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Samizdata quote of the day – Why the West fails to stop antisemitism The suffering of Gaza, the death and destruction, is undeniable. You can make a legitimate criticism of Israel’s tactics in the conduct of the war. Many Jews around the world make exactly those critiques.
But you cannot engage in such criticism legitimately if you do not also condemn the terrorism of October 7. You cannot pretend that Israel does not face a substantial terrorist threat from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Iranian regime, and other groups that do not recognize Israel’s right to exist.
You cannot complain about the restrictions on goods and material going in and out of Gaza unless you also reference the reasons for the restrictions: the fear in Israel that such materials will be used for the purpose of building a terrorist infrastructure, which is precisely what nearly 300 miles of tunnels underneath Gaza represent.
– Tony Blair, who is not someone often quoted favourably in this particular parish (£)
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Fact
Bliar only emotes when he’s in line to gain financially.
Looks like he’s been engaged to push the reconstruction project of Gaza
The former Prime Minister rejects truth in the first paragraph.
If Israel wanted to destroy Gaza it could have done so in a few days – and there would have been two million Muslims OUT of the place. Instead there has been two and half years of endless restrictions on military action – restrictions that have cost the lives of soldiers. And we get “The suffering of Gaza, the death and destruction, is undeniable. You can make a legitimate criticism of Israel’s tactics in the conduct of the war. Many Jews around the world exactly those critiques”.
“Tony” Blair repeats the propaganda of the followers of Islam – repeated, endlessly, in the international media (always eager to attack “exploiters and oppressors”), with its constant extreme agitprop – agitation propaganda, showing destroyed buildings – but not showing the firing from those buildings, or the leaflets and broadcasts telling civilians to leave those buildings.
As for “recognizing Israel’s right to exist” – Muhammed recognized the the right of Jewish communities in Arabia to exist (they had been there for centuries) – then he launched surprise attacks and killed them.
No one in Gaza warned of the mass attack of October 7th 2023 – this was thousands of Islamic warriors, it was not a few “terrorists”. The general community in Gaza celebrated the mass rape and murder of Jews (and others).
And this was celebrated all round the world – including in Britain, before-Israel-had-done-anything.
To pretend that people are motivated by the “suffering of Gaza, the death and destruction” is a LIE – because, all round the world (and most certainly in Britain), the celebrations of the October 7th attack started BEFORE there was any response from Israel at all.
As for it being “undeniable” – just sex and travel “Tony” Blair.
DJM
Vast amounts of money to be sunk into Gaza, as vast amounts of money has been sunk in the place so many times before, so the people in Gaza (which as been “Jew Free” since 2005 – it was NOT “occupied” before the 2023 attack) can attack again – as they have attacked so often before.
But then Westerners will not even protect their own countries – they sit back and watch whilst places such as New York and London fall, and hiss “Islamophobe!” and “Racist!” at anyone who tries to warn them.
For those who still do not understand – when “Tony” Blair says “You can make a legitimate criticism of of Israel’s tactics in the conduct of war” he is NOT condemning the terrible weakness (the endless delays and restrictions) of the last two and half years – he is saying the exact opposite – and also saying that his opposite of the truth is “undeniable”.
That’s very obviously the point Blair is making
Maybe you can. but I never hear it. Instead I hear dishonest bleating about genocide, about deliberately targeting civilians and how Israel should be fighting with one hand behind its back. Although really it should not be fighting at all, but just give in.
And I hear that from foreign progressive Jews too.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Tony Blair’s British government responsible for opening the floodgates to immigrants from countries that hate Britons?
David Levi – NO.
What former Prime Minister Blair says is “The suffering of Gaza, the death and destruction, is undeniable. You can make a legitimate criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war” – he is NOT saying that Israel has been weak, he is saying that Israel has been too harsh (that it is the cause of the “suffering of Gaza, the death and destruction”) – and that “many Jews around the world” agree with this attack on Israel – this claim that Israel has been much too harsh.
I pointed this out in several comments, and it should have been obvious anyway.
Marius – exactly Sir.
Progressives like that utter cretin (and the word “cretin” is richly deserved) the former head of Shin Bet (the security and intelligence organisation that covered Gaza) who was baffled that his policy of “deterrence” had failed.
First, you despicable excuse for a person, it was your job to know about enemy attacks – many thousands of Islamic warriors prepared a massive attack under your nose, and you did not notice – some intelligence and security chief you are. And when vast numbers of Jews were killed you did not resign – you desperately tried to keep your job, even going-to-court to try and prevent the Prime Minister sacking you.
As for “deterrence” – a sincere Muslim can not be “deterred” because they believe they will go to paradise (with the 70 virgins and so on) if killed in battle with infidels for the sake of Allah.
If you thought that sincere, believing, Muslims could be “deterred” you know nothing (nothing at all) about Islam.
Whilst on that subject – I am reminded of President Bush, rushing to the Islamic Center in Washington D.C. a couple of days after 9/11.
Was President Bush going there to destroy the place and drive the followers of Muhammed from the United States? NO – of course NOT, he went there to make a speech saying how wonderful Islam was.
The “War on Terror” was lost right there and then – at that moment. And now Mr Mamadani is Mayor of New York. And look at the charming people who are the Governor of Virginia, the Deputy Governor of Virginia and the Attorney General of Virginia – only one of these three persons is a Muslim, but all three people would happily destroy traditional Westerners – “but Paul, the Governor Virginia used to work for the CIA” – so did John Brennan, indeed he was Director of it.The “Red-Green Alliance” is not just a British thing.
Meanwhile the Republican Mayors of Dearborn Michigan (yes only a few decades ago this city had Republicans in office) were proud of maintaining a “secular city” with no religion being given special treatment.
The followers of Islam in Dearborn quietly smiled – knowing that as their numbers increased, they would elect one of their own as Mayor (or a puppet) who would change the Police Department, and everything else.
And that is exactly what has happened. Dearborn is not “secular” any more – because insisting that police officers be clean shaven and that Islamic symbols not be shown misses-the-point (and all that secular window dressing has gone now anyway) – all that matters is beliefs and numbers. “Demography is destiny” – as the French used to say, before they could be sent to prison for saying such things.
For Nigel Farage to know nothing about Islam is, perhaps, forgivable – “we must not alienate Islam” was still an absurd comment, as Islam is “alienated” from all those who do not follow it (“do not take the Jews and Christians as your friends” – a basic principle), but there is no special reason why Mr Farage should know that.
But for the head of Shin Bet (the internal security and intelligence service of Israel) to know nothing about Islam – to even think that sincere (believing) Muslims can be “deterred”, is NOT acceptable.
“Surely the churches will lead the resistance against Islam”
In case anyone is innocent enough to think that – I suggest you examine the case of Pope Leo XIV who is the leader of the largest Christian Church, he is too busy attacking President Trump (on anything and everything – from the start of his Pontificate, just as Pope Francis did) to spare one word to oppose Islam.
And most (NOT all – but most) of the Protestant and Orthodox churches are much the same – they are not going to fight.
Instead they come out with “Critical Theory” platitudes (or race, sex, and so on – the “exploitation and oppression” tap dance) – hopefully unaware that “Critical Theory” comes from Marxism. Plus “Green” (“Our Common Home”) stuff (based on a total lack of understanding of environmental matters), and (of course) “Social Justice” – which confuses justice (which is to each their own) with taking, by force, the stuff of some people and giving this stuff to other people.
Saving individual souls from death? Little interest is shown in this matter.
And all the above most certainly applies to leftist Jewish groups – not just Christian ones.
While I share Paul’s annoyance over much of this, I can see why the Blair comments were quoted, because it is so unusual – shockingly so – to hear a major Western politician refer to the 7 October pogrom at all. A large part of the Western political establishment would rather that day of infamy – to borrow FDR’s description of the Pearl Harbor attack – be forgotten as just another bad day in the office. On that day, Israel, if it needed reminding, was confronted with Tehran’s intent to wipe it out, and it had to act. As Paul notes, the pro-Hamas/Islamists and their useful Leftist idiots began protesting about Israel even before the IDF had so much as started any action. This point has been noted by many, such as Douglas Murray, the journalist, and others.
There is a moral blindness, a level of evasion and wilful ignorance about the desire by Islamists to wipe out the only serious democracy in the region. It is a sign of our moral degeneracy. Israel is, whether you are religious or an unbeliever such as I, a key front in the war to protect individual liberty and what we call “civilisation”. It is as simple as that.
Johnathan Pearce – yes indeed. The dreadful first paragraph of former Prime Minister’s Blair’s remarks, does lead into other paragraphs which are partly (partly) good.
I feel an obligation to play Devil’s advocate here.
Not that Blair is the most evil recent Western leader, but he has nauseated me ever since he stabbed Denmark in the back in 2006.
Still, some qualifications are in order:
1. If he were honest with himself, Blair would admit that he played a major role, perhaps THE major role, in getting Britain into the current mess. But that would be to expect too much from a human being. Therefore, he has to lament the suffering on both sides.
2. Maybe he has to lament the suffering of both sides anyway, if he wants the center-left to listen.
3. Let’s take what Blair says literally:
This will undoubtedly be taken to imply that Israel is at fault — but that is not literally what he says.
Indeed you can: it’s called freedom of speech. But Blair does not make any such criticism here; not explicitly, anyway.
Here i have a mild objection: it is true that “many Jews around the world” (and especially in the relative safety of the US) criticize Israel, but it is questionable whether their criticism is “legitimate”: see Marius’ comment above.
Snorri Godhi
An excellent defense – but of a guilty man.
In 1968 John Enoch Powell warned the British people that mass immigration would, if not stopped in time, lead to the natural increase (births) of hostile populations, which would mean that even if mass immigration was eventually stopped it would, if left too late, NOT avoid terrible conflict.
It is now clear that the Brigadier was correct – and the answer of the establishment is……
Send people to prison, for years and without trial by jury, if they dare point out the obvious.
This is NOT just about “the land between the river and the sea” – it is about everywhere, the world. Most certainly including this country.
And the followers of Islam have a case, I admit that.
They can point out that the fertility of Westerners (including the people of Japan, Korea and so on – so this is NOT a racial matter, it is cultural matter) has collapsed, that non Islamic societies, including Russia, are DYING – they are not having the babies to replace themselves. And they can point out that every sexual perversion (no matter how extreme – including things that there were not even words for, only a few decades ago) is openly celebrated in Western nations – including by the judges, the police, and the armed forces.
And they can point at their deluded allies, the Marxists – including the Marxist “Greens” (who are watermelons – green on the outside, red on the inside) who are fanatically supported them (the followers of Islam), even though the these forces make no effort to hide their intent to utterly destroy their deluded allies – the moment they are no longer of use.
It is not a secret what Islam thinks of “feminism” or the alphabet people, it is all quite open – yet the “educated” Westerners support all these things, and Islam, at-the-same-time.
It is hard not to agree that the Western “intellectual” establishment has a death wish – and it is certainly true that Western societies are in terrible decline, which may well turn into total collapse.
Can any Western nation recapture the basic things are the basis of Western society?
It is unlikely – as any effort to do so would be denounced (by the “educated” and powerful) as racist-sexist-homophobic-transphobic-minor-attracted phobic, furry phobic, Climate Denialism. As well as, of course, a violation of “Social Justice”.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather he did say it literally — or said nothing at all. I guess though it’s lucky that people like him have only two corners to their mouths.
I believe that this comes back to the main issue the suicidally empathetic actually have with many parts of humanity: They strongly believe that many races and cultures ARE INDEED inferior to other groups, but they cannot make themselves say it, or even explicitly admit it to themselves.
So, in the minds of the woke, Hamas acts as they do because they know no better, not because they are bad people.
But to counsel them to become civilized, they must at least tacitly admit that they are not civilized now.
That’s a bridge too far for people facially driven by “equity.” It brings us back to that question of, who are the real racists?
Even the Devil has a right to an advocate 🙂
@bobby b
They strongly believe that many races and cultures ARE INDEED inferior to other groups, but they cannot make themselves say it, or even explicitly admit it to themselves.
But there are cultures and groups that they do consider inferior, even profoundly evil. For example, the Nazis, or European colonialists, or capitalists, or bro culture, or white supremacists, or Dixie southerners or many others. I think it is interesting to think about what are the factors that mean one is tolerated and one is not. TBH I’m not sure I have an answer to how they draw the distinction.
But it is interesting that those who are supposedly so very tolerant can often be the most vehemently intolerant people too. It is the “who are you to judge another groups beliefs and views” crowd who are the most enthusiastic proponents of cancel culture.