This is a guest post from Margie in Tel Aviv from the Olive Branch
When I am reminded that Ben White lived for some time in Brazil I remember for some reason that Mengele’s bones are buried there. However he now has his own claims to antisemitic fame with his admission that he understands why people are antisemetic, with his young thugs’ primer: Apartheid: a beginner’s guide and his spirited defence of Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust denial. I suppose we could call him a reliable hack to call on when you have nothing to say but want it to be against the Jews anyway.
Ben White has to see Israel’s enemies positively no matter what the facts and this was clearly on display in his latest piece Fatah and Hamas set for surface unity. He is convinced that Hamas and Fatah will get together but nothing he advances lights the bulb of logic for us since we have all been there and done that before. He counts Egypt’s pressure (not Jews, get it?) as a positive force but a glance at local newspapers will show how ardently Egypt courts Hamas’ good opinion: the answer is, not at all
Gaza – Ma’an – Dozens of Gazan students on Saturday appealed to the Egyptian government to open the Rafah crossing so they could attend their universities in Egypt.
Several students told Ma’an that the school year had already begun at Egyptian universities, and added that they appealed to the Egyptian government to open its crossing so they could join their classes already in progress.
Abbas has preferred to cooperate with the US rather than press for the Goldstone report to be forwarded to the UN General Assembly. This White ignores since it shows Abbas in the wrong light.
White blinded by his own need to idealise those who oppose the Israelis is forced to see that
the issues of substance that until now have divided the two parties, [are] elections, security forces, detainees, and a way of overseeing the implementation of the deal
instead of the hatred and the violence that underlie their every contact. It takes a strong stomach to read the Amnesty report that covers human rights abuses perpetrated by Hamas forces and militias against its political opponents and you cannot blame Ben White from shying from these issues, unless you actually have a need to face the truth.
He ignores past history and does not admit, as he should, that the many ceasefires and agreements between Fatah and Hamas have splintered often within hours, and completely without reference to Israel, just because they find it impossible to agree.
At least this time Ben White wasn’t able to make much impact with his limp article registering just 33 comments in part because the CifEditor was all in a tizz.
Hawkeye
Omar2
WellofSense
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Louise
Tosca
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Margie in Tel Aviv
Guest/Cross Post
Hadar Sela
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October 5, 2009 at 2:55 am
JerusalemMite
‘Ben White has to see Israel’s enemies positively no matter what the facts ‘
Very much a direct pointer to antisemitism. One wonders where he picked it up from.
I have never seen one positive word from Ben White on Israel. Even Brian Whitiker has occasionally let praise for Israel slip in. (Only country in the Middle East where homosexuality is not illegal).
October 5, 2009 at 3:57 am
Mita
Ben did his degree in literature and he might even be good at it. More relevantly in a field in which he has some expertise he might be able to judge objectively and on merit though somehow I doubt it.
October 5, 2009 at 4:04 am
peterthehungarian
Boker tov Margie in Tel-Aviv,
At least this time Ben White wasn’t able to make much impact with his limp article registering just 33 comments in part because the CifEditor was all in a tizz.
I think Berchmans and Moeran took some days off and couldn’t participate in the fray.
October 5, 2009 at 4:22 am
margie
Boker tov peter – also in Israel?
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I think Berchmans and Moeran took some days off and couldn’t participate in the fray.
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They chose other threads to post under. Either Ben White’s lack lustre performance gave them nothing to discuss or the commod drove them off by taking all the juice out of the discussion too.
October 5, 2009 at 5:45 am
peterthehungarian
Margie
I’m living in Shlomi som 500 meters inside Israel.
October 5, 2009 at 5:50 am
FoolMeOnce
Hmm… Very revealing stuff.
Look at what Ben “White” has to say on equating between Israel and Nazi Germany:
“Comparisons between the Israeli government and the Nazis is unwise and unsound, since the Israelis have not (at the time of going to press) exterminated in a systematic fashion an enormous percentage of the Palestinians. Cold-blooded killings, beatings, house demolitions, vandalism, occupation, military assaults, and two historical pushes at ethnic cleansing–yes. Full fledged genocide–no.
However, the comparison is not anti-Semitic. It does not make racist assumptions, nor does it smack of bigotism. Whether you agree with him or not, Mr Möllemann’s comments cannot, on their own, be called anti-Semitic.”
At the time of going to press, get it?
Equation not morally wrong, just unwise, get it?
He also has this to say:
“I was somewhat startled by this, since I do not consider myself an anti-Semite, yet I can also understand why some are. There are, in fact, a number of reasons. One is the state of Israel, its ideology of racial supremacy and its subsequent crimes committed against the Palestinians. It is because Zionists have always sought to equate their colonial project with Judaism that some misguidedly respond to what they see on their televisions with attacks on Jews or Jewish property.”
Racial supremacy, get it?
White finds the Jews’ right for self-determination as “racial supremacy”. Neat.
The full article:
http://www.counterpunch.org/white0617.html
And it says at the bottom that Ben White can be reached for comments on:
benwhite1983@yahoo.com
October 5, 2009 at 6:03 am
Fairplay
Bo karov, Tel Aviv! It’s still Sukkot, innit? Europa calling !
Back to Ben, the flowerpot man. You guys just don’t geddit. It’s not so easy these days being an Oxbridge man. BBC and Civil Service jobs are much harder to get, especially when you don’t come from the right social background. How can someone of mediocre talents and a taste for adventure make a name for himself? A man who feels vaguely guilty about the white man’s burden, Britain’s colonial past, whose heart is definitely in the right place – after all he reads the Guardian and the Independent – brought up to believe that the meek shall inherit the earth, that good will triumph over evil. For a young man like Ben, Sept 11, 2001 was a wake-up call. Why do they hate us? – he asked himself. Is it because of Bush and the Neocons? No – it’s because of that ‘shitty little countr’ at the root of all the problems in the Middle East. Israel.
He did a little reading and research on the Internet, and then came his first epiphany. Israel became for him the one just cause worth fighting for and his mission was to fight the good fight until this new ‘apartheid’ State was dismantled and the indigenous Palestinians could become a majority in a new Palestinian nation. He was comforted by the fact that the anti-Zionist cause was always the most popular on campus and would guarantee him plenty of extra-mural social activities like protest marches and guest-speakers to listen to. He felt such affinity for the nice Muslim men and women he ran into during these meetings. But his love-affair really blossomed when he visited the Territories for the first time as a volunteer. What noble people these oppressed Palestinians were. – he thought to himself. How justified is their struggle against the Zionists occupiers! What a beautiful land Palestine is; the land of the Bible, the land Jesus walked, and today, Zionists are crucifying him yet again !
Then came another epiphany : in his sleep he heard the voice of God ( or the voice of Gabriel, no matter ) : ” Arise Ben White and go back to your country. There you will tell the world about the suffering of the Palestinians people. You will be my messenger. ”
And lo, Ben did go anon back to Britain and write his articles and give talks about Palestine. And he did prosper and did make a name for himself at talks and conferences. And it was good. Finally he took a sabbatical in Brazil mainly to research on an MA thesis somehow related to Israel-Palestine. All the while he continued to send articles to the Guardian’s CiF – which had become a magnet for all right-thinking left-wing intellectuals. And then he returned to Britain…
To be continued – perhaps….
PS. I wrote this piece off the cuff to mock Ben White. It is all based on conjecture. I have never met him in person, and I know about him only from his articles on CiF and the few biographical clues we are given. I
October 5, 2009 at 6:06 am
Fairplay
Sorry, I should have proof-read it better.
October 5, 2009 at 6:27 am
margie
Peter: Shlomi is beautiful. Well chosen.
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Fairplay: going into hamsin season, lovely sunsets.
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Foolmeonce: Interesting and disturbing article.
The tenor of the article in 2002 has the same vibe for me as the ones in 2009. He has learned nothing and forgets nothing.
He keeps coming out with odd comments “Once again, due to the (theologically false) mergence of Zionism with Judaism” Is he now an expert on theology and what is his basis for saying this? He doesn’t tell us.
On a more personal note it bothers me that an Oxford graduate who read English uses ”mergence” in that context.
Another infelicity is ”bigotism” which is apparently Rumanian for bigotry. (Might make his flight to the Guardian more explicable Fairplay
Finding someone to blame for anti-Semitism he chooses ”the Church”, though he doesn’t say which. Presumably he means Roman Catholicism though this is not certain in the twenty-first century
“the common denominator in all forms of racism is the disturbed emotional profile of the protagonist.”.he enlightens us . Since it is not clear who he means by ”protagonist” it sounds to me as if he is describing an anti-Semite as he continues: “ignorance, a dominant influential personality in their life, low self-esteem and numerous other religious, socio-economic dynamics.” Presumably he is closely acquainted with the type and speaks authoritatively.
October 5, 2009 at 6:32 am
margie
Peter: Shlomi is beautiful. Well chosen.
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Foolmeonce: Interesting and disturbing article.
The tenor of the article in 2002 has the same vibe for me as the ones in 2009. He has learned nothing and forgets nothing.
He keeps coming out with odd comments “Once again, due to the (theologically false) mergence of Zionism with Judaism” Is he now an expert on theology and what is his basis for saying so? He doesn’t tell us.
On a more personal note it bothers me that an Oxford graduate who read English uses ”mergence” in that context.
Another infelicity is ”bigotism” which is apparently Rumanian for bigotry.
Finding someone to blame for anti-Semitism he chooses ”the Church”, though he doesn’t say which. Presumably he means Roman Catholicism though this is not certain in the twenty-first century
“the common denominator in all forms of racism is the disturbed emotional profile of the protagonist.”. Since it is not clear who he means by ”protagonist” it sounds to me as if he is describing an anti-Semite as he continues: “ignorance, a dominant influential personality in their life, low self-esteem and numerous other religious, socio-economic dynamics.” Presumably he is closely acquainted with the type and speaks authoritatively.
October 5, 2009 at 7:25 am
Heisjustanastylittleshit
Forget the epiphany BS,he is just a little AH who is doing it because it pays.If we too had Fatwas like the Jihadists do then he would think just once before he stopped his nasty anti Israeli rants.
October 5, 2009 at 8:02 am
margie
Incidentally for those who are interested in the interplay between Hamas and Fatah:
A nice little sidelight into hypocrisy is that Abbas is now calling for investigation on why the Goldstone report was not forwarded to the UNGA. Maannews tells us that Hamas says that Abbas cannot be calling for an investigation into his own actions. The Israeli press suggested that the delay in sending the report was in exchange for finalisation of the allocation of frequencies for another cell phone complex. Layer on layer of hypocrisy is that naturally Hamas does not consider themselves in any way under a cloud from the Goldstone report
The Jpost says that Abbas’s advisers will bear the brunt of the criticism They had a nice moralistic unattributed quotation
“The belief that accountability and the rule of law can be brushed aside in the pursuit of peace is misguided.” In other words: peace is a lesser goal.
October 5, 2009 at 8:06 am
margie
Fairplay: nice tale – I think you have turned it up several notches on the moral scale compared to the original.
Anyway, it’s hamsin season and the sunsets are spectacular. This year we have tailor made wrapping for the sukkot complete with pics of holy places and pious quotations.
October 5, 2009 at 8:27 am
FoolMeOnce
Hi Margie
For those of you who read Hebrew, this article on Maariv claims that Hamas’ a-Zahar (“the illuminated one”?) went so far as to call for Abbas’ citizenship to be revoked.
Now which citizenship would they like to revoke? West-bank Palestinian? Gaza-Hamas-Palestinian? Israeli? Al-Aqsa martyr brigades’ country club swimming-pool pass?
http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART1/950/142.html?hp=1&loc=1&tmp=1716
About White- I find it amusing that a European living in Brazil should describe Zionism as colonialism. What a moron.
October 5, 2009 at 8:51 am
Fairplay
Oh to be a fly on the wall when Ben met Seth ! So much in common as regards Israel-Palestine, and yet from such different backgrounds !
I don’t know which of the two I despise the most.
Anyway Margie – carry on the good work in exposing them, though I’m not sure these characters deserve our time and energy. Hag Sameah to all Israelis !
October 5, 2009 at 8:54 am
peterthehungarian
Sorry to be off topic but there is a diamond on CIF that we need to keep as a remindrer what is CIF about.
On the Anthony Lerman thread:
aldous
05 Oct 09, 1:32pm (8 minutes ago)
to understand reality this days first there is a need to discern properly the perceptive reality and the hidden concrete one. perspective reality is the main media the press and the double talk of the new world order. concrete reality is the real outcome of the publishes facts. Israel has done and still does commit wars crime in fact it is an illegal nation, moreover Israelis that live today in Israel are most of them Russians Americans eastern Europeans all of them are white Caucasians, not Semites, therefore Israel is a false nation populated by eastern Europeans. claiming the holly ghost gave them this land, we all know that is false, this people with the help of the UN and the security council have committed more crimes than Hitler and staling put together. even 9/11 is probably an Israeli design. however those that pull the string are not currently living there.
they are the Rothschild and other war mongers that have destroy not only Britain but most of the western world with their egomaniac ideas we know what is best for humanity. the problem is that reality is upside-down and the media makes you believe that the aggressor is Iran while the reality is quite the opposite the only nation that has nukes on the middle east is Israel, therefore how can a nation that has the privilege of a monopoly is able to deprive others of having means of defence. Iran is quite right about his nukes because Israel is more dangerous than Iran itself. Gaza is the latest proof.
in this tennis match of lies the report that condemns Israel was created on purpose. the media works this way ( 1 they say Israel is guilty of war crimes, but hezbola as well. “this creates two guilty persons not one, ” it makes Israel not the occupier not the invader of Palestine but a nation that defends itself, (which is a lie) however the press by putting pressure on Israel it cleans him up at the same time “OBAMA” does the same thing on what the middle east is concern it makes you believe that he is on the side of Palestine but in fact he is not. this double talk is put out there by the main media ” Murdock and the lot” and the result is the opposite of what you believe it will happen on the first place. the UN ben Kimoon the F MI the WORLD Bank The FED the Bank of England and the pope are all together on this mental manipulation. therefore you the citizens suffers cannot find answers and ends up on a suicide trend and alcohol and drug abuse. in the end you cease to think and become numb blame foreigners for your illness and deceptions and forget who are the real warmongers that have destroy you.
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In according to his own profile this guy is a Parisian male whose interest is:
artist on a quest for the holy grail, however I found it by chance now I propose art as a religion and the faith of evolution
October 5, 2009 at 9:24 am
FoolMeOnce
This aldous guy is excellent! I recommend reading it to the end.
Incidentally I used to comment on ‘The Independent’ until I realized this is like an average comment there. I’m not even exaggerating.
October 5, 2009 at 11:01 am
CIFDisgustsMe
peterthehungarian – Sorry to be off topic but there is a diamond on CIF that we need to keep as a remindrer what is CIF about.
Actually. I would tend to forgive you. That ‘superb’ comment has been deleted.
I wonder if Lerman read it and if it had any effect on him.
October 5, 2009 at 1:58 pm
NormanF
The fact Fatah and Hamas are set to sign a “unity” agreement later this month means nothing. In the Arab World, agreements are broken as quickly as they’re signed.
October 5, 2009 at 3:46 pm
sababa
Wot? Only 30something comments??? On a topic sooooo important for the Palestinians?????????????? Could it be that the many Cif-friends of Palestine were not interested because there wasn’t a good way to bash Israel with this topic? But with a bit of imagination, it shouldn’t have been so difficult, one could e.g. say that if the Elders had never written the Protocols, Hamas couldn’t have copied them for their covenant and so on and so forth… Ben White could then have responded that he can understand why some would copy the Protocols, though he himself wouldn’t, at least not directly, he would prefer to paraphrase, subtly, or maybe rather write a poem about the matter, and so on and so forth…