypsies, homosexuals and the disabled - is the British parliamentarian George Galloway. Galloway - who presents a show on Press TV - has the Iranian Holocaust-denial outfit all worried. Apparently, he was injured during the demonstration. Though I don’t think that quite amounts to martyrdom.
Next to Galloway is 80s pop star Annie Lennox. And next to her is Bianca Jagger, who for some reason insists on keeping ex-husband Mick’s last name. In recent years, Bianca has reinvented herself as part salonista, part street activist. But she will be principally remembered for the fact that she once rode a white horse into Manhattan’s Studio 54 nightclub - and for nothing else.
After “We Are All Hezbollah,” this banner was entirely predictable. And now that IDF ground troops have entered Gaza, we may well be seeing a great deal more of it. We may also see more stupid obscenities such as the banner carried on a protest in Amsterdam which declared: “Anne Frank is turning in her grave. Oh Israel!”
(By the way, for an explanation of why writing a song with the refrain “doo doo doodoodoodoo doo doo doodoodoodoo…nineteeneightyfour” makes you an authority on Middle Eastern politics, do check out Alex here.)
Why “celebrities” - often washed up and jobless - deem it necessary to show their complete ignorance about situations like the Israel/Palestine conflict is a mystery to me.
What is equally mystifying is the attention given to these individuals by the media as though somehow being the ex-wife of a pop star or having recorded a few songs somehow qualifies these individuals to speak out on complex issues like the middle east.
Loss of human life is always tragic but so is living in fear for ones life for years on end whilst rockets are fired into ones neighbourhood often with impunity and certainly without criticism from these same celebs.
The reality is that Israel, like any nation, has every right to defend itself from outside forces and the force employed by Israel has nothing to do with the pathetic and cowardly fighting abilities of Hamas.
If wars were somehow fought with proportionate force from each side they would logically result in stalemate and never end.
Rather Israel should employ maximum force whilst respecting as far as possible innocent human life. This is an onerous responsibilty and one that seems beyond the comprehension of some of the less cerebral ex-celebs in our midst.
Finally when an electorate elects an organisation like Hamas with militant and terrorist inclinations can they claim to be innocent of the resultant problems?
Oliver Kamm had a sort of conversation with Galloway the day before this protest.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/oliver_kamm/2009/01/great-conversat.html
This is the link to the audio. The “conversation” starts at 48 minutes into the programme:
http://www.spiderednews.com/GeorgeGalloway.htm?vid=984345
Opposing the slaughter in Gaza hardly makes one a “fanatic.”
Here is some footage, right from Fort Lauderdale, Florida you decide if these folks are ‘fanatics’ or not:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Xl68kP4wo
libhomo, posting lies on one’s blog as you do is a sign of fanaticism.
Israel is not an “apartheid State.”
On your blog you ask readers to boycott the Mormons because of their views on gay rights.
You do understand that the Hamas regime doesn’t exactly support Homosexual rights, don’t you.
The only country in the Middle East were gays are safe from persecution by the government is Israel.
What motivates your hatred against Israel?
George Galloway came pretty close to inciting young British muslims to become jihadis in his BBC interview on Saturday:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7808005.stm
The man is traitor to the UK in every sense for provoking such things.
Not satisfied with fawning Saddam Hussein in the nineties, he now slavers all over Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by working for the Tehran-based propoganda vehicle, Press TV.
“Why “celebrities” - often washed up and jobless - deem it necessary to show their complete ignorance about situations like the Israel/Palestine conflict is a mystery to me.”
By complete ignorance do you simply mean ‘anybody who doesn’t share my point of view’? I believe everyone is entitled to their own thoughts, and if the Israeli action in Gaza angers some people, then so be it. How is that “ignorance”?
The Israeli action against Hamas might possibly be justified if no civilians were injured or killed in the process. Instead, they make it clear that they are only marginally better than the people they are trying to kill by the token gesture of dropping leaflets, an empty gesture in some cases if people are unable to leave the area.
I think the protests are a genuine sign of the frustration and anger some people feel about the disproportionate action taken by Hamas.
But dont you think it’s little unfair that the Israeli troops are doing nothing to avoid killing innocent children, rather they are targeting civilian houses? And how about the fact that Israel broke the treaty twice in 1967…
“By complete ignorance do you simply mean ‘anybody who doesn’t share my point of view’? I believe everyone should have their own thoughts, and if the Israeli action in Gaza angers some people, then so be it. How is that “ignorance”? ” - Andrew S
Yes - everyone is entitled to an opinion. But not everyone is quoted as though an “expert” by the media. My point being that quoting a celebrity’s veiws on politics is as irrelevant as quoting their opinion on golf, cooking or in fact global warming or some such subject about which they are NOT an expert. I have my own thoughts but I am not arrogant enough to think they have more value than Joe Blogs’ views. Bianca Jagger is interveiwed on Sky News about the middle east conflict - Why? Sky News can just as well pull in the local bus driver and interview him.
“The Israeli action against Hamas might possibly be justified if no civilians were injured or killed in the process.” - Andrew S
Oh come now - how does one have a war of such pure standards. This is the real world and civilian death is a function of war. Simply put Hamas would become immune to any form of retaliation by simply entrenching themselves in civilian commmunities - which is exactly what they do. …..and please hands up Mr Palestinian Civilian as to your role in stopping rockets from being fired into Israel.
“But dont you think it’s little unfair that the Israeli troops are doing nothing to avoid killing innocent children, rather they are targeting civilian houses? And how about the fact that Israel broke the treaty twice in 1967.”- Ayah
Why would Israel target civilians? This comment is untue, absurd and not worthy of serious reply.
What treaty has Israel broken from 1967? None that I am aware of.