Galloway V Finkelstein debate on Sky news!

[faceless]

[nekokate]

Next headline "Litigation-Hungry Galloway Threatens Cancer Sufferer"

*shakes head*

[faceless]

here's the article from Google's cache

In America Where I Grew Up, We Called it 'Jew-Baiting'
Last uploaded : Sunday 18th Mar 2007 at 23:19
Contributed by : Carol Gould

On Thursday night 15 March I happened upon a debate about the Iraq War on Sky News, moderated by Adam Boulton. Its main protagonists were Respect MP George Galloway and Times Comment editor Daniel Finkelstein. Even by the standards of past Galloway confrontations, this visceral performance was chilling, and only served to crystallise my suspicion that thuggish anti-Semitism in the guise of Left-wing rhetoric is indeed becoming acceptable in the British public discourse.

The dignified Finkelstein presented his case for having supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Galloway presented his against, but the programme began to degenerate when discussion ensued. Four expert witnesses -- a Kurd, an Iraqi and two British academics -- were called to give evidence for and against, but the vivid memory most viewers will retain will be Galloway’s vicious attack on Finkelstein.

On the occasions when Finkelstein mentioned Iraq Galloway interjected, off mike, something that sounded like, ‘Yes, as long as it was good for Israel.’ Finally Adam Boulton intervened and objected to the ‘Jewish thing’ being brought into the proceedings. Galloway went off the rails, fuming that a person cannot mention Israel without being labelled an anti-Semite. Aside from being bizarre in an otherwise immensely dignified discussion by the Iraqi émigrés and British academics, Galloway’s fury was stark alongside his opponent’s calm and often humorous demeanour.

Finkelstein brought into the discussion the fact that Galloway had been to Iraq to shake hands with Saddam Hussein and to praise his people, to which Boulton reminded him that Donald Rumsfeld had also feted the Iraqi dictator. This prompted Galloway to launch into an even more bizarre tirade about Ariel Sharon. Finkelstein was aghast, his voice rising to a high pitch as he defended himself against accusations of being some sort of agent for Ariel Sharon. At this point it became apparent that George Galloway had a serious fixation on Israel.

Finkelstein was becoming increasingly agitated, and challenged Galloway, rightfully so, that he was being hectored about Israel because he was Jewish. He repeated that this was a discussion about Iraq, and that Galloway was bringing in Israel because of his Jewish faith. Unbelievably, the member for Bethnal Green and Bow merely became emboldened and began to fume at Finkelstein about the Iraq War having been perpetrated by those who knew it would be ‘good for Israel.’ Again, as the panel looked on in combined amusement and despair, host Adam Boulton said, ‘There you go again with the Jewish thing, George,’ and as Finkelstein, interjecting ’there he is with the Jewish thing again,’ tried to sum up his argument, Galloway fulminated.

What for me was the moment of truth came at this point, when Galloway accused the British-born Finkelstein of being ‘a partisan for Israel.’ This sent chills down my spine. I thought of my late father, whose Jewish-sounding name precluded his being taken on by the United States Navy, because in 1930s America Jews were regarded as disloyal Americans. (The irony of that was the assumption that Jews were all closet Bolsheviks, not Zionists!) Now, in 2007, the likes of George Galloway, who resolutely refuses to accept that his slurs against a British Jew are anti-Semitic, condemns a British citizen as a ‘partisan’ because he is of a particular faith.

Mr Galloway, who represents the Muslims of the East End, would be quick to rage at anyone who suggested on a live primetime television programme that a British-born Muslim was a ‘partisan for Palestine’ or ‘a partisan for Pakistan’ or for Egypt or Sudan. The concept of a Jew being a ‘partisan’ raises all manner of hideous spectres: the Nazi-era Jew who was not a patriotic German but a scheming, self-serving parasite, or the medieval, disloyal blood-sucking Jew who should convert or be burned alive. Nothing gives a Jew chills more than being accused of being less a citizen than other of his or her compatriots. I remember to this day a Ukrainian immigrant at my school accusing me of being ‘not really an American’ because of my Jewish ancestry.

The ’partisan’ slur was not the end of this ugly and chilling evening of live television ‘debate.’ George Galloway then accused Daniel Finkelstein of being a member of a group of people who ‘would never take up arms’ but would let others fight the battles. Had it been me, I think I would have walked out of the studio, with the images of the Warsaw Ghetto fighters and of the generations of brave young men and women of the Israel Defence Forces in decades of unnecessary wars and unending terror perpetrated by Israel’s Arab neighbours. This outrageous accusation also brought to mind the thousands of brave Jewish men and women who fought and died in two World Wars for Britain, many of whom were Kindertransporte and refugees from persecution in mainland Europe.

Keeping his dignity and aplomb Finkelstein did not walk out but reminded all watching of the blood his relatives had shed at the hands of Fascism.

If ever there was a show of Left wing fascism this was it. I have seen George Galloway in person whipping up crowds of young Muslims, and have seen his ruthless demolition of Oona King, the Jewish, African-American woman who lost her seat in Parliament in 2005 to him.

There has been total silence from the Anglo-Jewish community on this disgraceful display of blatant Jew-baiting on primetime British television. Non-Jewish friends in Britain who watched it said, ‘I cannot imagine such a thing being allowed to unfold on an American programme.’

Interestingly enough I was glad it happened. It helped crystallise for me the problem those of us , Jewish and non-Jewish, suffer who dare to support Israel’s survival. It gave the audience the true picture of the odious and uncompromising hatred George Galloway and his supporters have for Jews. Had his opponent in the debate been an Anglican or Hindu the subject of Israel would never have entered the discourse. That Finkelstein could not conduct a normal debate without being harassed and accused of being a disloyal Briton and a Jewish coward was to me evidence that Britain is moving in a dangerous direction towards open and acceptable Jew-baiting.

Where this will take Anglo-Jewry is only for time to tell. Little wonder so many British Jews have been emigrating to Israel. Thankfully Finkelstein has stayed put and was a courageous and dignified representative of his people on one of the ugliest and most disturbing hours I have spent in front of the television in many years.


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[harry perkins]

Thats one of the most stupid, badly written, inacurate articles I've ever read. Either the author is as dumb as she sounds or she's utterly mendacious.

[major.tom]

I'd like to hear the whole debate. This article gives a very one-sided impression. It's abundantly clear whose side the author is on. eg. "dignified" and "almost humourous" vs "vicious," "fuming" "thuggish Anti-[Semite]"

Hardly journalistic objectivity.

Wow.

[faceless]

I reckon it was this line "It gave the audience the true picture of the odious and uncompromising hatred George Galloway and his supporters have for Jews" that set the dogs barking loudest...

Silly cow.

[major.tom]

One interesting bit I take from the partial recording (and the excerpts) was when the emcee (referee?) mentioned the verdict being "slightly bigger than 3:1". Math lesson: 82:18 is slightly more than 4:1 and is closer to 5:1 (moron).

[nekokate]

Thanks for finding that article, Face.

Jew-Baiting? She's talking as though George is some kind of Eric Cartman character. What a sick, blind woman. Judaism and Zionism are two seperate things, and this Finkelstein, regardless of his faith, certainly seems to lean heavily towards Zionism - therefore he deserves Galloway's ire.

I cringed when I read how she spoke of "...the generations of brave young men and women of the Israel Defence Forces in decades of unnecessary wars and unending terror perpetrated by Israel’s Arab neighbours..." when you only have to open a history book to know that Israel only exists by force, and by oppression and apartheid. Unneccesary wars? Absolutely they were unnecessary, because invasion and forced occupation of land that doesn't belong to you is very unnecessary!

I'm very glad George's legal team kicked her ass on this, and while I would never mock anyone who is recovering from cancer, I rather think that her citing her recovery as a reason she doesn't wish to challenge legally is bullshit. More like "I've libelled someone in a sick and moronic way and got caught, so I'm going to skulk off since, as a vituperate racist, I have no possible chance of winning in court".

[Salim201]

that article was pathetic, the most parochial, one-sided agenda driven thing I've ever seen try and pass for journalism. Parts of it made me laugh before I realised how sad it was. I can see exactly why Galloway takes these things seriously because anti-semitism is becoming the kind of slur on par with 'holocaust-deniar' or 'paedophile' and its being thrown around to discredit people and degenerate debate. There are many Jews who agree with George's views, i'm glad its taken down anyway, she knew she couldn't argue her case, I wonder if he invited her to back-up or debate her allegations!

[Karl]

Arsenal Football Club has signed a sponsorship deal to promote Israel as a tourist destination.

The agreement makes Israel Arsenal's "official and exclusive travel destination." Israel will be featured on digital perimeter boards and 450 high-definition LCD screens at the stadium on game days. The tourism ministry will also have access to the club's official website Arsenal.com, database and magazine to promote Israel as a holiday destination. The televised ads will reach audiences of up to 700 million in an estimated 198 countries. The Israeli Tourism Ministry will also receive intellectual property rights, the use of the team logo and the right to use photos of the team and its players in ads. Arsenal players will also appear in the ads.
The deal doesn't stop with promoting Israel but actually grants Israel a physical presence in the stadium. The Israeli Tourism Ministry can use the stadium's banquet hall twice a year and can organize an exhibition at the end of the playing season.The stadium will also feature permanent sales tables for t-shirts.

With the world boycotting Israel as a tourist destination Israeli tourism minister Abraham Hirchson admitted employing Ernst & Young financial advisers to help develop a new strategy to entice people to Israel. He estimated that the sponsorship deal will bring in an additional 2 million tourist to Israel annually. Arsenal's managing director, Keith Edelman at a press conference in Israel explained how Arsenal could help sell apartheid Israel: "We are the largest club in London and have 30 million fans around the world. We are in the forefront of the anti-racism campaign in England and have an excellent brand that can promote any product... we will assist Israel become a more popular destination". He also promised "when we find the time, club representatives and players will come to visit Israel,".

Tourism Minister Avraham Hirschson and Arsenal's Keith Edelman
at a press conference at the David Intercontinental hotel in Tel Aviv.

The Jerusalem Post has hinted that Arsenal's chief shareholder, Danny Fiszman, vice chairman David Dein and managing director Edelman have used their pro Israeli views to steer the club towards Israeli causes including setting up football academies in Israel at a time when when Palestinian children are routinely targeted by israeli snipers whilst they play football.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz confirmed this, quoting Uzi Gafni, a director of the Israeli Tourism ministry on the Arsenal deal as saying "I knew I needed someone with ties to Judaism, Edelman may not go to synagogue every Friday, but there are warm Jews at Arsenal who wanted to give something to Israel."

[faceless]

what's that got to do with this debate Karl?

[luke]

nice one faceless, i can see why she removed the article - she wouldn't stand a chance, although i'd like to have seen the whole show ( thanks for the 20mins you got though ). even jewish people like chomsky and norman finkelstein ( not this finkelstein ) get it when criticising israel, its madness

[Karl]

[Salim201]

COME ON YOU SPURS!!

[popinjay]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYpVieYPv0c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVkMhI8nP0I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_49LRmPNRLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE33rml_S4I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biATtwyBmLg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vJJLAQVS38