British Polite Society Has Found a Not-So-New Target

Wall Street Journal Europe ^ | 12/24/2001 | Melanie Phillips

[l33t]

By Melanie Phillips, a columnist with the Daily Mail in London.

Since the war against terror started, polite British society has found an enemy to target. It's neither the Taliban nor al Qaeda, however -- it's the state of Israel and Jews in general.

[Former Proud Canadian]

A new theme that has emerged since 9/11 (west vs. islam etc.) is that democracies (or at least consensus ruled states), generally do not go to war with each other. They might engage in trade disputes, but shooting wars are virtually non-existant.

The reasons for this are fairly clear. Democracies, even if they don't share a language or a culture, do share many, if not most, common values. They have a written set of civil and criminal laws, most with the same root (English common law). They believe in free expression, relatively free movement of capital, people and ideas, representative legislatures, some form of capitalism, and much more. They have too much in common to go to war.

The idea that Isreal, in its present form as a representative parliamentary democracy, would go to war with any other representative democracy is ridiculous.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Yeah..yeah..yeah...it's going to be 1938 all over again. As I said at the start, this gets old.

Presumably you have some reason for thinking that what happenned in 1938 could not happen again? Why don't you let us in on the secret?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

So with whom do your loyalties lie? Israel or the USA? Who comes first?

As someone who flys a foreign flag, with whom do your loyalties lie? Croatia or the USA?Who comes first?</

[quebecois]

"I could scarcely believe what I had heard. Will Self was seeking to make the wider world aware of two things: First, that I was a Jew, and second, that therefore my views on Israel could be disgarded since Jews had double loyalties"

Oh, come now. Who is being dishonest here? Of course her views on Israel are going to be distorted by the fact that she is Jewish.

I doubt that he was implying that her views should be "disgarded"...but rather that her views should be interpreted as being those of someone with an emotional interest in the conflict, and not a disinterested, objective observer.

[LarryLied]

My point is that history is being used as a political weapon. I expect more is all I guess. But people can do what they want. Works for Jesse Jackson.

[aculeus]

Europe's pose of moral superiority has always been just that, a pose.

When Black players go on the field inb Europe -- soccer and other sports -- they are frequently greeted with bananas thrown from the stands.

Most Americans wouldn't understand why but it's this: Africans are ape-like psuedo-humans who eat bananas.

Suggestion to a Eurobigots: don't try this in the USA or you'll end up in hospital.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

This is nothing new and such charges with regard to Jewish loyalty have been staple of anti-Semitism for year. Defending his loyalty to the U.S., against Gore Vidal(!) Normal Podhoretz once said, "I am loyal to my country." Vidal responded, "I know you are. But are you loyal to my country?"

[quebecois]

I am not talking about "double loyalty"...I'm talking about objectivity. The question raised by this article is this: Does this author have the right to be offended because people assume that her Jewishness means she is has a bias in the middle east conflict.

My answer is simple: OF COURSE she is not objective. She (and the vast majority of Jewish folks) have a deep emotional attachment to Israel. This affects her analysis of the middle east conflict. And the fact that she finds this assertion offensive is idiotic.

[LarryLied]

Maybe you can't find it because there is no credible news source reporting what you say is true.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

First time I've done this.

Dingo Baby

member since December 21st, 2001

[LarryLied]

The FOX story I assume you are referring to has been the topic of much discussion. So why not find it and comment there rather than pretend the subject is not allowed on FR?

[genefromjersey]

This is News ???
The Brits have been anti-semitic for centuries !!

[Neets]

Is that you Justin???? Hi di HO THERE!!!!

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Yeah, but when you get a guy named Disraeli as Prime Minister, it just doesn't seem as bad. 8>)

[LarryLied]

The Brits have been anti-semitic for centuries !!

Now and then the Brits haven't been very nice to the French and Germans either.