Ukraine is not Palestine or Syria but…..
JVL Introduction
Ilan Pappe outlines the hypocrisy of many in the west over their reporting and attitudes towards the war in Ukraine and its victims and contrasts it with reporting of Palestine and Syria. As well as the picture of bombed out tower blocks in Gaza being mistakenly used to illustrate damage in Ukraine, a picture of Ahed Tamimi, from Nabi Saleh , confronting an Israeli soldier was used to illustrate defiance by a young Ukrainian woman. There are, of course, courageous Ukrainian women but Tamimi has often been branded a terrorist rather than brave, and the same label is often applied to young Palestinians throwing stones at Israeli armoured vehicles compared with the recognition of the bravery needed for Ukrainians to throw molotov cocktails at Russian tanks.
This article was originally published by Palestine Chronicle on Fri 4 Mar 2022. Read the original here.
Navigating our Humanity: Ilan Pappé on the Four Lessons from Ukraine
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How sad it is to reflect on the sight of Israel stooping so low, thank you Ilan Pappe.
The hypocrisy of British (western) media has reached dizzying heights, or depths in the reporting on the Ukraine. How odd that armed conflict by US or UK never causes any civilian causalities. We must be persuaded to believe that only Russian bombs and guns are harmful. Any attempt to find out what is actually happening only gives us more and more hysterical images designed to inflame anti-Russian sentiment. This has the opposite effect on me. My hatred, yes, hatred of British media leads me to suspect that Putin is a “good” guy or at least nowhere as bad as he is made out to be. Remember just what they did to Corbyn.
One glance at the NATO map of Eastern Europe shows immediately why Putin is aggrieved. This INCREASE in NATO bases since the end of the “Cold War” is monumentally stupid and pointless. Did they seek to “save” us from Communism or just perpetuate the cold war to keep up their arms sales?
Apart from the double standards on Palestine the disregard for the horrifying situation in Yemen, for which British weapons are partly responsible, is further proof of media irresponsibility
I wrote the following letter to the Guardian a couple of days ago:
“Dear Editor
Moustafa Bayoumi (‘They are ‘civilised’ and ‘look like us’: the racist coverage of Ukraine’ Guardian 3rd March 2022) is clearly correct to say that our response to the victims of atrocities depends largely on the extent to which we can identify with them. In this context it may be helpful to reflect that what is happening to the people of Ukraine now is fairly similar to what has been happening intermittently to the people of Gaza for many years, except that in the latter case the victims have not even been able to flee. The justifications and excuses provided by the perpetrators are also remarkably similar in both cases, particularly in their demand to ‘demilitarise’ the territory being attacked and their generalised abuse of its elected government.
This is not a comparison which seems to appeal to opinion-formers in the West. One would hope that the Guardian might be an exception.”
Words can scarcely express my lack of surprise at this not being printed.
I myself was discusted at the 24 hrs reporting about Ukraine while there was no reporting of the crimes against humanity the Palastinian People are suffering at the hands of the Israeli Government .
The MSM in this country along with both the tory government and the labour oposition party and those other MPs in Parliament who are all quick to stand up demanding sanctions against Russia and demanding that Putin stands trial for war crimes because of the death of innocent Ukraine Men Women and children through him invading a neighbering country
Well as much as I agree with all that the hypocrisy of the British Government the USA government and the NATO member country’s as well as the MSM is unbelievable I have watched the condemnation of Russia by all of the above But I have yet to see the same condemnation of the Israeli Government and the crimes against humanity and deaths of innocent Palastinian Men women and children which hasn’t just been going on for a number of weeks but for many years
So I say to all those hypocritical people and leaders of those countries who go out of their way to condem one country and its leader who are committing crimes against humanity of innocent civilians like a nuclear power like Russia are. Then you also have to condem the Israeli Government who are also a nuclear power and who are also committing crimes against humanity of innocent Palastinian Men Women and Children
And this dhould apply to any country who invade another country and commit those crimes
Because you can’t pick and choose who to condemn while the same thing is happening to someone else
I’d never heard of Ilan Pappé until some Local Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) propagandists began their attacks on Jeremy Corbyn and his Haringey supporters as antisemites.
I was involved in Haringey Labour since the 1980’s, Including two years as Tottenham Constituency Secretary, and then as an elected councillor. So when the attacks began, I realised that either I’d spent some seventeen years with my eyes and ears tight shut ; or that it was mostly nonsense.
And anyway, what the hell was going on?
At the time I wasn’t involved in any way with Israel/Palestine issues. But I prefer making up my own mind. So with advice from sensible friends outside the local echo chamber, and with time to read and enough cash to buy books and ebooks, I embarked on new learning.
Applying the Thumper Principle. I can say one good thing about the JLM. An unintended consequence of their nonsense was my introduction to some well informed, wise, interesting, brave and determined advocates against what has unfortunately become of Zionism.
Professor Ilan Pappé seems one of the best, most interesting, and principled of them. I recommend his very readable books. But there are many more such principled advocates. JVL of course is an excellent guide here. A view endorsed by the angry abuse from online trolls.
What Ilan Pappé writes about Gaza, Palestine, Israel, and Ukraine is a view which needs to be heard. It may be unpopular right now. But is a sign that Britain remains a country which has genuinely free speech. Particularly in its universities.
Or let’s hope that’s still the case.
Spot-on analysis. At this point would also like to recommend Ilon Pappe’s book “10 myths About Israel”.
Germany has unfinished business from WW2? No coincidence that Germany is arming Ukraine & for the same reason that it armed the Croats in the sovereign country of Yugoslavia. Old habits die hard.
MSM information is tightly controlled in Britain as Rupert Murdoch’s MSM empire expands. Richard Sharpe donated over £400K to the Tory Party prior to being appointed Chairman of the Objective & Independent BBC. What happened to David Miller @ Bristol University is just another example of the power of the Israeli lobby existing throughout our educational institutions. The journalist, Peter Oborne has been made ‘persona non grata’ in MSM because he dared support the Palestinians. No platforming censorship cannot be part of a healthy democracy as MSM Western monoculture prevents any criticism of NATO. As Sir Keir Starmer (something of the Knight about him) has indicated, any member of the Labour Party who does so will be expelled. Boris Johnson is not the only liar in British Politics as Sir Keir (Unity Candidate) has broken every promise he made in the leadership election.
Many accurate points about hypocrisy here. A very useful article to archive and use in future, especially against those in NATO who wish to bomb another part of the Middle East; something which will inevitably happen in the future. All human suffering in war is to be condemned whether Israeli, Palestinian or Ukrainian.
Thank you for this valuable information. I have learned a bit more about the devious nature of the vast majority of politician who, by and large, are either ignorant of the facts or turning a prejudiced blind eye to the truth; more likely the latter.
The skewing of the truth by the world’s media makes it difficult to have an honest conversation about world events with anyone who has not gone to the trouble of researching a range of sources of information. Ilan Pappe’s ‘Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine’ is a key document for understanding the facts about the foundation of Israel and its subsequent accretion of Palestinian land – acts of theft which are illegal under international law, but which most of the world tolerates because it treats Israel as a special case. I just noticed that the kindle version of the book is currently available for 99p – much as I hate to add to Jeff Bezos’s profits, it’s too good a bargain to miss.
Russia’s war against Ukraine an atrocity, one which raises the prospect of a new world war in which nuclear weapons would almost certainly be used. People speak of the fog of war, and repeat the old saw about truth being the first casualty of any conflict, but I fear that the fog descended a long time ago, and shows no sign of clearing. John Stewart – a tv personality I used to admire – said the other day that the Ukraine war was bringing out the best in the American news media, allowing journalists once again to focus on the real job of investigating and reporting the truth. I think he is mistaken: the air is thick with partisan propaganda, and if you want to know the truth you have to dig it out for yourself.