A Palestinian perspective on the Maxine Peake affair

While annexation of large and important sections (at least) of the West Bank, and the possibility of sanctions, are starting up the agenda, we might recall some facts about the sanctions directed against Russia for liberating the Crimea, as comparisons with those sanctions are being made.
Liberation is a suitable name for an area which had been part of Russia since 1783 the dictator Khrushchev ‘gave’ it to Ukraine in 1954. The only consultations on this issue for Crimea that have occurred have been two referendums before the liberation – both of which endorsed the status quo of continued membership of the Soviet Union as a whole, ie union with Russia, and one after the liberation, which of course endorsed continued union with Russia.
In spite these manifestations of popular decision-taking, the “West” has imposed swingeing sanctions on Russia.
As a start, let us see whether the JLM, BoD etc are prepared to discuss how the views of the long-settled population of the area – ie the Palestinians – are to be taken into account. Or is the ‘only democracy in the Middle East’ going to extend its ‘sovereignty’ by its traditional gerrymander method, earlier put into effect in 1948: drive the ‘Untermenschen’ out and declare a ‘democratic’ racial majority (subjecting the remnants to military rule 1948-1966)?
Drawing, in effect arbitrary, distinctions between Israeli decision-taking in pre 1967 Israel and in the occupied areas (which include the Gaza Strip), is missing the point. Sanctions should target the decision-takers and their compliant infrastructure; after all, do the imperialist alliance’s sanctions against Russia target only the Crimea?
I suspect that any answers from the Zionist establishments (gentile or Jewish, it does not matter) will be equivocation and obfuscation at best. But let us put them to the test and see whether they remain the arrogant racists they have been in almost every other regard; and let us push Lisa Nandy to follow the logic set out above. At the last general election at least some of the British electorate showed they detested (imaginary) racism, portrayed as ‘antisemitism’. Let us do them the credit of seeing genuine anti-racism and democratic principle in our party’s propaganda and manifesto. Sanctions (and boycott and disinvestment) against all Israeli products in the event of any annexation, to continue until the right of return of the expelled and their descendants is granted, and until Israeli forces are withdrawn to the 1967 line (it is a tactical decision as to whether pressure should continue on the apartheid rules and practices, as was the case with South Africa ).

Thank you Ahmed for this statement. It is truly sickening as a lowly PSC member watching as the world leaders watch this horror show decade after decade and do nothing. My prayers are always with the Palestinian people.

The issue here is whether it is anti-Semitic to criticize the state of Israel and/or an official organ of that state, the security services, the The Labour party made this plain when agreeing to accept the IHRA working definition of anti-Semitism by insisting on the caveat that, “this will not in any way undermine freedom of expression on Israel or the rights of Palestinians”. The Labour party said this caveat is intended to reassure members they can be critical of Israel without being anti-Semitic.
Jon Lansman, Chair of Momentum and Labour NEC member, said:
“Sacking Rebecca Long-Bailey for sharing an interview in the Independent with one of Britain’s most loved actors is a reckless overreaction.
I’m a Jewish member of Labour’s National Executive Committee who has sat on countless panels adjudicating antisemitism complaints and has often been criticised for my tough approach to antisemitism on the left.
I don’t believe there is anything antisemitic in the interview and sacking Rebecca is a reckless overreaction by Keir Starmer”. 
https://dorseteye.com/momentum-nothing-antisemitic-in-maxine-peake-article/
Put another way Saudi Arabia and Iran are Muslim states officially 100% in SA and 99% in Iran would it be Islamophobic to criticize these states? Obviously not, a ludicrous proposition, yet Sir Kier Starmer seems to have rejected Labour party policy and is saying in effect it is anti-Semitic to criticize Israel and by extension Saudi Arabia and Iran, that is why the Labour party is in such a mess.

Please make sure this article arrives on Keir Starmer’s desk. It really is time that the support for the Palestinians came out of the shadows in the Labour Party

Thank you so much, Ahmed. It seems seems that so many of my (Labour) Party’s staunch anti-racists have been crushed or otherwise suppressed that the party has lost a deal of its moral appeal. As Robin has commented, Keir Starmer should read these words, before he condemns his allies at the behest of those who would strip Labour of its voice.

According to Amnesty International hundreds of US police departments send officers for training in Israel – often paid for by US Zionist organisations. Why would they do that, if they are not learning anything? Is it for dee-escalation techniques or community policing – because that is not what most readily comes to mind. Evidently kneeling on people’s necks is a technique the US police & the IDF have in common. MAybe just a coincidence then.