Bret Stephens (NYTs): Israel’s Coalition of Patriotic Traitors
Israel’s new government must be a puzzle for anyone who thinks of the Jewish state as a racist, fascistic, apartheid enterprise.David Collier: An open letter to Boris Johnson – do not u-turn on antisemitism
Issawi Frej is Arab and Muslim and used to work for the Peace Now movement. Now he’s Israel’s minister for regional cooperation. Pnina Tamano-Shata is Black: The Mossad rescued her, along with thousands of other Ethiopian Jews, from hunger and persecution when she was a small child. She’s the minister for immigration and absorption. Nitzan Horowitz is the first openly gay man to lead an Israeli political party. He’s the health minister. At least one deputy minister, as yet unnamed, is expected to be a member of the Raam party, which is an outgrowth of the major Islamist political group in Israel.
As for Benjamin Netanyahu, “King Bibi” has finally left office — churlishly, bitterly, pompously — but in keeping with the normal democratic process. He faces criminal indictments in multiple cases. His immediate predecessor as prime minister, Ehud Olmert, spent 16 months in prison on corruption charges.
It’s some fascist state that subjects its leaders to the rule of law and the verdicts of a court. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, “postponed” elections in April. He’s in the 17th year of his elected four-year term of office.
A new government, even one as fragile and fractious as Israel’s, is always an opportunity for a course correction. But the course correction Israel most needs is not the one its critics generally suppose.
Netanyahu lasted in office as long as he did not because Israelis wanted a strongman or someone who would crush the Palestinians. He lasted because he was, in many ways, good at the job.
Boris Johnson PMCampaigners call on Boris Johnson to boycott 'Jew-hate fest' Durban IV conference
I basically have just one question to ask you – are you a man of your word? After all that British Jews have been through over the last few years, after all your promises and supportive words – it seems as if you are about to go back on everything that you promised. You are about to betray British Jews.
We all know about Durban IV. It is an upcoming anniversary celebration of that vile, antisemitic UN event in 2001. The Iranian sponsored conference of hate that did not just spawn the anti-Israel boycott movement, it also helped to legitimise and spread antisemitism throughout the west. The then UK Prime Minister David Cameron, withdrew the UK in 2011 from the anniversary event, saying that it should be condemned not celebrated. That has been the UK policy. We clearly should not be going in 2021. Both the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council have asked that you follow the previous government position and boycott the event.
If you attend Durban IV you are reversing the UK policy on antisemitism. Why would you do this? If anything has changed since 2011, it has only got worse.
Looking back at the comments of Boris Johnson on Israel, antisemitism and the United Nations, this case is a simple one:
You have stated that you have ‘always been proud to be considered a friend of Israel’, even having spent time there as a Kibbutz volunteer. You rightfully recognise Israel as the only ‘pluralist, open society” in the region.
Boris Johnson has already shown that he knows that the boycott movement is a sinister extremist strategy to undermine and weaken Israel solely because it is the Jewish state. You spoke out against BDS even before you were Prime Minister. Your government has moved forward with anti-boycott legislation in order to thwart its spread, even including it in this years Queens Speech – thus making it an official part of your agenda. UK universities have faced growing pressure to reign in the toxic antisemitic activity and ideologies of their students. Given all this – it is unimaginable that under your watch the UK will actively participate in a conference that explicitly demonises Israel as a pariah state, and promotes the full BDS Boycott – with all of its sinister aims.
Jewish groups have intensified calls on the Prime Minister to boycott the 20th anniversary of the notoriously antisemitic Durban conference at a time of rising Jew-hatred in Britain.Israel Advocacy Movement: UK must boycott Durban IV
Tweeting under the hashtags #NoUKAtDurbanIV and #Durban IVTargetsJews, the Zionist Federation (ZF), Likud-Herut UK and Sussex Friends of Israel joined the Board of Deputies (BOD) and the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) to demand that Britain pulls out of the "Jew hate fest".
"Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, don't betray UK Jewry," the ZF tweeted. "By pulling out of Durban IV, Boris Johnson will be placing the UK on the right side of history."
Lekud-Herut UK added: "Do the right thing and pull out of the Jew hate fest." And anti-racism campaigner David Collier tweeted: "Why is the UK promoting Jew hate? Get out now!"
They acted in advance of a planning meeting for Durban IV, scheduled for Wednesday, in which Government representatives are expected to take part.
The campaign groups warn that a planned revival of the UN’s infamously antisemitic 2001 ‘anti-racism’ summit in Durban, South Africa, set to take place in New York this September, may legitimise anti-Jewish bigotry on a global scale.
If Britain takes part, they say, it would risk fuelling a fresh wave of race hatred in this country, which has seen a rash of antisemitic incidents linked to recent pro-Palestine rallies.
Twenty years ago, the UN-hosted World Conference Against Racism resulted in the now notorious Durban Declaration, which singled Israel out for criticism.
Israeli and Jewish delegates were hounded and harassed, and antisemitic material was widely distributed.
It's shameful that as anti-Jewish racism surges in Britain, instead of protecting Jews, the British government is taking part in Durban IV… an antisemitic conference!