Two reports from yesterday’s annual “Al Quds” Israel hate march are absolutely essential reading. There was a sizeable counter protest this time, it’s always hard because these events are always scheduled on Shabbat. The video was filmed by David Collier who put on a hate scarf and joined the crowd.
Esmerelda writing at New English Review covered the counter protest with lots of pictures and some interacting with the haters at the full link:
Today is not Al Quds Day – today is Jerusalem Day
That was Simon Johnson the CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council speaking this afternoon at the demonstration in support of Israel organised to counter the annual Al Quds march. Every year for the last few years the Al Quds march has been countered by individuals and small groups, but this year the Israel Advocacy Movement, Sussex Friends of Israel and the Zionist Federation rallied under the umbrella of Stop the Hate, Stand with Israel. And I think they found it a bit of a shock.
Esme is quite concerned that the police take no action when people openly wave the Hezbollah flag. They’re a recognised terror group, even in London.
I call upon the Metropolitan Police, and the Home Office that issue orders to take note. It is time to stop the circular arguement whereby the Home Office say it is up to the senior officer on the ground to use his/her judgment. And the senior officer says he has instructions from on high to do nothing.
The atmosphere in the Stand with israel group was lovely; it was wonderful to see Al Quds countered by a good sized crowd again. It will happen again in 2017 and for as many years as it takes.
But much darker is David’s report Walking with Hezbollah:
And we walked amidst this hatred. The drum beat ever present. The mob’s conductor leading the way with the usual chants. Right through Oxford Circus, Regent Street, Bond Street, the heart of London’s main shopping district. Hezbollah flags were waving all the way. I saw a boy, maybe 13 or 14, holding the terrorist flag. At some point I was handed a large Israel hating placard to hold aloft. I soon disposed of it, my co-operation would only carry so far.
Such extremism. Such hatred. There will be no peace, there will be no progress, until this venom is extracted from the conflict. The irony that on this day in North London, left wing Zionists had gathered at a Haaretz conference to discuss the issue of peace was not lost on me. With all the will in the world, theirs is a bubble that at the moment, simply does not exist.
You cannot negotiate with this. Nor will peace move forward whilst this mob is allowed to spread its poison. This is blind hatred. Self- chosen ignorance, bias, and yes, not a little antisemitism. Those few in the crowd that were not Islamic radicals fell into two distinct groups. Those on the very far left, and those on the very far right. An absurd political marriage enabled only by a mutual hatred of Jews.
They even began to talk about ‘true Jews’. Radical Islamic extremists actually defining my religion for me. They stood and declared I was not a ‘real Jew’. Over and over again on the loud speaker, in the heart of London. A speaker at a radical Islamic march declared to all those listening that over 90% of UK Jews are not ‘real Jews’. This isn’t antisemitism? This isn’t incitement? How is this not hate speech? On the way back from the march, activist and blogger Richard Millett witnessed and intervened during an antisemitic attack against a Jewish boy on the train. This is what accommodating such hatred provokes.
If British society tolerates this on the streets of London it is finished. I think Brexit was a vote against this. I think there is a vast unasked group of real British (of all colours, races and religions) who are revolted by this and want it to end. The British authorities need to be told that this is just simply hate against Jews. Nothing else.
