A long way from Cable Street
JVL Introduction
We explained before the March Against “Antisemitism” on 26th November that it was really a march against Palestine solidarity.
An abundance of Union Jacks and Israeli flags on the day suggested that antisemitism wasn’t its real focus, as did the singing of the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah.
This didn’t stop the organisers from having the chutzpah to compare the turnout to that at the Battle Cable Street, a misguided comparison if ever there was one, as Michael Richmond makes clear below.
Richmond concludes:
“The struggle against racism isn’t a fight for state patronage, “hate crime” laws or police protection. It is a global struggle to overturn the colonial order that produced “race” in the first place. Nothing short of a decolonial and antiracist Judaism is what is required. To take our place proudly within the huge antiracist movements required to meet this time of fascism.”
RK
This article was originally published by The Pickle on Fri 1 Dec 2023. Read the original here.
A long way from Cable Street
Last weekend’s March Against Antisemitism was in fact a march against solidarity with Palestinians, writes Michael Richmond.
Loading article text…
No Jews in UK have had their houses bulldozed or their grandchildren blown apart by by high explosives so the march was just a whinge
Excellent piece. When I first heard they were comparing their march with Cable Street my blood boiled.
I am sorry but while this article contains important factual information, it is also contains trivialising and jargon filled rhetoric. What on earth has transphobia or misogyny got to do with this story? Is there really much point in lumping all colonialist projects together? In my view, Israel is indeed an apartheid, colonialist settler state that has no future until it acknowledges that it stole Palestinian land and massacred its people (and continues to do so). But the language of this article is imprecise and generalising, bringing together every colonialist project without regard to specific histories that are so crucial in understanding our world. The history of Israel Palestine is unique. It is not just any old colonialist project. It cannot be explained successfully in this way. Why does it matter? Generalisations about colonialist projects are much easier to refute and dismiss. It leaves us open to ridicule.
A bunch of opportunists clutching at straws.
If it wasn’t so serious it would be laughable.
My Uncle and Dad (against my mother’s concerns and wishes) cought the bus to Liverpool St Station , followed the crowds and were prepared for a scrap. They told us that there were so many up against Mosely and his Gang of Racists, they lost all apprehension and they were disappointed that they couldn’t get close enough to where the action was.
What these pro Israel lot were up to, had nothing to do with anti Semitism, just a flag waving exercise to increase support for Israel. ????