Ten Plagues and a blast from the past

Here's an article from a zionist which is quite a gem in that it's the first honest zionist opinion piece I have seen on the FUCU case.  It's in Cartoon Kippah and by an Adam Wagner.  Here's a taste:

The full judgment can be read here (PDF). If you have any interest in Jewish communal politics and in particular how the Israel-Palestine debate is handled, I highly recommend you read it. Perhaps set aside half an hour over a well-earned post-Passover sandwich – it’s worth it, I promise.

I won’t try to summarise Employment Judge Snelson’s findings here, but I would like to draw out a few points. The main one is that the Claimant, represented by solicitor Anthony Julius, lost in a big way. This was a total, unqualified demolition job. As an outcome, it really was ten plagues bad.

It's well worth reading the whole thing in particular for what the guy is saying about the current crop of Jewish communal leaders in the UK and for his plea to them which roughly reads, "enough with the antisemitism card already!" It should also be noted that this Adam Wagner chap is the only zionist I have seen actually encouraging people to read the report. It's clear that a lot of zionist commentary is assuming and hoping that people won't read the report.

The article links to an old Jewish Chronicle leader which is a real hoot now.  Here's how Wagner introduces it:

In a prediction of Michael Fish quality, the JC originally said of the case that unless UCU repented its “clear antisemitic behaviour”:  

we could be set for this decade’s version of the Irving trial – a specific case which acts to crystallise broader themes and issues

And here's the whole leader:

One of the most dispiriting aspects of the drip, drip, drip of anti-Israel poison into the ether is that it seems endless. Admirable work is done by groups such as BICOM, Just Journalism, the various Friends of Israel and myriad other such organisations. But it often feels like a David and Goliath fight. We are always on the back foot.

So it is with some sense of expectation that we report the letter sent on behalf of Ronnie Fraser, a UCU member and director of Academic Friends of Israel, and his readiness to take on the union in the courts if need be. Given the UCU's clear antisemitic behaviour so far, it seems unlikely that its leadership will have an overnight change of attitude and sudden return to decency. In which case, we could be set for this decade's version of the Irving trial - a specific case which acts to crystallise broader themes and issues. Legal action is usually something to be avoided at all costs. But sometimes it is unavoidable. This may now be one of those times, and one of those issues. If reason will not affect the UCU, let the law do its job.

And the law did just that.  It's judgment was delivered in

"words you never want to hear in litigation: “untrue”, “false”, “preposterous”, “extraordinarily arrogant”, “disturbing”.

And that was just about one of the players, a lead player, Jeremy Newmark.