Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Friday 5 June 2015

Of Spots & Leopards & Weasel Words Regarding A "Jewish State"

Following George Galloway's defeat as Respect Party MP for Bradford West at the May General Election some wag posted this image on Facebook.

And sure enough, on London Galloway has set his sights, since as most readers will know by now he's announced his candidature for the elected office of Lord Mayor, presently held by Boris Johnson, who won't be seeking a third term in 2016 since he's now an MP.

Here's an interview Gorgeous George gave a few days ago, setting out his credentials for what is already becoming a hotly contested job:


And here, parading their bile outside the Israeli Embassy last month, are some of the types who will no doubt be voting for him:


And the Gorgeous One is not the only dedicated Israel-demoniser who's thrown his hat into a leadership contest, veteran leftist MP Jeremy Corbyn having announced his ambition to become leader of the Labour Party.

Just something that caught my eye yesterday
Meanwhile, Senator Richard Di Natale, leader of the Australian Greens (remember my post here?) has moved to distance himself from what he replied to the Australian Jewish News (AJN) when its representative asked him whether Mahmoud Abbas should acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state:

“Of course. How can you have a two-state solution when you refuse to acknowledge the right of one state to exist?
It’s ­patently nonsense.”
But such a furore did Di Natale's remarks unleash in the hardcore Green Left that Di Natale has backed down from his stated position, his office telling the AJN:
“In Richard’s full response to the interview question, it is clear that he is talking about a state for Israelis and a state for Palestinians.
He had no intention for his comments to be interpreted as support for establishment of a ‘Jewish state’. It’s not a phrase that he used.”
Di Natale himself told the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) this week:
'.... I have never believed that the establishment of a "Jewish state" (as opposed to an "Israeli state") is conducive to this outcome [a two-state solution] and I absolutely do not support that goal.'
 Observed Zionist Federation of Australia president Danny Lamm:
'Senator Di Natale's revised position ... should ... be assessed in the light of Articles One and Four of the Palestinian Basic Law (2003) that respectively declare "the Palestinian people are part of the Arab nation"; and "the principles of Islamic sharia shall be the principal source of legislation".
It would be useful to ask whether Senator Di Natale's objection to ethno-religious identity applies solely to a Jewish Israel, or extends to an Arab/Muslim Palestine as well?"  [My emphasis]
As the AJN's editor, Zeddy Lawrence, comments in the current issue of the paper:
"Ignoring the fact that the Jewish State has existed for almost 70 years and is recognised in international law" Di Natale has in his revised statement "not only sought to turn the clock back to before 1948 but also to before two weeks ago ..."
And Aussie Foreign Minister Julie Bishop [pictured] has condemned Di Natale's volte-face and what triggered it.

To quote from a report in The Australian newspaper:
 '.... Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has accused Greens leader Richard Di Natale of “caving in” to ­extremists after he denied ­endorsing Israel as “a Jewish state”....
Ms Bishop said she was “dis­appointed” by the episode.
“Richard Di Natale has caved in to the anti-Semitic boycott, ­divestment and sanctions activists in the green movement,” she said.... [My emphasis]
Executive Council of Australia Jewry head Peter Wertheim said the senator had “been bullied by the far-left zealots in his party into adopting a position on this issue that is intellectually and morally untenable”.
“I now look forward to the Greens withdrawing recognition from the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Islamic Republic of Iran because of the unacceptable ­ethnic and religious identifiers in the official names of these states,’’ he said.
“To lecture other countries about their identity, and to refuse to recognise and respect the way they define themselves, is a truly unique approach to international relations.” ....'
Altogether now, boys and girls, you should know this by heart (no pun intended) by now:



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