I was out for a walk at lunchtime and instead of listening to the birds busting a gut with their song, I foolishly went to my earphones and listened to William Crawley on Talk Back (British BC), busting a gut to whip up discussion over why we in NEI tend to ‘see the world through green/orange lenses.’,
The focus was on the Palestinian carnage, and why nationalists supported those dying in Gaza and unionists supported those dealing out death in Gaza. Crawley seemed to hint that it was just the two tribes reacting : if themuns is for Palestinians, we’re for Israel. But then Lorcan from Derry sent in a message, saying of course nationalists opposed imperialism and its use of slaughter, torture and famine as weapons against the native people.
For a moment it seemed that Crawley hadn’t heard Lorcan, because he (Crawley) kept asking why we viewed the world through green/orange yackety/yak etc.
Then Sinn Féin’s Pat Sheehan came on and explained that republicans habitually sided with the oppressed people in any country against the imperialists who were trying to keep them under their heel. When the talk had shifted to a motion in the Assembly, Tom Elliot of the Ulster Unionists came on and tried to explain not having voted in favour of a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. It had to do, Tom explained in his usual whiney way, because the nationalists wouldn’t call the incursion by Hamas into Israel genocide. FFS, Tom. Try not to be so buttock-clenchingly embarrassing.
I’ve no doubt there are some who look over the peace wall and respond to a Palestine flag by hoisting an Israeli one. But the real reason, obvious to anyone with half a brain-cell, is that nationalists/republicans don’t think that coming to someone else’s country and using brutality, torture and death is a good idea, whether that’s in Gaza or South Africa or South America or even our own dear North-Eastern stateen. Some unionist politicians have to wrestle with their consciences before they can bring themselves to say that well maybe now, much to be said on both sides, nuance, that’s what we have to include, nuance and and and…
Oh God. I should have chosen the bird-song.
Very good jude free Palestine
Thank you, James. Ditto…
It is kind of obvious why Nationalists by and large would support the people of Gaza, Crawley is being disingenuous. It is also pretty clear why Unionists usually support Israel. However there are exceptions, John Taylor (yes THAT John Taylor) has been a supporter of Palestinians rights for years, I also know a dyed in the wool Republican who supports Israel.
Verrrry. interesting. Where can I find info on Palestinian John??
John Taylor is currently involved in a Twitter spat with Robbie Butler of the UUP. Big John accused Robbie of supporting Israel’s killing of innocent Palestinian women and children and Robbie took offence at that. He has asked questions in the Houses of Commons and Lords over the years. Not sure why exactly.
Remind us again Jude who instigated the rape murder and kidnapping of men, women, children and babies on the 7th October?
We can pretend we don’t know what’s going in the world but once we comment on an event then we can no longer pretend we don’t know what’s happening, we are either for or against. We all know October 7th didn’t happen in a vacuum, read the many books and interviews by prominent Jews who have consistently condemned Israel and their Zionist ideology. These guys are not self-hating Jews but brave individuals who can clearly see right from wrong and are not afraid to speak truth to power.
Watch the award winning “Zone of interest”, about a Nazi commander and his family living next door to the horrors of Auschwitz, his family and visiting friends behaved as though they are unaware of the evil goings-on across the wall. They knew but chose not to discuss it, easier that way, pretend we are unaware, just blame themuns.
The director Jonathan Glazer (a jew) in his Oscar acceptance speech compared the Nazis to Zionism, he said dehumanisation makes it easier for us to accept the killing of others but it never makes it right. He was very brave as the Zionist lobby attacked him -as he knew they would- and accused him of being a self-hating jew.
Strange how his accusers wouldn’t accuse the Germans who were against Hitler and the Nazis as self-hating Germans. Different times and different uniforms but very similar actions and reactions.
Slavery and apartheid would still be happening if it were not for the brave actions of people who weren’t afraid to speak up, usually people who were not directly involved but saw inhumanity as evil.
The whole October 7 episode leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Hamas must have known how Israel would react to the slaughter of their citizens, however how were they able to carry out such an attack right under the eyes and ears of the IDF? Maybe it is because of the dirty tricks we have witnessed here but I am cynical.