tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532914503860216905.post2801230662546819909..comments2023-12-28T20:23:26.235+00:00Comments on Rhymes and Routes: Easter, Labour Anti-Semitism and the PPLGeoff Parryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13001652498088237935noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532914503860216905.post-2329839401456895982018-04-27T15:34:01.806+01:002018-04-27T15:34:01.806+01:00Well, if Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian politicians ...Well, if Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian politicians and others describe their countries as Muslim states, even though they have non-Muslim minorities, I can't see a problem with Israeli politicians describing Israel as Jewish state, especially when three quarters of the Isareli population are Jewish. I don't see any problem there. I don't remember agreeing that I lacked objectivity over Israel; you must have misheard me. On the other hand, if I gave that impression,Iam sorry for it and retract that statement.I do frequently criticise the PPL, as I think they deserve it.This is a rational decision on my part. I believe my criticisms to be fair and justified. I have never accused PPL supporters of being irrational; inconsistent is a better description.I support Amnesty International actions on behalf of Palestinians , which is not the behaviour of an Israeli sympathiser.I shall continue to support AI in its efforts to support human rights around the world and continue to criticise the PPL where appropriate.If I have said anything in my blog item that is incorrect, then perhaps you and others should try and refute it, if you can.Geoff Parryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13001652498088237935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532914503860216905.post-82507889927975164192018-04-27T04:30:07.259+01:002018-04-27T04:30:07.259+01:00Oh dear! I said Judaism was a religion. Nowhere di...Oh dear! I said Judaism was a religion. Nowhere did I say that all Jews practice their religion. Indeed, I pointed out that Herzl was an atheist. Your inference does not reflect what I think.<br /><br />When it suits the Israeli establishment, they point to the fact that a large minority of Israeli citizens are Arabs, some of whom sit in the Knesset as MPs. Then at other times, they repeatedly refer to 'the Jewish state'. These are contradictory attitudes, each employed when it suits them, and sympathisers like you choose not to notice. <br /><br />In no way, Geoff, are you an impartial judge of the situation in Israel: you are as irrational as you frequently accuse supporters of the Palestinian cause to be. You actually admitted your bias the last time we met. I told you that you were determinedly analytical of all issues, except about Israel when your objectivity went out of the window. If you remember, you actually agreed.RedNevhttp://rednev-rearm.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532914503860216905.post-67221318243222348282018-04-24T21:24:35.840+01:002018-04-24T21:24:35.840+01:00Superficially, you are correct; there IS such a di...Superficially, you are correct; there IS such a difference between Judaism and Zionism. Your mistake is to believe that all Jews practise their religion. Even those Jews who never attend synagogue consider themselves to be Jewish, as would the atheist, Theodore Herzl.As such, when Netanyahu, and other Israeli politicians speak of Israel as a Jewish state, they mean it is a state for the Jewish people, practising or not. Your distinction, therefore is lacking understanding of the fact that being Jewish is not necessarily defined by religion, but by blood ties and tradition. <br />I am sorry I won't be getting my tenner, which I deserve; I'll just have to ask Mossad for a raise. Geoff Parryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13001652498088237935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-532914503860216905.post-1099884125379183052018-04-22T12:31:54.614+01:002018-04-22T12:31:54.614+01:00Your desire for tenners doesn't invalidate the...Your desire for tenners doesn't invalidate the fact that a very careful distinction that needs to be made between Judaism and Zionism. One is a religion and one is a political movement: indeed Theodor Herzl, credited with being the founder of modern Zionism, was an atheist. Israel deliberately conflates the two, Netanyahu always referring to the country as "the Jewish state", and the Israeli establishment describing Jews anywhere in the world who criticise the State of Israel as "self-hating Jews".<br /><br />Sorry, no tenner winging its way to you.<br /><br />Neville Grundyhttps://rednev-rearm.blogspot.co.uk/noreply@blogger.com