Conflict between Palestine and Israel escalates

crimson5pheonix

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It's hard to tell, though, isn't it?
No, it really isn't. Unless Seanchaidh starts using (((them))) or other such whistles, it's patently obvious his use of Zionism was the actual political movement of Zionism which has nothing to do with Jews or Judaism. It's extremely obvious because he brought up the fact that Starmer has expelled more Jews for being anti-Zionist than Corbyn ever "scared away".
 

Silvanus

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No, it really isn't. Unless Seanchaidh starts using (((them))) or other such whistles, it's patently obvious his use of Zionism was the actual political movement of Zionism which has nothing to do with Jews or Judaism. It's extremely obvious because he brought up the fact that Starmer has expelled more Jews for being anti-Zionist than Corbyn ever "scared away".
Right, but the purge of the Labour Party wasn't directed by Zionists. It was the result of relentless pressure from the conservative British press on a susceptible and defensive 'centrist' contingent within the Party. Neither of whom have any particular affiliation with Zionism.
 

Ag3ma

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No, it really isn't.
I have known people who started with criticism of Israel and really did tragically end up down the antisemitic rabbit hole, and they didn't give themselves away with trite, coded internet speech. If you haven't had this happen to people you know, good for you - or perhaps more strictly good for the people you know. But my experience is that you like them and so you give them the benefit of the doubt here and there and there again, and then one day you cannot deny that they've crossed the line... and you never said anything.
 

Seanchaidh

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CONDEMN THE FOREIGNER CONDEMN THE FOREIGNER CONDEMN THE FOREIGNER CONDEMN THE FOREIGNER

Right, but the purge of the Labour Party wasn't directed by Zionists. It was the result of relentless pressure from the conservative British press on a susceptible and defensive 'centrist' contingent within the Party. Neither of whom have any particular affiliation with Zionism.
susceptible and defensive? they were enthusiastic in their sabotage. and their only 'affiliation' with Zionism is believing the same things Zionists believe, equating Israel and Jewishness, giving Israel carte blanche to slaughter as many Arabs as they like, and so on. Questioning whether these things come from a commitment to Israeli settler colonialism or just a general belief in white supremacy is splitting hairs. "Human rights lawyer" Sir Keith bizarrely affirmed Israel's absolute right to starve a civilian population, but he has no particular affiliation with Zionism.
 
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crimson5pheonix

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Right, but the purge of the Labour Party wasn't directed by Zionists. It was the result of relentless pressure from the conservative British press on a susceptible and defensive 'centrist' contingent within the Party. Neither of whom have any particular affiliation with Zionism.
It's really hard to say that with Starmer's current political outlook on this specific conflict. They put a Zionist in charge, the whole antisemitism row was based around Corbyn not being friendly to Israel because as the investigations came out, when instances of antisemitism were allowed to come before Corbyn and his people, they dealt with it appropriately.

And saying the British government doesn't have an issue with Zionism is hilarious considering the UK just abstained on voting for a ceasefire. The US may be worse, but that doesn't make the UK acceptable.

I have known people who started with criticism of Israel and really did tragically end up down the antisemitic rabbit hole, and they didn't give themselves away with trite, coded internet speech. If you haven't had this happen to people you know, good for you - or perhaps more strictly good for the people you know. But my experience is that you like them and so you give them the benefit of the doubt here and there and there again, and then one day you cannot deny that they've crossed the line... and you never said anything.
You can say that, but when I see that equivocation you made, it is always and only ever performed by people whose opinions on Israeli policy should be discarded. It's a gigantic red flag and seeing you make it comes across as a mask off moment. It makes your visceral hatred of Corbyn make more sense.
 

Silvanus

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susceptible and defensive? they were enthusiastic in their sabotage. and their only 'affiliation' with Zionism is believing the same things Zionists believe, equating Israel and Jewishness, giving Israel carte blanche to slaughter as many Arabs as they like, and so on. Questioning whether these things come from a commitment to Israeli settler colonialism or just a general belief in white supremacy is splitting hairs. "Human rights lawyer" Sir Keith bizarrely affirmed Israel's absolute right to starve a civilian population, but he has no particular affiliation with Zionism.
Indeed, he doesn't-- all of these actions come from cynical domestic politicking to blunt right-wing criticisms and achieve power.

Look at how successive British governments have cosied up to the US, assisted them with their wars, and excused actions they wouldn't tolerate from other countries. Does this come from a particular affiliation those British PMs have with the notion of American exceptionalism? Pfft, no-- its cynical politicking. It benefits them.

And saying the British government doesn't have an issue with Zionism is hilarious considering the UK just abstained on voting for a ceasefire. The US may be worse, but that doesn't make the UK acceptable.
Can you genuinely think of no other reason for the UK to vote against a ceasefire, other than genuine commitment to the expansionist/ settler ideology of a foreign government into land over two thousand miles away?
 

crimson5pheonix

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Indeed, he doesn't-- all of these actions come from cynical domestic politicking to blunt right-wing criticisms and achieve power.

Look at how successive British governments have cosied up to the US, assisted them with their wars, and excused actions they wouldn't tolerate from other countries. Does this come from a particular affiliation those British PMs have with the notion of American exceptionalism? Pfft, no-- its cynical politicking. It benefits them.



Can you genuinely think of no other reason for the UK to vote against a ceasefire, other than genuine commitment to the expansionist/ settler ideology of a foreign government into land over two thousand miles away?
Oh yeah, the money from said true believers. We already know and have seen that the Zionist lobbies are willing to throw a lot of money at politics specifically to unseat anti-zionists.
 

Silvanus

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So he's doing precisely what the Zionists want. Cynically. But not at their direction.

OK. 🤣
Your incredulity at some very basic and common domestic politicking isn't a compelling argument. Parties do what foreign governments want for self-centred reasons without a hidden cabal pulling their strings all the time.
 

Seanchaidh

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Your incredulity at some very basic and common domestic politicking isn't a compelling argument. Parties do what foreign governments want for self-centred reasons without a hidden cabal pulling their strings all the time.
Hidden cabal? Silvanus, this has all been quite out in the open. You must do X! Does X. But you have some sort of visceral reaction to the word 'direction', I guess.
 
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Silvanus

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Oh yeah, the money from said true believers. We already know and have seen that the Zionist lobbies are willing to throw a lot of money at politics specifically to unseat anti-zionists.
The lobbying landscape in the UK is wildly different from that of the US. If you take the two biggest pro-Israel lobbying groups in the UK, they have a combined total budget of... ~£4m. And lobbying is a minor part of their role.

Israel isn't terribly concerned with throwing money at influencing the UK political landscape, like it does in the US. We simply don't have the clout in that area of foreign policy. Starmer isn't being secretly puppetted; he's just a cynical actor.

Hidden cabal? Silvanus, this has all been quite out in the open. You must do X! Does X. But you have some sort of visceral reaction to the word 'direction', I guess.
Uh-huh, but the 'you must do X' is coming from the Tory press, insular whackjobs who don't give a toss about how Israel's expansion is going. That's what you're overlooking in your effort to simplify British politics into American politics writ small.

Nobody is questioning the massive pressure and demands to do X. But you're looking beyond the people who're actually making those demands-- for obvious and basic self-serving reasons-- and imagining another party deeply committed to a foreign ideology.
 
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crimson5pheonix

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The lobbying landscape in the UK is wildly different from that of the US. If you take the two biggest pro-Israel lobbying groups in the UK, they have a combined total budget of... ~£4m. And lobbying is a minor part of their role.

Israel isn't terribly concerned with throwing money at influencing the UK political landscape, like it does in the US. We simply don't have the clout in that area of foreign policy. Starmer isn't being secretly puppetted; he's just a cynical actor.



Uh-huh, but the 'you must do X' is coming from the Tory press, insular whackjobs who don't give a toss about how Israel's expansion is going. That's what you're overlooking in your effort to simplify British politics into American politics writ small.

Nobody is questioning the massive pressure and demands to do X. But you're looking beyond the people who're actually making those demands-- for obvious and basic self-serving reasons-- and imagining another party deeply committed to a foreign ideology.
Which is why of course that Starmer has equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism and is expelling (anti-Zionist) Jews at an alarming rate. If it isn't the money, maybe he really is just a true believer? It really doesn't matter either way, the Zionist interest, as one of many right wing interests, has captured the top of Labour and is solidifying authority within it.

And to bring it around to the topic again, will be more than happy to arm Israeli settlers in the slaughter of Palestinians.
 

Ag3ma

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You can say that, but when I see that equivocation you made, it is always and only ever performed by people whose opinions on Israeli policy should be discarded.
The phrasing that Seanchaidh used implied that the Labour party internal factional conflict was the work of Zionists for the purpose of Zionism. As per Silvanus #1622 it manifestly is not. And lo and behold, he later confirms precisely that case. But it could be used to play on the traditional antisemitic claim of Jews operating outsize control of organisations and subverting their real intention to the benefit of the Jews.

And this is what many antisemites do: push traditional antisemitic tropes but say "Zionist" instead of "Jew", or otherwise generally apply to Zionists traditional antisemitic tropes. Which is why if you want to make that case, you should be really careful. Neither you nor Sean are here. Even without antisemitic intent, it looks bad.

If it isn't the money, maybe he really is just a true believer?
It's the PR.

One of Labour's supposed selling points is the moral position of being anti-racist. The Tories can do what they like on racism, they're not getting people's votes on the basis of fair and equitable treatment, and indeed are pretty much openly Islamophobic. Accusations of racism thus hurt Labour in ways they don't hurt the Tories, not least for the whiff of hypocrisy. Antisemitism has long been a "weak spot", partly due to sympathies for the Palestinians sometimes tending into racism, plus playing on Islamophobia (Muslims and terrorism being a big deal since 2001) to make Labour appear like it is supporting the "wrong" side.

Labour's response is therefore to fortidy that weak spot heavily. This unfortunately means it makes concessions where it might otherwise not be inclined to.
 
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Silvanus

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Which is why of course that Starmer has equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism and is expelling (anti-Zionist) Jews at an alarming rate. If it isn't the money, maybe he really is just a true believer?
It may well be money-- not from the Zionist lobby, who spend a pittance in UK politics, but from weapons deals.

But in truth it's more likely to be about simple image control. Whether or not you believe there was much substance to it, its a fact that the perception of antisemitism was doing huge damage to Labour's electoral chances. This could not be quickly handled with nuanced disciplinary processes which would take months of years to work through the backlog of grievances. He chose to stamp down hard on anything that the right-wing press could even conceivably spin into antisemitism-- including Jewish people voicing legitimate complaints about Israel's policy. He didn't pursue it in a just or fair way, but the motive wasn't secret control by a powerless Zionist lobby, it was cynical image control.
 

crimson5pheonix

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It may well be money-- not from the Zionist lobby, who spend a pittance in UK politics, but from weapons deals.

But in truth it's more likely to be about simple image control. Whether or not you believe there was much substance to it, its a fact that the perception of antisemitism was doing huge damage to Labour's electoral chances. This could not be quickly handled with nuanced disciplinary processes which would take months of years to work through the backlog of grievances. He chose to stamp down hard on anything that the right-wing press could even conceivably spin into antisemitism-- including Jewish people voicing legitimate complaints about Israel's policy. He didn't pursue it in a just or fair way, but the motive wasn't secret control by a powerless Zionist lobby, it was cynical image control.
The phrasing that Seanchaidh used implied that the Labour party internal factional conflict was the work of Zionists for the purpose of Zionism. As per Silvanus #1622 it manifestly is not. And lo and behold, he later confirms precisely that case. But it could be used to play on the traditional antisemitic claim of Jews operating outsize control of organisations and subverting their real intention to the benefit of the Jews.

And this is what many antisemites do: push traditional antisemitic tropes but say "Zionist" instead of "Jew", or otherwise generally apply to Zionists traditional antisemitic tropes. Which is why if you want to make that case, you should be really careful. Neither you nor Sean are here. Even without antisemitic intent, it looks bad.



It's the PR.

One of Labour's supposed selling points is the moral position of being anti-racist. The Tories can do what they like on racism, they're not getting people's votes on the basis of fair and equitable treatment, and indeed are pretty much openly Islamophobic. Accusations of racism thus hurt Labour in ways they don't hurt the Tories, not least for the whiff of hypocrisy. Antisemitism has long been a "weak spot", partly due to sympathies for the Palestinians sometimes tending into racism, plus playing on Islamophobia (Muslims and terrorism being a big deal since 2001) to make Labour appear like it is supporting the "wrong" side.

Labour's response is therefore to fortidy that weak spot heavily. This unfortunately means it makes concessions where it might otherwise not be inclined to.
One thing I will definitely never take seriously from you two ever again is your claims that Corbyn was mealy mouthed. You are making a big stink to defend Starmer from claims of Zionism in the face of him advocating collective punishment of Palestinians. An actual war crimes enthusiast and all you can muster is exactly the defense Zionists make, criticism of Zionism is antisemitic conspiracy theories. Even if you both admit fully that Starmer is acting exactly in the Zionist lobby's interest, you have to do exactly what Zionists want and turn the conversation away from Israel's actions.

Congrats on being the mouth pieces of the Tory press I guess.
 

Silvanus

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One thing I will definitely never take seriously from you two ever again is your claims that Corbyn was mealy mouthed. You are making a big stink to defend Starmer from claims of Zionism in the face of him advocating collective punishment of Palestinians.
I'd encourage you to actually read what I wrote, because I haven't been defending his actions at all-- I think he's acting despicably. What I've been doing is encouraging people to correctly identify the motives for it.

An actual war crimes enthusiast and all you can muster is exactly the defense Zionists make, criticism of Zionism is antisemitic conspiracy theories.
I literally never said that or anything that could honestly be interpreted that way.

Even if you both admit fully that Starmer is acting exactly in the Zionist lobby's interest, you have to do exactly what Zionists want and turn the conversation away from Israel's actions.
That's funny, considering I was the one who revived this thread when Israel invaded Gaza in October, and have been frequently posting about the war crimes of the IDF. But sure, nothing counts, its all just 'deflection' unless we attribute every shitty action to a Zionist lobby.

Congrats on being the mouth pieces of the Tory press I guess.
Oh, please. You'll notice that I'm laying the blame for this at the feet of the British press and the ones who capitulate to it. On the contrary, efforts to characterise it as the work of Zionists actually absolve the Tory press for their cynical self-service and manipulation.
 
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crimson5pheonix

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I'd encourage you to actually read what I wrote, because I haven't been defending his actions at all-- I think he's acting despicably. What I've been doing is encouraging people to correctly identify the motives for it.



I literally never said that or anything that could honestly be interpreted that way.



That's funny, considering I was the one who revived this thread when Israel invaded Gaza in October, and have been frequently posting about the war crimes of the IDF. But sure, nothing counts, its all just 'deflection' unless we attribute every shitty action to a Zionist lobby.



Oh, please. You'll notice that I'm laying the blame for this at the feet of the British press and the ones who capitulate to it. On the contrary, efforts to characterise it as the work of Zionists actually absolve the Tory press for their role.
No it doesn't because the Tory press is full of Zionists, the same way it's full of landlords and defense contractors. And instead of recognizing that, you want to pull sight away from the interests behind the press to the press itself. So now the Labour leader is a full blown Zionist, even if his only motive is that an Israeli flag pin matches his eyes. It's immaterial why he's advocating for Zionism, he is.

Also it's hilarious that you said you revived this thread, Sean had been keeping the thread alive for months with updates on Israel's crimes long before October.
 

Ag3ma

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Congrats on being the mouth pieces of the Tory press I guess.
Congratulations on your submission to the "Current Events Forum Most Childish Post Of The Year" award.

Starmer's defence of Israel can be damned on it's own demerits without having to concoct stupid conspiracy theories.
 

crimson5pheonix

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Congratulations on your submission to the "Current Events Forum Most Childish Post Of The Year" award.

Starmer's defence of Israel can be damned on it's own demerits without having to concoct stupid conspiracy theories.
Hard to call it a conspiracy theory when he's a Zionist.
 

Ag3ma

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Hard to call it a conspiracy theory when he's a Zionist.

I believe 2021 was the last update. Labour's - and I am assuming by extension Starmer's - position remains that the answer to Israel-Palestine remains a political two-state solution that guarantees the freedom, rights, security and prosperity of Palestinians in their own state, and which specifically criticises Israel for every greater encroachments on Palestinian land.

The question then is what sort of "Zionist" Starmer is. If we want to say he believes in the right of the State of Israel to exist, yes he is a Zionist, but in a way that is uncontroversial, probably even for you and Sean. If we mean that Israel has a continuing right to steal land from, oppress, and deny the Palestinians independence, then from available evidence he is not, and calling him one is just inaccurate.

However, even someone not a Zionist under the latter definition can support - hopefully within limits of proportionate action - Israel's right to defend itself and its civilians. The obvious problem being that Israeli military reprisals against Gaza are not proportionate, which is why Starmer (and just about everyone else with the possible exception of Biden) are rowing back on the their earlier, bombastic support.

And why just about every major leader in the West was such a fucking idiot for being so gung-ho.