Tips for surviving Elections

Elections are upon us once again and Warwick goes into a craze of posters, facebook-cover-photo-changing and canvassing. Here are a few tips to survive it all:

1. Invest in a good pair of headphones to wear around campus at all times. The more obvious the better. Music optional but recommended. Suggestions:

Emeli Sande: 'Read All About it [in the Boar]'
The Bee Gees classic: 'Stayin' Alive [during the elections]'
Tracy Chapman: 'Baby Can I Vote For You',
Daniel Bedingfield: 'If You're Not the One [I should vote for]'
Beyonce: '[The old Sab Team is] Irreplaceable'
Michael Jackson: 'Leave me Alone'

2. Work on your best look of complete disengagement with everything going on around you to pull whenever walking around people with flyers/leaflets/paper of any kind/clipboards/that 'will you vote for x' look. Accidentally walking into a wall may complete this look.

3. Learn to avoid eye contact with everyone at all costs.

4. Avoid the library, piazza and any stretch of pavement on campus. Stick to the middle of the roads where possible. You have a choice. Navigate oncoming traffic or campaigners.

5. Print out a number of flyers saying: "I have already voted!" to hand out should steps 1-4 fail and you still get approached.

6. Watch old Aaron Bowater election videos on Youtube. Wonder where it all went wrong.

7. Alternatively avoid campus at all costs. Traffic is a nightmare anyway and the buses never run to time.

Anti-Semitism has never gone away

It's easy to make accusations of anti-Semitism. In fact, it's so easy, that I am going to do it right here and right now:

Anti-Semitism is continuing to grow and if anyone, for a minute, thinks we have learnt the lessons of the Holocaust then they are sorely misguided, ignorant, perhaps wilfully so, and/or anti-Semitic themselves.

The reason, however, it is so easy to level charges of anti-Semitism is not because Jews have some sort of victim mentality and choose to dismiss anything as anti-Semitism, whether it is or not, but rather because anti-Semitism remains prevalent. Before I even make any substantial claims, someone may dismiss my blog as misusing the term anti-Semitism and somehow devaluing it maybe because it should only be applied to "real" anti-Semitism such as the horrors of 1930's Europe (or maybe because it just doesn't exist now in the first place). Wrong. Jews, almost unique in their historic persecution, are equally unique in their inability to define what constitutes anti-Semitism. For some reason Jews have no say in what is anti-Semitism, rather forced to sit idly by as non-Jews, many of whom will never experience any form of discrimination in their lives, tell us to get over ourselves, suggest it isn't as bad as Hitler's Germany (as if this somehow makes it okay) or suggest it is basically all fair game because, you know, Israel.

This is the first type of anti-Semitism: ridding Jews the ability of any attempt at defining what may/may not constitute anti-Semitism. If your first instinct at reading the first few paragraphs is to suggest I am exaggerating/devaluing anti-Semitism/just wrong then you may be an anti-Semite. Or at the very least, wilfully ignorant of anti-Semitism. 

One of the problems Jews today face is the very fact that the Holocaust happened. Its sheer scale and the unimaginable horror inflicted on the Jews and other undesirable groups such as gypsies and homosexuals makes it very difficult to believe any form of anti-Semitism could ever be as bad as the institutionalised mass murder carried out under Hitler. In fact, it makes it very easy to dismiss any claims of anti-Semitism because whatever occurs right now, it cannot be as bad as the ghettoisation and murder of millions of Jews. As if somehow the gas chambers renders any anti-Semitism now irrelevant or somehow not that bad. This is to fundamentally ignore the lessons of the Holocaust. It is precisely because of the Holocaust that we should be so vigilant against anti-Semitism now. To learn the lessons of the Holocaust does not mean to claim the worst has happened and declare anti-Semitism a non-issue as a result. Rather it means to be even more cautious in the face of anti-Semitism and aware of what unabated incitement against Jews can and has led to. Instead, we bury our heads in the sand, convinced that another Holocaust couldn't happen on our watch unaware it was precisely that attitude that allowed Hitler to kill the millions that he did. There is plaque at Auschwitz that reads: "Forever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to Humanity..." A warning to Humanity. A warning that humanity refuses to heed. A cry of despair Humanity refuses to hear. 

This is a unique form of anti-Semitism. It rests on complete knowledge of the horrors of the Holocaust and complete acceptance of the extreme anti-Semitism in Europe at the time. It is precisely because it was so horrific and the anti-Semitism so extreme that people believe modern day anti-Semitism doesn't come close and is not worthy of mention. Quiet Jews. You had your time. It isn't as bad. Shush. 

Another lesson of the Holocaust is that Jews should rely on no one but themselves for their very survival. Faced with a systematic attempt to rid Europe of every single Jew, world leaders did nothing. Don't try and kid yourselves into believing somehow that the West didn't know. They did. They ignored it. (CF Jan Karski if you are interested). Jews learnt the hard way, not to rely on anyone but themselves for their very survival. This is why Israel is so important. Attacks against Jews only serve to prove why Israel needs to exist (ironically). The world has stood idly by throughout history. It continues to stand idly by now. This is not a blog about Israel or the Palestinians or even attempting to defend Israel's actions. Regular readers know my opinions. Rather, all I attempted here is to defend the very idea of an Israel, in some form, existing as a Jewish state. If we had learnt lessons of the Holocaust Israel wouldn't necessarily need to exist. The very fact that we have not merely continues to confirm that it does. It may be easy to assert anti-Semitism. It is easier to dismiss the very real danger that Jews live in across the world - and is anti-Semitic to do so. It is easy when looking in to assert that things aren't that bad. When you are not the target of the attacks you are shielded from them. It is Jewish schools that have armed guards. It is the El Al check-in desk that has armed guards. Sooner or later, they all come for the Jews - and they never stopped coming for the Jews. 

What it all adds up to is the very real need for Israel to exist. When you live in a world where you are safer to lie about your being a Jew (see recent attacks in the US), that world has not learnt any of the lessons of the Holocaust. 

Another type of anti-Semitism is a nuanced form of Holocaust denial. It is the Holocaust denial that compares Israel to the Nazis. It is the Holocaust denial that makes comparisons between Gaza and the Warsaw Ghetto. It is the Holocaust denial that says Jews must learn the lessons of the Holocaust. It is the Holocaust denial that covers up Holocaust denial behind the cloak of caring about other tragedies across the world. It is the Holocaust denial that suggests the time has come to 'lay the Holocaust to rest'. It is the Holocaust denial that doesn't deny the Holocaust happened but mitigates it awfulness, justifies it or suggests Jews 'use' it. This is much worse than simply denying it ever happened. The Holocaust was the systemised, institutionalised, state sponsored mass murder targeted at a specific race. Be very very careful when you compare anything to it. Not just because nothing compares to it but because in comparing things to it, no matter how serious, you mitigate the awfulness of the Holocaust, an event whose awfulness should never be mitigated.  When Sky News, for example, runs a piece on remembering the Holocaust and runs pictures of Gaza, there is a serious problem. As if somehow what is important to remember when dealing with the Holocaust is Gaza. There is no comparison between Israel and the Nazis. There is no comparison between Gaza and the Warsaw Ghetto. If you feel it necessary to include Gaza when talking about the Holocaust, you may be an anti-Semite. 

On a recent edition of the Big Questions on the BBC, the question, "Has the time come to lay the Holocaust to rest?" was asked. I only watched one response, so I can't comment on the programme itself, but such a question has no place being asked. Having not learnt the lessons of the Holocaust, we are already asking whether it is time to forget about it. Whether Jews should move on. Stop complaining. Stop 'milking it'. As if the murder of Six Million of our kind could be 'milked'. As if there is ever a time to lay such a tragedy to rest. If you think Jews go on about the Holocaust too much, use the Holocaust or milk it you may be an anti-Semite. 

The most prevalent type of Anti-Semitism, however, is Israel-related. It blames Jews collectively for the actions of the State of Israel. It attempts to justify anti-Semitism by arguing if Israel weren't so damn awful, Jews would be fine. It hides anti-Semitism behind anti-Zionism. Again, this is not a blog about Israel's actions. Whatever your opinion on them, they offer no justification for anti-Semitism. Jews are not responsible for Israel and Israel's actions, no matter how awful you perceive them, are no justification for attacks on Jews or anti-Semitism. This is remarkably prevalent. There is a common conception that Jews should take what they get because Israel. You hear it all the time. If Israel didn't kill Palestinians no one would attack Jews. If Israel didn't exist Jews would be just fine, anti-Semitism (if it even exists) would disappear overnight. Ironically, you'd be partly correct. If Israel didn't exist anti-Semitism may disappear but only because Jews would first. We've been there before. If you blame Israel for anti-Semitism or think you can understand anti-Semitism in terms of Israeli action you may be an anti-Semite. You may as well argue that if Jews hadn't have existed in the 1930's the Holocaust wouldn't have happened. I am not going to get into anti-Zionism. Suffice to say it is often a cloak of anti-Semitism. 

70 years on from the liberation of Auschwitz and we have not learnt a damn thing. Anti-Semitism never went away yet it remains denied, mitigated and justified whilst incitement against Jews remains, attacks against Jews remain and the threat to the Jewish people remains. 

Those pesky Jews, chasing money

Skysports reveals that Dave Whelan believes Jews, "...chase money more than everybody else." Twitter responds as I suppose we should have expected it to.

 

Close to tears

Image via @gpoIsrael

Whatever you are up to today, busy with essays or revision or work or applications or reading or even if you are just enjoying some quiet time, stop and look at the photo above. Let the image sink in. Four Jews murdered for being Jews.

Go on with your lives, being thankful every moment that this didn't happen in a place of worship near where you live.

Thought for the Day

I never was one for poetry. I loathed it as a GCSE English student, spending my time analysing war poems by finding the most contrived hidden meanings possible and was never one, particularly, for writing them either. In fact, I have only ever written one poem and the less said about that, and the recipient, the better. But luckily for me, considering I have always wanted my blog to go beyond the usual prose about Israel and my life, I have friends who can write poetry. One, Adam Kayani, recently posted the poem below to his Facebook page and I reproduce it below. To convey a message so important and meaningful in rhyme is a skill I can only look upon with a mix of envy and pride. It's one that needs to be shared. Consider it your thought for the day, perhaps? Read on, share and enjoy.

People are dying all over the world right now.

Dictators, renegade generals and corrupt politicians all hold power

In countries where life expectancy these days is measured in hours.

They live it up in villas, chalets and wear Hugo Boss,

While the mothers of their people lie in the dirt weeping at their loss.

Their husbands, daughters, young sons and homes,

have been blown to bits by passing drones,

While behind a Macbook Pro in Washington DC

Sits an USAF cadet celebrating a great KD.

The western Champions of democracy and defenders of human rights,

Enforce 'international law' using raids in the night.

People have enough and rise up to topple their oppressors

Only to end up with leaders much the same as their predecessors. 

We are bound upon a wheel of fire death and pain,

All for no conceivable gain.

The dollars stack up and the oil keeps flowing,

All the while the panic keeps growing.

Groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and ISIS,

Go on the rampage causing an international crisis.

"They must be stopped! They're barbaric!"

The journalists become hysteric.

In desperation the West turns to the East for help and assistance,

They make a deal with the devil to end the resistance.

The crisis will pass and danger is averted

But the murderers and despots have not been converted.

Instead they now bear the seal of approval

And become immune from democratic removal,

Free to reign supreme over all that they see,

As long as they and their masters' foreign policies agree. 

And so people continue to die all over the world right now,

We watch it on TV and read it on twitter

Debates on Facebook get increasingly bitter.

But at the end of the day we turn in for the night,

Power down the laptop and turn off the light.

We go about our lives and complain about trains

and how our mums and dad are intolerable pains.

We do nothing to influence the men of influence and power,

Who sit right beneath our most famous clock tower.

Who live and work in our country and city 

Brokering deals, makes speeches and attending committees.

Why don't you take five minutes or any time that you can avail,

To fire off a tweet, letter or email.

Because only those who are enlightened and privileged as we are

Can make a tangible difference to places so far.

Its up to you to stop the people dying,

To dry the tears of that mother who's still crying.

People are dying all over the world today,

Its up to you if you think that's OK.

Adam Kayani

They should have been friends

This photo I came across recently courtesy of the Peace Factory and the Palestine/Israel loves Israel/Palestine groups on Facebook gives me chills every time I see it. It sums up the horrific situation Israelis and Gazans find themselves in. It is a beautiful, yet heartbreaking photo of two young boys with a remarkably simple message.

Two young boys who never knew each other, despite living within mortar range of each other. Two young boys who have no opinion on the situation. Two young boys who are now dead because their leaders cannot seem to find anything better to do than relentlessly shoot at each other. Two young boys whose tragic deaths are being used on either side to score political points.  Two young boys who did not live to see their 5th birthdays yet saw two wars. Two young boys who could have loved but were trapped in a cycle of hate and violence. Two young boys who should and could have grown up together as friends rather than have their parents' generation's hate forced upon them.

Two young boys who could still be alive today if we had chosen peace not war; reconciliation not revenge; and love not hate.

The JC, Gaza and Charities

The Jewish Chronicle this week has apologised for running a Gaza Appeal advert by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) after complaints from its readers. There is a fundamental problem with complaining about running an advert from a charity. It's a charity. We like charities, we think they do good work helping people who suffer for all manner of reasons. There is an even bigger problem when a Jewish newspaper receives complaints about an advert calling to help Gaza's children. It looks like the Jewish readership of the JC somehow fundamentally objects to helping Gaza's children, or at least objects to advertising an appeal for Gaza's children. It also strikes me as incredibly unlikely that one of these readers complained to The Guardian after they published arguably a far more controversial advert than the JC have and they probably responded to those who did by crying for free speech. There is a problem with the DEC however, which I will get to later.

The JC's apology, first off, is worth noting. They claim that the advert is "not an expression of the JC's view". What? An advert calling for money to go to the children suffering in Gaza? I would very much hope it was an expression of the JC's view, an expression of every decent human being's view. As I have repeated, you can support Israel vehemently (as I do) and still support the Palestinians, have sympathy for their plight (whoever you blame for it) and wish to help them. This idea that somehow publishing (=supporting?) anything that highlights the situation in Gaza is anti-Israel/pro-Hamas is ludicrous and needs to go. No, it does not even matter if the advert does not mention Hamas and just focuses on children suffering. The cause is irrelevant.

I have no doubt, for a minute, that some of those objecting to the JC's publication of the advert do so because they feel to have any support for Gaza or the plight of Palestinians in Gaza is somehow to support Hamas, the group that is undoubtedly (also) responsible for their suffering. If you have been reading my last few blogs, you will know that I am not interested in the blame game and frankly even if you had the most convincing arguments regarding Hamas' complicity in the plight of Gazans, that does not make any appeals on their [Gazans] behalf any less important. Just because you believe Hamas, and not Israel, is to blame for the situation Palestinians in Gaza find themselves in, you cannot object to organisations trying to alleviate that suffering. 'Hamas is to blame therefore we don't have to care'?

Nor do I buy this idea that any money going into Gaza somehow ends up in the hands of Hamas. I don't really want to have this argument, but it is incredibly lazy just to state 'Gaza = Hamas' and somehow any money donated to relieve the undoubted suffering of Palestinians in Gaza must be going to Hamas. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that you have to be careful with donations and charities have to be careful when working in areas with such immense corruption, but to simply dogmatically assert that money going to Gaza goes to Hamas will not do.

There is a small facebook group calling for a boycott of the JC until they apologise, which I suppose is unsurprising. Upon receiving the apology, the group's admin posted a status complaining that it was not good enough.  It commits an awful example of genuine 'whataboutery' (as opposed to those Owen Jones and Mehdi Hasan often like to complain about) asking why the JC chose to print a Gaza appeal and not one for an Israeli charity as if somehow the JC was faced with a direct choice. As if somehow advertising a Gaza appeal means you do not support the work of Israeli charities. It then asks if an Islamic paper would post a Magen David Adom appeal. I am inclined to agree that such a paper would not. Does this make an iota of difference? Of course not! Just because an Islamic paper may not publish a Magen David Adom advert does not mean a Jewish paper cannot publish a Gaza appeal advert. What a nonsense. It then tells me that the JC has chosen money over the sensitivity of the Jewish Community. I do not wish to be part of this Jewish Community then. Anyway, the group has fewer likes than my average per-post readership so I suppose I should leave them alone.

Inspite of all of that, there is reason to object to supporting the DEC (and by extension the JC's decision to run an advert by them). Obviously the JC do not support the organisation and were merely advertising a worthy message. Rather than object to the cause it supports, it is possible to object to the charities that collectively form the DEC. This idea that somehow charities are all saintly organisations is as much a nonsense as the idea that supporting the plight of Palestinians is anti-Semitic or pro-Hamas. Of the charities that form the DEC, three have been reported on by Stand For Peace an organisation that I have previously worked for, as having links to extremism. Those are Christian Aid, Oxfam and Islamic Relief. These are worrying reports and reports that do mean supporting the DEC should be approached with some caution - though it is worth noting there are 10 other charities that make up the organisation. We all have a right to know that our money going to Gaza to help children that need help right now will not end up in the hands of Hamas and be used to build terror tunnels or rockets. It is a great tragedy for the Israeli civilians that live at risk of these attacks but it is an even greater tragedy for the Palestinians who could so benefit from the money flooding into Gaza if it were all used correctly and to alleviate their suffering rather than to inflict it upon Israelis.

It is a tricky one for me. I do not think the DEC intends for its donations to be abused but it is a sorry fact that they will be. And it won't just mean the Palestinians continue to suffer, it will mean the money flows directly to terrorism. So we should be vigilant and careful and lobby hard to ensure the charities mentioned, and others, know exactly where their money goes but object to a Jewish Paper running an advert for Gaza? Do me a favour.