There are a lot of people this morning a bit mad with Kevin Connolly. Kevin, as you may know, used to be the BBC’s Ireland correspondent, based in Belfast. He’s now based in the Middle East and he’s in hot water because of the attitude he’s taken to the killing of three young Israeli males – or ‘boys’ as Kevin refers to them.
As you probably know, Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eval Yifrach were Israeli students on the West Bank, abducted and killed recently by Palestinians. Kevin was on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme with John Humphries, and Humprhies made the point that although more Palestinians get killed in the Middle East by Israelis, the BBC tend to make more fuss over the smaller number of Israelis killed by Palestinians, as in this instance. Kevin went into sem-reverse-speak, talking about it being a “difficult issue”, and how Israelis were incensed about the “nature of it, the brutal abduction, the murder, the fact that the families were left for two and a half weeks not knowing the fate of the boys – there was a special kind of chilling factor, a cold-blooded calculation to that crime”.
Critics of Connolly want to know what he is doing, acting as a mouthpiece for Israel? He emphasises that the ‘boys’ were hitch-hiking home for the weekend. “What does Connolly think toddlers in Gaza are doing when an Israeli shell lands on their house and buried them under piles of rubble? What does he think young boys in the West Bank are doing when an Israeli soldier shoots them in the head or chest?”
It’s a criticism that Kevin Connolly should be familiar with, having been the BBC’s Ireland correspondent. What we’re talking about – he’s talking about – is a hierarchy of victims. Some stories, like those of Jean McConville, Mary Travers, Pat Finucane, get detailed retelling, and it is true that what happened to them would move a heart of stone. So too would the killing of the three young Israelis. Unfortunately, attention to them while ignoring hundreds of other innocent victims of violence suggests that the deaths of the latter are somehow less important. But should you suggest as much, you can be accused of siding with those who committed the killings.
As a newsman, Kevin Connolly knows it’s easier to buy into the dominant narrative of an event. If everyone is saying how uniquely loathsome a killing is, you’d better not try to complicate the story by referring to other victims or you’ll be accused of supporting the killers.
So maybe we should have some sympathy with Kevin Connolly. He’s a BBC newsman, dealing at speed with a story, knowing without having to think about it that to point to other, equally cruel killings could have repercussions for his career. It’s not easy. But then it’s even less easy being an anonymous and innocent Palestinian whose killing is treated as a statistic and whose life and death are forgotten before they’ve hardly begun.
I note that Israel has already arrested several ‘suspects’ in their investigation into the revenge abduction and horrific murder of a young Palestinian last week. Will Palestinian authorities arrest anybody for the killing for the 3 young Israelis abducted 2 week previously?
While I deplore Israel’s violence against Palestinians, I try also to bear in mind that it is a small country, about the size of Munster with a population of less than 10 million, and some very undesirable neighbours.
Does Israel have a right to exist? Does N. Ireland have a right to exist? Neither question deserves an answer.
I think you will find the Israelis bombed the ‘suspects’ to death.
The point about the Middle East situation is that the Israelis are as close to WASPs as it is possible to be without actually being ones whereas the Arabs are definitely Johnny Foreigner. Happened here too only the English regard us all as foreigners. But let the likes of poor Captain Nairac be removed and floods of tears ensue. The British Empire caused the Middle Eastern conflict and the African etc etc and now wring their hands at the ingratitude of these savages as Britain was only trying to help. You know honest broker, holding the ring. Ring a bell?
Well Jude, isn’t that why I’m always banging on about “history” and “real history”. We all suck up up these stories on a daily basis. A reporter’s very job reduces each real life to a hastily scribbled story , somehow distant from real life. Some stories are “sexier”. They sound right and they catch on with the public .It might be because the people concerned are actually sexier or cute, prettier or in this case “young”.
We’ve all lived through so much of all this commodified slaughter that we actually have built up a sort of immunity to some of these tales.We tend to get cynical. We know that another horrific bus full of death will come along soon enough and we’ll all be off again.The death of any young person diminishes us all , especially those of us , who as parents ourselves , can identify with any other parents’ dreadful loss.It’s what keeps the Madeleine McCann “story” constantly recurring while that scab is torn open again and again with no end result.
I’m reminded too of the Iraq War though where death was almost forgotten with the rise of Technological Warfare pornography. The new idea that you could strike a target with sweet precision caught the geek imagination and in some respects glorified and sanitised the distant , removed killing. It turned death into a computer game ….thumbs pounding the keypads of destruction.Many , many children were atomised in those precision strikes but all anyone wanted to see was footage of this great new way of killing.
That’s the kind of unholy beasts we really are . There is a human need to get in there and do a bit of killing .You daren’t at any price let it out of the box and onto the streets. It always ends up in a shambles of blood and broken bones….and dead sons and daughters.
The politicians need to choose their words very carefully and those reporting it need to take a look at the much bigger human picture. There are wild, unfettered beasts out there on the streets .I wish our politicians would someday learn that lesson instead of threatening to let some of them out of the bag. We all know what happens when beasts get hungry ….they need to kill something….
Within hours of the discovery of the murdered Israeli teens, Israel was able not only to confirm it was the work of Hamas but also could name the individuals involved.
On the discovery of the murdered Palestinian teen, Israel couldn’t confirm anything, it may have been a revenge attack, too early to say…police investigation ongoing etc.
Yes Jude,
I would have to agree with you the murders of these 3 young Jewish men is to be deplored as is the murder of the young Palestinian man who was burned alive by Israeli settlers and those murdered by the Israeli Defence Forces who indiscriminately fired missiles into Palestinian areas.
But there certainly is a hierarchy of victims which is represented by the bias in the press media which eventually percolate down into the perceptions and understanding of the general public.
When you treat people like animals some of them will eventually behave like animals. As you well know it is the US and UK support for a sectarian Israeli state which promotes the ethnic cleaning of East Jerusalem and other areas of Palestine which is arguably the basis of the problem.
As an aside but in the same principle, media were not interested in the fact that a poster of Martina Anderson was on a bonfire only that it was beside a poster of Anna Lo (because we just accept that Loyalists just do that and we pass no remarks).
Thanks for thoughts, Paintis. Yourlast sentence is the one that is disgraceful – I mean of course the sentiment you point to. Why do we allow this kind of primitive behaviour to pass without comment? Have you a pic reference for that>
Mr Robinson’s graduated response to the erection of a Ku Klux Klan flag in east Belfast appears to have passed without comment also. He described it as “intimidatory” and “grossly offensive.” The PSNI lost no time in removing the flag. Call me a cherry picker but I would have thought that disloyalist paramilitary flags fall into the same categories. Unlike the Ku Klux Klann, the UDA and the UVF are proscribed organisations. No doubt as part of a graduated response, this matter will be discussed with representatives of the paramilitary organisations during or after the next scheduled executive meeting. It remains unclear if the UDA and UVF have “walk on” or “walk out” parts in this pantomime. I am sure all will be revealed with more Monty Python politics, “nudge nudge, wink wink, you know what I mean”.
‘Hierarchy of Victims’ is an excellent phrase as it lends itself neatly to a particularly memorable and absolutely apt initialistion: ‘HoV’.
Thus, the three murdered Israeli youths were definitely HoVs while the murdered Palestinian youth was indubitably a HoV Not.
In an Irish context the relevance was starkly spotlighted by the singular similarity in the names of two victims of the latest chapter of the bulldog’s last BOW (British Overseas War). In life, Jean McConville and Joan Connolly shared the same initials, JC. That was all changed, changed utterly however after both had been murdered: whereas the former became a HoV the latter was destined to be designated a HoV not.
At least in the eyes of the Mainstream Media. Hacks, of course, are particularly prone to acronyms. And it is not only in politics that the concept of HoVs and HoV Nots holds sway.
Take the case of clerical abuse, for instance, in the Free Southern State. All reliable surveys of this scourge have invariably come up with the same findings: the Catholic Clergy has been guilty of 3% (T-h-r-e-e p-e-r c-e-n-t) of ALL child abuse cases in the State.
Mind you, tell that to the Diocese of D’Olier Street in Dublin 2 (where the HQ of the Unionist Times which operates, of course, under the nom de guerre of the Irish Times was up to recently located) who insist on devoting, indeed, devoutly devoting 97% (at least) of their coverage of child abuse cases to those specifically involving the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. (the Roman prefix is a sine qua non nowadays, and a charmingly derisive one at that, having been exclusively the preserve of Big Ian and the Blessed Breds of St. Bigot up to comparatively recently.)
Ah, how difficult the leopard finds it to change its spots, or as the Lingua Franca of the Leprechaun has it: ‘Briseann an duchas tri shule an chait’.
And when I mention the Diocese of D’Olier Street I also include RTE even though Donnybrook is located far away in Dublin 4. But then those who espouse the motto of the Diocese (‘D’Olier than Thou’) are not confined to one specific postal number area: the Unionist Times is a broad Church.
And a busy one too: tarring as they have been the overwhelming majority of the Catholic Clergy with the same brush, for the sins of the tiny minority, their broad stroke brush strokes being dipped in a partcularly dark and demonic hue. But then, the Diocese of D’Olier Street has not been behind the pulpit or the pew when it comes to the the parlour game of Evagelicisation. (Whisper it, but some of their biggest Souper Stars in this field have, erm, changed sides. Whatever you say, say sweet Fanny Adams, as Famous Seamus once put it).
Thus, if you were one of the mere 97% who had the rank bad misfortune to be abused by a non-Catholic Clergyman, hard cheese, only chap/chapette. But you is definitely a HoV Not.
In recent times, of course, the spotlight on the scourge of Child Abuse has switched from to the – ye Gods and little F. !- the media itself. Talk about the Enema Within !
So far, however,rather curiously, there has been no tarring of the media hierarchy by the same media underlings with the same broad brush strokes even though THE very same broad brush strokes were in fact a central feature of the most recent and sensational case.
So far, in a manner of speaking the Rolf has been kept from the door of the D’Olier than Thous. .
How long, oh Lord, for how long?
Till the wee Twalfth of Never, perhaps?
Perkin – you have a wonderful way with words (and a very clever undercurrent). I like your style. Some great posts over the last few days. I look forward to some more.
Mile Buiochas, a Cheannaire,
And indeed I look forward to computing a few more, the Fior-Cheannaire willing, aka, Esteemed Blogmeister.
Alas, like Stormont vis a vis Westminster, one is but putty in his hands. He is All-Powerful. We here in South Ireland are not unlike those in South Korea when they look north at Sun Moon Star, and tremble.
One lies awake at night dreading the sound of his Town Crier ringing his bell in the street outside, and he to be raucously roaring: Two o’Clock ! And all’s not well ! Prorogued ! Prorogued ! Prorogued !
In the event of such a happening one’s first reaction would be to do a Wife of Bath number, fling open the elegant wainscotting and poke my cute though ample fundament outside, roaring in response: Prorogue mo Thoin !
But, alas, it is not one’s way, alien as it would be to all that is most cherished in the Warbeckian code.
Tog go bog e,
Perkin.
PS At one stage ‘prorogue’ was the buzz word du jour in the Wee Six. It’s a pity it has been dropped from the lexicon as it does, does it not , have something of the Leprechaun lingo about it? Must say it caught me my surprise at first and nobody I buttonholed could tell me what it actually meant, never having encountered it before. either.
And then when at last I did discover its meaning I had to develop a dodge to retain the meaning in my sieve like memory. The dodge went as follows: First, close one’s eyes. Next, think of the Pogues whose rise coincided with that of Prorogue. Then, focus on the abandoned graveyard that was the mouth of its lead singer, his teeth like tombstones a tilt. And finally, the clincher, repeat up to ten times: Shane McGowan’s visit to the dentist has been prorogued. Shane McGowan’s visit to the dentist has been prorogued. etc
.
,
Perkins… Ahhhhh. Your mention of the bold arch Pogue McGowan brought to mind an aquaintence of mine from long ago days in London to whom I gave shelter from the storm for some time until I was forced to abandon that household Said housemate is sadly now prematurely beyond this mortal coil but was at one time a buddy in arms with Shane in his band the Popes …a more virulent strain of the Pogues…sadly he was sacked from that band for leading the bold Shane astray…..well he was that kinda guy and as we know, Shane is still above ground, if one of the Great Undead…..
Hi Jude,
Well here goes, I know I am going to come in for an ear bashing, I am, and have always been, and shall remain totally PRO ISRAEL!
My late Father served in Egypt, in the late 1949/53 .
He despised the Arabs, disliked everything they stood for, on the other hand, he admired the Israelies.
He thought after everything they had come through during WW11, all the wars particularly the seven day war, chasing nazi’s into South America and catching them, that they were a great race of people!
They are surrounded by all these despotic nations, thank God they have a deterrent to keep them at bay.
America needs their votes, pretty much the same way as the Irish American vote.
Just remember this the baby Jesus, Mary. And Joseph were all Jewish.
To me personally, it is the only true religion on this earth.
So I am behind the Jews all the way, I pray for them every night. God bless and preserve her, for when there is no more Israel it will be the end of the world.
Norma
https://twitter.com/ladfleg/status/485840920236285953
Hi Norma, you do not need to be anti-Semitic to be critical of the actions of the Government of Israel. The proof of this is the many Jewish people including Rabbi’s who come out and protest against the IDF airstrikes on Gaza and the West Bank and other humanitarian abuses. You only need to look at websites like Jewish voices for peace to see the strength of feeling amongst the Jewish Diaspora opposed to the actions of the Jewish Government against the Palestinian peoples of the Middle East.
The whole world is embarrassed about the Sectarian, unfair and often murderous behaviour of Settlers and the Israeli Defence Forces!
“There are a lot of people this morning a bit mad with Kevin Connolly”—- Really?At 10-55 pm tonight,I count 14 responses to your blog and some of those from the same individual!Compared with some responses to some of your recent blogs,it doesn’t seem that a lot of people are that worried!
Well, Argenta, i’d like to think of my blog as the centre of the universe but alas, it isn’t. Check the net – there are quite a number of very detailed, very critical responses to Kevin’s performance on R4. As I say, I have some sympathy with him – a newsman’s job is not easy – but in the end it’s a question of prioritising victims and that’s not good. And LOTS of people have said so.
Norma, I too have a great love and affection for the Jewish people, they have suffered terribly and the hatred felt towards them by sectarian Islamic Jihadists is sickening. It rather puts one in mind of the anti Catholic bigots over here, eh? Mind you, unlike your father I do not despise the Arabs, the fact he was walking around THEIR country carrying a weapon probably accounts for that. I could walk from here to Cork and back and I might never encounter an Arab! The Israeli government bears the responsibility for creating peace there, they have the power. As in all such conflicts it is the innocent who suffer the most.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQAl9HyhhKl1lJzwflpMQQP8qDq4fMo1BbI8dypDkNVfTzZuSL0RQ
THE ULTIMATE PLAN FOR THE TWELFTH…..minus Britt Ekland, unfortunately. Arlene doesn`t really cut it…..
Some bonfire in that one AJ….Have you seen this one ?
http://imgur.com/f8K1IDi