Your definition of Zionism is not one used by the majority of Jews. When 90% of non-Israeli Jews say they are Zionist, they don't mean they support racist policies in the land of Israel. Many of them oppose the current Israeli government, settlements and occupation. They simply have a vague attachment to Israel through Jewish mythology and history, and no current desire to go there - but they often feel relief knowing it's an option in case antisemitism gets really bad in their host countries. There are many forms of Zionism, and I think it's unhelpful to conflate Zionism with the actions of the current Israeli government, which is fascist and extreme. Zionists mean a benign form and anti-Zionists mean the most extreme form when they say Zionism, and anti-Zionists are vicious when they tar anyone who doesn't believe in Israel's complete destruction (not regime change but utter destruction) with the same brush.
Great article in every respect apart from one line: "...Nato’s expansionist wars to surround Russia..." One of the most ridiculous things I've heard anyone say for days.
"The Guardian is not like Corbyn. Since Viner took over the helm, it is enthusiastically on board with Britain’s neoliberal establishment, and barely bothers to hide the fact that it is under the security services’ thumb."
I remember the times when the Guardian run a "Keep it in the ground campaign" (referring to fossil fuels). Anybody knows what happened to this? Why it was abandoned?
Excellent appraisal. I have always found myself drawn to the 'wrong kind of Jew' as espoused by the late, great Dave Graeber. But, Mr. Cook, I have a question...
Official Capitalist England is arguably stupider, uglier and more dishonest that even sick, rotten America. What was done to Corbyn, an honorable, principled and humane leader, exceeds anything retro, redneck America has inflicted on any public figure. It is a shame England can never live down.
Thank you for a succinct view of this toplc The Guardian relies on it's past reputation, I was a regular reader from my teens to my 60s I gav,e up on it 20 years ago. I enjoy your work and look forward to finding it in my inbox.
Thanks a million Jonathan. Brilliant article. It appears now that we have not only be familiar with antisemitic tropes, but also with how some ringhtwing nut job has utilised them in the past. And are the Rothchilds totally beyond criticism ….from what I gather they are worth $400 billion ….that kind of money wields a lot of power
This is a very thoughtful analysis of the hypocrisy at work in this affair. A small point - Corbyn did not 'support' the Mear One mural. He was sent a thumbnail of it with a complaint from the artist that it had been taken down. No mention of antisemitism. He simply asked 'Why?' and then alluded to the censorship of Diego Rivera's murals. It's clear that he read the mural as anticapitalist, an interpretation that the vast majority of people would make. Those who have read the mural as antisemitic (mainly on grounds of the facial features) claim that anyone not immediately exercised by its 'grotesque antisemitism' must by that token be antisemitic. When the antisemitic reading was pointed out to Corbyn he did of course apologise, but his failure to condemn the mural immediately has been used over and over again as proof of his own antisemitism by Freedland, Baddiel and even Aaron Bastani of Novare Media, among many others.
I'm afraid we'll have to wait many years to see all these criminals unmasked - likely by the same media that now works as their mouthpieces. Hard to be hopeful.
Perversion of prohibitions against antisemitism, xenophobia, misogyny and racism for neoliberal/neoconservative purposes is now the norm, in the United States (among the “woke”) and in the United Kingdom. Something it takes a great deal of courage to criticize and will probably generate a great deal of hypocritical flack.
Im not sure why but the granulars of the whole Corbyn saga rather passed me by - perhaps not being English or in the UK but also because i used to rely on trad news media for info. Thx for this important piece. I see Asa Winstanley, also on these pages, has a book out on the topic too, so good to the story getting the appropriate attention. More evidence the system that runs our lives is utterly debauched and unsustainable.
Your definition of Zionism is not one used by the majority of Jews. When 90% of non-Israeli Jews say they are Zionist, they don't mean they support racist policies in the land of Israel. Many of them oppose the current Israeli government, settlements and occupation. They simply have a vague attachment to Israel through Jewish mythology and history, and no current desire to go there - but they often feel relief knowing it's an option in case antisemitism gets really bad in their host countries. There are many forms of Zionism, and I think it's unhelpful to conflate Zionism with the actions of the current Israeli government, which is fascist and extreme. Zionists mean a benign form and anti-Zionists mean the most extreme form when they say Zionism, and anti-Zionists are vicious when they tar anyone who doesn't believe in Israel's complete destruction (not regime change but utter destruction) with the same brush.
Correction: "These Zionists I'm talking about mean a benign form" (not all Zionists obviously).
Great article in every respect apart from one line: "...Nato’s expansionist wars to surround Russia..." One of the most ridiculous things I've heard anyone say for days.
"The Guardian is not like Corbyn. Since Viner took over the helm, it is enthusiastically on board with Britain’s neoliberal establishment, and barely bothers to hide the fact that it is under the security services’ thumb."
I remember the times when the Guardian run a "Keep it in the ground campaign" (referring to fossil fuels). Anybody knows what happened to this? Why it was abandoned?
Such a campaign would be more timely than ever.
Smears such as these are used to throttle anyone outside the Overton Window.
Excellent appraisal. I have always found myself drawn to the 'wrong kind of Jew' as espoused by the late, great Dave Graeber. But, Mr. Cook, I have a question...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580820301072
?
fantastic piece!
Official Capitalist England is arguably stupider, uglier and more dishonest that even sick, rotten America. What was done to Corbyn, an honorable, principled and humane leader, exceeds anything retro, redneck America has inflicted on any public figure. It is a shame England can never live down.
Thank you for a succinct view of this toplc The Guardian relies on it's past reputation, I was a regular reader from my teens to my 60s I gav,e up on it 20 years ago. I enjoy your work and look forward to finding it in my inbox.
Thanks a million Jonathan. Brilliant article. It appears now that we have not only be familiar with antisemitic tropes, but also with how some ringhtwing nut job has utilised them in the past. And are the Rothchilds totally beyond criticism ….from what I gather they are worth $400 billion ….that kind of money wields a lot of power
This is a very thoughtful analysis of the hypocrisy at work in this affair. A small point - Corbyn did not 'support' the Mear One mural. He was sent a thumbnail of it with a complaint from the artist that it had been taken down. No mention of antisemitism. He simply asked 'Why?' and then alluded to the censorship of Diego Rivera's murals. It's clear that he read the mural as anticapitalist, an interpretation that the vast majority of people would make. Those who have read the mural as antisemitic (mainly on grounds of the facial features) claim that anyone not immediately exercised by its 'grotesque antisemitism' must by that token be antisemitic. When the antisemitic reading was pointed out to Corbyn he did of course apologise, but his failure to condemn the mural immediately has been used over and over again as proof of his own antisemitism by Freedland, Baddiel and even Aaron Bastani of Novare Media, among many others.
We in the UK were denied the opportunity to put a good man of peace into power because of this chicanery.
These people are trash and this must be stopped
I'm afraid we'll have to wait many years to see all these criminals unmasked - likely by the same media that now works as their mouthpieces. Hard to be hopeful.
Perversion of prohibitions against antisemitism, xenophobia, misogyny and racism for neoliberal/neoconservative purposes is now the norm, in the United States (among the “woke”) and in the United Kingdom. Something it takes a great deal of courage to criticize and will probably generate a great deal of hypocritical flack.
very good. Your explanation of the editorial cartoons makes good points.
Im not sure why but the granulars of the whole Corbyn saga rather passed me by - perhaps not being English or in the UK but also because i used to rely on trad news media for info. Thx for this important piece. I see Asa Winstanley, also on these pages, has a book out on the topic too, so good to the story getting the appropriate attention. More evidence the system that runs our lives is utterly debauched and unsustainable.