Jewish Chronicle praises Livni but won't mention the Irgun

There's a typically dishonest article on the Jewish Chronicle website which didn't quite make it into today's print edition because it was about Tzipi Livni's address to the Jewish National Fund faithful (plus a couple of infiltrators) last night in London.

First up the headline is contradicted in the article.  Here's the headline:

What protests? Livni enchants the crowd at JNF event

And this is from the article:

Outside the venue, over 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered to protest against Ms Livni’s appearance, countered by a similar number of pro-Israel supporters. The two sides were separated from each other by police barriers and a busy road.

One day's notice and Palestine solidarity activists could muster as many opponents of Livni as the article claims the Zionists could muster for their own event.

Also my people in the event told me that they thought the Palestine solidarity demonstrators outnumbered the zionists by about two to one and the police confirmed this when I turned up after the event while they were putting away the barriers.

And what of Livni's speech?

Ms Livni told her audience: “The first thing I want to emphasise is my parents were freedom fighters and not terrorists. I am not willing to accept any comparison with terrorists like Hamas who are looking for civilians to kill.”

Deir Yassin anyone?  Her parents were in the Irgun but you would never know this from the JC article.   Livni herself wasn't so reticent.  She was happy to name the terrorists of the Irgun even she wasn't so keen on calling them terrorists nor on recalling their undeniably terrorist actions.

There's another article which did make it into today's print edition and that is the bizarre Livni claim that she would still have come to the UK without the special immunity that had to be arranged for her.

Ms Livni said: “I am a proud Israeli and I have no problem coming to the UK despite the arrest warrant. I would have come anyway, whether or not the UK government had not blocked the warrant.

Again, you would never know from the article that it was the Israelis who have been demanding, and eventually getting, this legal immunity in the UK for their war crimes suspects.

Back to last night.  Remember I said about the good Arab being seen but not heard.  Well the JC did hear him:

After the speech, Ismail Khaldi, an Israeli diplomat in London who comes from Israel’s Bedouin Arab community told the JC: “I wish it was me up there. One day I want to become a politician.”

See, I said he was seen but not heard and he even claims he wanted to be heard.  Maybe he's only just found out about Israel's ethno-religious pecking order.

Israel's good Arab seen at Livni event but not heard

Well apparently Israel's favourite Arab, diplomat Ishmael Khaldi, was in attendance at the JNF's Livni event and according to my man at the event all the speakers from Livni herself to islamophobe, Douglas Murray, were pleased to see him.  But apparently whilst every speaker was pleased to see him, no one actually heard him because, good Arab that he is, he was seen but not heard.

Don't let the Young zFUKers get you down!

The Youthful wing of the Zionist Federation UK aka ZFUK is holding a counter demo tonight at the Jewish National Fund's Tzipi Livni event so here's another invite:

Come out to support Israel TONIGHT!

Do you believe Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorism?

Do you believe Israel should respond when rockets are fired at her civilians?

Do you believe Israelis should be free to visit this country without harassment?

If your answer to any of these is ‘yes’ then come out to support Israel TONIGHT!

This evening the Palestine Solidarity Campaign will be protesting against Tzipi Livni speaking in London. The ZF will be holding a mass pro-Israel rally in response, to show the Israel-haters that they won’t go unopposed. We have flags, banners and music – all we need is you!

Our rally will be from 6.30 – 8.30

Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel,

2 Cadogan Place, London, SW1X 9PY

(Map here)

If you’re interested in details for tonight, please email chris@zfuk

Their rally will be from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm which is a curious coincidence because so is PSC's demo.

Invitation to an evening with Tzipi Livni

This is what the Jewish National Fund sent out to invitees to the "Tzipi Livni event".  They sent it out yesterday to thwart protestors:

Thank you for confirming your attendance at JNF UK’s Tzipi Livni event this Thursday evening, 15 May 2014.

We are delighted to confirm the event details, as follows:

Venue:          Jumeirah Hotel, Carlton Tower, 2 Cadogan Place, London, SW1X 9PY click here for map
Event Timings:    Doors open 7:30pm for a pre-event canapé and drinks reception
   8:45pm – 10:30pm Main Event
Security Access:         Photographic ID and a print-out of this ticket confirmation are both essential

JNF UK has the right to refuse entry (whereby a full refund will be given) and details of the venue are strictly confidential to attending guests only. We ask you to kindly refrain from publicising these details on any media, either before or during the event. Seating will be allocated on arrival.

For any enquiries, please contact 020 8732 6146, events@jnf.co.uk or visit www.jnf.co.uk/livni

We look forward to seeing you there,
The JNF UK team

Palestine Solidarity Campaign is organising at demonstration at the event.

Tzipi Livni can run to the UK but she can't hide in the UK

Well the cat's out of the bag. Tzipi Livni's whereabouts tonight night is now known to all Palestine Solidarity activists.  She's the star speaker at a shindig for the London registered charity the Jewish National Fund:

Here are the details:

Date: 15/05/2014
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location:
Outside
Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel
2 Cadogan Place,
London,
SW1X 9PY

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign is on the case, as is, Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods. 

Union calls on Theresa May to say FUCU to Tzipi Livni

This in from Stop the Jewish National Fund:

UCU Scotland condemns Israel war criminal visit to London JNF

 

The 2014 Annual Congress of the University and College Union Scotland Congress (UCU Scotland) today voted unanimously to condemn the planned visit by Israeli war criminal Tzipi Livni.  The Israeli politician was given a rare diplomatic passport by the UK Government in 2011 specifically to protect her from the risk of arrest and prosecution for complicity in Israeli war crimes.  Livni is planning to speak at a provocative Nakba Day meeting of the racist JNF (Jewish National Fund) at a secret central London venue on Thursday 15th May.  UCU Scotland Congress called on Theresa May to refuse Livni entry to the UK.

On Nakba (“Catastrophe”) Day, Palestinians remember the wave of Zionist ethnic cleansing that engulfed Palestine in 1948, and created the world’s largest refugee population.  Every year on 15th May Palestinians and human rights supporters protest Israel’s ongoing ethnic cleansing programmes, house demolitions and Israel’s apartheid system, of which the JNF is a central pillar.

Stop the JNF UK supports the demonstration called by Palestine Solidarity Campaign of England and Wales and the London Palestine Action in Central London on Thursday May 15^th to protest the racist JNF and its war criminal guest, Livni.

In late 2009 Livni cancelled a scheduled visit to London when she discovered an arrest warrant had been issued against her on the grounds she had been a member of the Israeli war cabinet which organised the massacre of more than a 1400 Palestinians.

Click here to write to Home Secretary Theresa May to demand that Tzipi Livni be prevented from entering the UK to participate in incitement to hatred and division.

Israeli elections: Livni promises a miracle

From Ha'aretz:

Therefore, says Livni, I've come back into the arena, more focused on the task and devoting less attention to personal matters and background noises. I really believe I can bring Israel back into the bosom of the world within months. I can bring us back our international legitimacy and the regional standing that we are losing. 

 Hmm, a little bit cryptic. What regional standing is she referring to?  A friendly Jordan, a friendly Turkey, a friendly Egypt, friendly Gulf states?  Maybe she just means that Israel can keep the balance of death in its favour even if it does keep losing wars because of the fear of ground invasions.  But the miracle I refer to is this return to "international legitimacy".  Israel's fond of impossible returns like allowing the world's Jews the right to return to a place most Jews have never been.  But "legitimacy".  Don't be silly, Tzipi.  Israel has never had and can never have legitimacy.  In the land of miracles you might turn water to wine or raise the dead but the idea of a legitimate Israel is just absurd.

Against ethnic cleansing, against UEFA whitewashing Israel and against war criminals visiting the UK

And it's all in today's Guardian letters page:

On Thursday Palestinians are protesting about the latest instance of ethnic cleansing by the Israeli government. In the Beer Sheba (Beer es Saba) region of southern Israel about 30,000 inhabitants are about to be driven from their homes.

Their villages have been designated "unrecognised" for more than 60 years, making their lands easy prey for confiscation. And while they are refused the same rights as other Israeli citizens to facilities such as running water, schools and hospitals, the Israeli state demands their taxes.

The British government must condemn any move to evict the Palestinian citizens of Israel from their lands, which were documented under the British Mandate as privately owned Palestinian land – not ownerless as the Israeli state now claims.

Geoffrey Bindman QC
Victoria Brittain
William Dalrymple
Ken Loach
Tony Benn
Ahdaf Soueif
Miriam Margolyes
Caryl Churchill
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Linda Riordan MP
Bob Russell MP
Martin Caton MP
Katy Clark MP
Alex Cunningham MP
Julie Hilling MP
John McDonnell MP
Andy Slaughter MP
Dame Jenny Tonge
John Pilger
Leila Sansour
Ghada Karmi
Ilan Pappe
Dr Salman Abu Sitta
Prof Steven Rose
Prof Hilary Rose
Louise Christian
Rodney Bickerstaffe
Bruce Kent
Reem Kelani
Lowkey
Kika Markham
Michael Rosen
Leon Rosselson
Alexei Sayle
Jeremy Hardy
Hugh Lanning, Chair PSC
Keith Sonnet
John Austin
Canon Garth Hewitt
Andy de la Tour

• Those who lead European football must respond to an appeal from Palestinians dismayed at the prospect of Israel hosting Uefa's under-21 tournament in 2013. A state that uses military might to hold sway over land it illegally occupies and exploits, flouts international law and ignores UN resolutions surely forfeits the right to be treated as a member of the community of nations. But western powers continue to embrace Israel as an ally.  

During the 2011 under-21 tournament in Denmark in June, 42 Gazan football clubs, backed by many sporting bodies, wrote to Uefa president Michel Platini calling on his organisation not "to reward Israel for its violent repression of Palestinian rights". We ask Uefa to respond positively to this plea.

Stephane Hessel diplomat
Ken Loach filmmaker 
Michael Mansfield barrister
Miriam Margolyes actor
Nurit Peled Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought joint winner 2001
John Pilger journalist and filmmaker,
Ahdaf Soueif novelist and political and cultural commentator
Jean Ziegler vice-president, advisory committee of the UN human rights council

• The government changes the law and brings out the red carpet to allow alleged Israeli war criminals into the UK (Former Israeli minister to visit UK after change in arrest law, 4 October) but changes the rules to arrest visiting Palestinians whose only "crime" is to campaign for their rights (Palestinian activist was held unlawfully, says high court, 1 October). The Goldstone report, which has been endorsed at the UN general assembly, provides clear evidence of how in its 2008-09 attack on Gaza, Israel was responsible for attacks on children, use of human shields, and use of phosphorous bombs and flachettes in civilian areas. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also documented serious cases of abuse. For William Hague to invite to the UK Israeli leaders who were in government at the time these alleged crimes were committed is a slap in the face for relatives of the 1,400 dead, the 5,000 injured and the many others who suffered due to Israel's Cast Lead attack on Gaza.
Dr Stephen Leah
York

Not bad, not at all bad. Now wait for the balancers....

Protest against Tzipi Livni visit to the UK

5pm, Thursday, 6th October

Outside Downing Street, Whitehall, London, SW1 - nearest tube stations Westminster, Charing Cross.

Tzipi Livni, who faced an arrest warrant in the UK in 2009 over war crimes committed during the so called "Operation Cast Lead", feels she now can visit the UK because our Government – with the support of the Opposition party – has just changed the law on universal jurisdiction.

According to The Guardian:

The former Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, will meet the foreign secretary, William Hague, in Britain on Thursday in the first test of a new law governing arrest warrants for war crimes.

For a commentary on the change of UK law to appease Israeli war criminals see  Electronic Intifada.

Law change lets Livni visit UK

Here's YNET:

Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni announced that she will travel to London next week, her first trip to the United Kingdom since it issued a warrant for her arrest in the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead.


British Foreign Secretary William Hague called Livni last week, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, and invited her to visit the UK. On Sunday, she said that she has accepted the invitation.

Related stories:

• UK amends law that allows arrest of Israeli officials
• Peretz evades UK arrest warrant 
• Meridor cancels UK visit for fear of arrest 

The news came two weeks after British legislators amended the law that allowed arrest warrants to be issued against Israeli officials, making Livni's trip possible.

The article goes on to list out some of the Israeli war crimes suspects who have had to avoid or flee the UK for fear of arrest.