Israel Forum Watch

IsraelForum.com; 24-Hour Vilification, Apologetics and Hate from a Fanatically Pro-Israel Viewpoint

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

The British Hatred of Jews

The evil spectre of anti-semitism again raises its ugly head, this time in the seething cauldron of Great Britain.
"It just shows the true, ugly nature of Her Majesty's subjects. Hatred of Jews runs deep in the arteries of the United Kingdom. ……..The anti-Semitic pogroms started in Britain as far back as 900 years ago and continued throughout the British history. It has a culture of anti-Semitism."

What are they on about this time?

A British academic union (NATFHE) has called for an academic boycott against Israeli institutions that don't condemn the Israeli occupation.

For our Forum fanatics, any criticism (much less action) of Israeli policy is anti-semitism. Of course, it's a just a tactic to use the moral force of the charge 'anti-semitic' (which is rapidly eroding by the way) to stifle much needed debate on Israeli human rights abuses and its' four decade long occupation of the Palestinian people and its' refusal to accept a just resolution of the conflict.

Perosnally, I don't think academic boycotts are the way to go, but the criticism of the measure as undermining academic freedom, while correct in principle, suffers a significant deficit in this case when used by Israeli academics themselves.
Why? Because Israel has for decades crushed academic freedoms in the OT's, including closing Universities for months, preventing students from getting to class and expelling outspoken academics. What has Israeli academia done about this in support of their Palestinian collegues - a big fat nothing. Israeli academia's concern for Palestinian academic freedom is zero, zip, nada.

As one Palestinian Professors group noted,
"no Israeli academic body or group has ever taken a public stand agianst the military occupation of the West bank and Gaza".

No doubt there were some people running around in the 1980's complaining of anti-white sentiment and 'anti-South Africanism' in relation to boycotts against Apartheid, but they were mostly rabid supporters of Apartheid. Likewise, our IF fanatics get upset when anyone criticises their right to do exactly as they please with the lives of Palestinians.


Friday, May 26, 2006

What is anti-Semitism?

Anything and everything according to the fanatics at Israel Forum.

Their latest target is a professor at Hebrew University in Israel. The said professor had the temerity to ask the rather obvious question - 'What is a Jewish state?' and suggest that an anaolgy with Apartheid might be appropriate.

A reasonable person might think that such introspection is all in a days work for your average prof.
Not at Israel Forum. An Israeli professor exploring such questions is anti-semitic.

"They hate all what we like.Because, before everything, they hate our chosenness, even, if they will never avow it.The other hatreds built after."

Lets just look at the basic paramters of the situation. Israel actively and systematically discriminates against its' 1.2 million Palestinian citizens, and controls a further 4 million under occupation denying them basic rights. It defines itself as a state of the Jewish people, including those extra-territorial Jews who have other nationalities. It is essentially an ethnic majority state, an ethnocracy.
Or as a Palestinian-Israeli said, Israel is a "democracy for Jews and Jewish for Arabs"

Any exploration of these salient features of the Israeli state, even by Israelis, is anti-semitism. But then that is their answer to almost any critique of Israeli policy or action.

This is a crucial feature of the IsraelForum 'community'. On almost any issue relating to Israel, either internal, or to do with the OTs, forum members, mostly American Jews, have views more in line with the extreme right in Israel than with mainstream Israeli opinion.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Bombing Iran Part II: Slaughter the Jews

Slaughtering Jews?

This surely has to be the product of some kind of deranged neo-nazi, or in IsraelForum-speak; the evil bloodthirsty Arabs.

Think again.

Fanatical bigots are a bottomless pit of hate towards the object of their loathing, in the case of IsraelForum the targets are Arab people and Muslims in general and Palestinians in particular. But they aren't entirely racist. The reserve a special contempt for one particular group - the Jews! Jews, that is, who fail to be as fanatical as the IFies are.

A forum member had this befuddled comment to make on the Iranian non-story,

"I think it is great when an enemy regime shows its desparation and true color. Yet, there will be a minority of Jews, especially the self-hateful leftist Jews, who will blame Israel and the vast majority of Jews regardless how despicable the enemy is. At the very least they will try to create a moral equavalency between the Jews who are trying to defend themselves and those who are blowing up the Jewish kindergartens."

The point isn't too clear except that there are some Jews who aren't goose-stepping in time with the right-wing crazies at IsraelForum.com.

Then came a response to that comment from someone described as a "Senior Member",

"I am not religious, but I wonder if it is acceptable under Judaism to kill these jews - such as the Neutered Kartei, Peace Now, etc. - who provide political cover for the enemy of Israel.Does anyone know? If so I would certainly advocate jewish groups such as the JDL to simply slaughter this trash at every opportunity."


This is the totalitarian (and murderous) mind at work. Different ideas are simply intolerable, so the holders of them must be eliminated.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Bombing Iran

There's been a minor outbreak of hysteria over Iran.

This time it's about the non-story of the Iranian Parliament passing a law that would require Jews in Iran to wear a yellow star as identification.

The story isn't true (see Juan Cole's take on it
here).

It's all part of the war-mongers propaganda campaign to soften up public opinion in preparation for an attack on Iran.

At Israel Forum they love nothing better than to get their knickers in a twist over some alleged world-wide anti-semitic conspiracy. Even after the story had been exposed as false some couldn't help but indulge in long-held fantasies,

"Israel must broadcast to the Iranian Jews, and follow through on, an option to get every single on out of the country and into Israel if they so wish.

Subsequently, if Israel needs to blow things up in order to get landing spots for planes to transport people out of Iran, so be it. But channels should be created so that Iranian Jews can get out."

Yeah, lets blow things up in Iran on the basis of a false story.

As we saw with Iraq, there are no shortage of useful idiots who will fall for this stuff, or find it a useful pretext to advance cherished plans. And there is certainly no shortage of such people at IsraelForum.com.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Death to the Liberals!

The latest tantrums are about the recent Israeli High Court decision not to overturn the ban on family reunion for Palestinian citizens of Israel. That's right, the Court up held this discriminatory ban, by a vote of 6-5, hence the outrage by our loony friends at Israel Forum; the Court almost stopped discrimination against Palestinians! That is a near disaster.

The ban prevents a Palestinian from the OTs joining their spouse in Israel. In this particular case, the couple already have 2 children, which the court has, in effect, voted to seperate.

Not good enough for the rabid haters, how dare some jumped up judge vote against such a reasonable measure. The main target is Justice Barak, held in high esteem as a liberal voice at the court. In reality the IHC has been a bastion of conservatism, regularly backing the Governments actions in the OTs, by either specifically approving them or declining to disapprove, eg. in the question of the applicability of the 4th Geneva Conventions in the OTs.

This is what the crazies think of Barak,

"That said, Barak is either an outright moron, or an Arab in disguise."

"Barak always pushes for the anti-Israeli, pro-Arab, and anti-patriotic agendas. It is has nothing to do with any sort of 'liberalism' It is plain and simple anti-patriotism."

And now we approach familiar territory. Remember the Leiberman incident? The IFies are keen on 'offing' anyone who might be less than fanatically pro-Israel than they are, even if it is the head of Israels High Court.

"Every decision leading to a less jewish country is a to be called a betrayal……..Thus Barak is a traitor."

Here we go! There is only one direction this is heading........

A lone voice of reason sarcastically comments "maybe someone should shoot him"

To which comes the immediate response,

"I wouldn't care less if someone does."

That's our IFies. Mad as hatters. Zealots and fundamentalist lunatics, advocating death for anyone with a view on the liberal side of Mussolini.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Hang Them or Fry Them?

There has been some controversy over the comments of the leader of the Israeli Yisrael Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman. He suggested that Palestinian-Israeli Knesset members should be executed for disloyalty. Liebermans take on what constituted disloyalty or treason was conveniently broad- just talking to Hamas in the OTs or not celebrating Israels Independance Day was enough for Lieberman to order a quantity of rope in anticipation for a lynching.

"The Second World War ended with the Nuremberg trials and the execution of the Nazi leadership. Not only them, but also those who collaborated with then. I hope that will also be the fate of the collaborators in this house"

And over at IsraelForum.com, how did those bastions of reasonableness respond? Typically, as usual.

Check this,

That said, he [Liebermann] is 100% correct. People like Bishara, members of Meretz, and much of the membership of Avoda belong in jails and electric chairs, not in the parliament.”

The electric chair for talking. They really are as mad as cut snakes.

Another considered opinion on the man some Israelis view as a “fascist and a racist” was,

God Bless Lieberman!

Naturally, the crew at IsraelForum gravitate towards the most extreme and racist elements within the Israeli political scene. Birds of a feather.


Thursday, May 11, 2006

Thank God for the Devil.

A regular feature at IsraelForum is an editorial written by the site editor, Michael Rand. The latest is on Hamas' electoral victory, titled "A Deal with the Devil".

In it, Rand celebrates Hamas' victory. Why? Because a Hamas-led PA helps fulfil long-held Zionist dreams,
"
Israel will be able to walk away with more land, more regional control, and more international supervision of the Palestinians than under any other circumstances".

How does that work? Quite simply,
"
that Hamas is a terrorist organization, will work to Israel’s advantage in final border negotiations with the Palestinians.The U.S., which is no friend of Hamas, will be less likely to force Israel into far-reaching concessions to the terrorist group than it would in the case of a legitimate Palestinian representative at the bargaining table."

No surprises there. This is why Israel was so keen for Abbas to fail. Widely seen as a moderate, negotiations with him might led to pressure on Israel to make concessions, always anathema to the Zionist dream.

So, is this peace, but not as we know it? You bet.

Rand is happy because "there will be no need to pretend that what is being agreed is real peace", all that matters is that Israel will "walk away with more land".


Thanks for that refreshingly honest assessment Michael.


And the forum discusion? Just the usual......

"
Even their children’s lives have little value so [Israel]bombing them will have little influence. The only thing they care about is land.
Either they will choose to live in peace or they will be gradually pushed into areas boarding Jordan or Egypt. A second element to this plan would be offer citizenship in the modern world to anyone who will deny Islam. Anyone who would subject themselves or families to these conditions for Islam is by definition an enemy of the modern world. Natural selection at work."

You just gotta love that social Darwinism.

" The point is that were dealing with people[Palestinians] who has no morals, only hate"

"Unfortunately, the guys that run the show continue to indoctrinate each successive generation into hating all non-Muslims. A similar cycle of indoctrination was in operation in Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. It was only broken via millions of dead and leveled cities. ..........I sincerely wish there was another way to accomplish the necessary transition for this backward culture............ We are only a handful of stupid Muslims away from WW4."

It's never too long before the second favourite past-time of Islam-bashing enters the discussion, no matter what the original topic,

"mohammad regularly ordered raids on meccan caravans and kept a fifth of the booty. he regularly initiated wars, slaughtered prisoners, ordered the murder of his critics, conveniently received "revelations" to fornicate with virtually any woman (or child for that matter) on earth, and allowed and participated in the rape of jewish women prisoners."


I just love these die-hard peace-niks, all they want is peace.....as long as it's not a real peace......and comes with a bunch of land.


Wednesday, May 10, 2006

IsraelForum: 24 hr Vilification, Apologetics and Hate.

In case you're not familiar with IFs' work, here’s a quick sample from Israel Forums' past glorious efforts at promoting tolerance, respect and peace.

Take it away my fanatical friends......

On why it’s OK for the IDF to kill unarmed Palestinian civilians,

"there is no such thing as ‘non-combatants’ in the global war on Islamo—terrorism


And then there is this kind of barking-mad bigotry that passes without comment on Israel Forum,

Killing their own children also sends Arabs into a sexual frenzy where they sexually attack anything that moves, either human or beast. In addition, rumors have it that Arab terrorists have a notch on their belt for each dead Arab child that they can blame on Israel


Our IFies are damn mad about terrorism…..unless the victims are Palestinians,

If Baruch Goldstein acted in self defense, in order to protect the lives of others, then he is a hero and should be treated that way.
If, OTOH, Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Arabs, then his act was one to protect Israel from the oppression from Arabs, and he should be treated as a hero

Everyone got that? Israeli terrorism is impossible, by definition.


And setting the tone at the very top of the Israel Forum heap, is this vote for ethnic cleansing,

No justification is needed [for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians], just like no justification is being mentioned now that thousands of Jewish families are about to be forcibly transferred (i.e., ethnically cleansed) out of Jewish suburbs in Gaza.”

Do you get the general idea?

Once a week or so, I’ll share IFs members latest contributions to hate-speech and bigotry, just so we can get a better understanding of the kind of people who make up the most vocal part of Israels ‘supporters’.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Welcome


Welcome to the first edition of Israel Forum Watch.

IsraelForum.com is a particularly strident pro-Israel internet forum committed to fostering and maintaining uncritical support for Israel, particularly in the US.

The site started in 2001, probably inspired by the negative consequences, in terms of PR, that Israel suffered in the 1st Palestinian Intifada, when TV images of Israeli soldiers shooting and beating unarmed Palestinian protestors graced our TV screens for the first time. Knowing that Israeli abuses in the 2nd Intifada where again likely to test the publics tolerance of its’ appalling conduct, some fanatical pro-Israel groupies set up Israel Forum to push an unwavering pro-Israel narrative to ‘explain’ the inexplicable ie, house demolitions, land theft and the killing of the innocent. That is just some of the long list of Israeli human rights abuses for which the IFies spend considerable time and energy producing their grubby apologetics.

What is most interesting about IF is that it opens a window onto the mind of the rabidly pro-Israel crowd, and believe me, it isn’t a pretty sight. While IF bills itself as “24 hr News, Discussion and Debate” it’s more like “24 hr Vilification, Apologetics and Hate”. While Stalinesque obsequiousness towards Israel is obviously de rigueur, the other important task is the dehumanisation and vilification of Palestinians as people. In IF parlance, they simply are not – only suicide bombers, terrorists and anti-semites out to push the Jews into the sea.

Their goals are arrived at by denouncing views with which they disagree, via a heady mixture of innuendo, smear, pejorative labelling, misconstruing, misquoting, misrepresenting, and when none of that works, good old fashioned lying. Add to that, regular doses of intemperate language, anti-Arab bigotry and a bucket full of bile, and you have Israel Forum.

It’s all highly unedifying and testament to the extremism and fanaticism that lies behind much of this predominately American, unthinkingly pro-Israel crowd. Their extreme points of view, and the role this plays in perpetuating the conflict, gets far too little attention. Their preference is to direct attention to the fiction that extremism is only found amongst Palestinians and that they are all sweetness and light, desperately striving for peace, but alas, perpetually disappointed.


So, in the interests of truth, justice and compassion, let’s shine a little light onto this dark corner and see just how extreme and how mendacious they’re prepared to be to promote their mad views………