Thanks for that, Jonathan. It’s true that the attempts of the government and its media supporters to assert its looking-glass view of the world are becoming increasingly shrill and absurd. Credibility was stretched to its utmost when Netanyahu, fulminating against the “existential threat “ posed by Iran, cried “And they would do it!”, ie. drop the nuclear bomb. A moment’s thought would lead any sane person to conclude that any such weapon could only be for defensive purposes. The timing of the IAEA’s warning that Iran was in breach of its obligations seemed intended to provide cover for Israel’s attack. Only a satirist such as Jonathan Swift (I think of “A Modest Proposal “) could do justice to the grotesque media landscape we are confronted with now.
Yes, it is convenient for the demagogues and their lackeys and propaganda machines to demonise those who come even a step or two towards emulating the blatant nastiness, hypocrisy and hurt that they cause each and every day.
My only crticism of Bob Vylan is that the name is just too close to that of one of the greatest poets, lyricists and musicians of our time and so, given the appalling diction of so many reporteres and presenters and/or poor communication links or transmission, in the endless reports of the Glastonbury event the name often sounds to be: 'Bob Dylan' rather than Bob Vylan.
As Dylan was both a brilliant satirist and voice against injustice of all kinds but in a non abusive yet unmistakable and strong way, I find that confusion unfortunate.
Let’s not compare the Russian army in Ukraine to the Nazi Waffen SS (as done earlier in the article). Recall please that it’s neoNazi paramilitary groups that are the backbone of the Ukrainian army, who have been documented mutilating Russian prisoners.
Israel “facilitated” transfer of weapons [etcetera] to Hamas, according to former IDF soldier Benzi Sanders. Why?
Arab nations can't trust Israel under Netanyahu — let alone his claim that Iran is/was building a nuclear bomb, and with Netanyahu not even being his real name — who has repeatedly proven himself to be a slithering snake in the grass.
I don’t at all support the brutal callousness of Hamas. Nonetheless, the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel conveniently enabled the Netanyahu government to justify extreme emergency war measures, then force through his/its ‘democratic reforms’ and do who-knows-what-more to Palestine — including cleansing, food-starving and mass slaughtering its long-time Palestinian non-combatants.
It's also convenient for other Israeli power interests — particularly with western world governments and mainstream news-media basically falling into line and towing it.
It's difficult to believe that the 10/7 ‘surprise’ attack on Israel was truly unexpected (albeit it may have been deadlier than the hypothetical Israeli insiders had anticipated). Regardless of the increasingly corrupt Western mainstream news-media (unlike genuinely independent news outlets) basically deeming it as a part of All the News That's Un-Fit to Print, it's no real secret that they were warned by at least one credible source.
Perhaps those Israeli lives lost, however tragic, were/are considered by the increasingly immorally opportunistic prime minister, and ilk, as a 'good investment' -- i.e. the future mass cleansing of Palestinians from their land, followed by its annexation with plentiful natural resources. And who's going to be able to stop the Israel Defense Forces with their state-of-the-art American-taxpayer-supplied weaponry?
Also not widely known by the outside world is that Netanyahu's military-officer brother was killed during an attack against Palestinian and German hostage-takers in 1976 by Israeli forces. The prime minister may still want more Palestinian blood for that, however innocent.
may i burst your bubble, sir sterle, but the 7th of the 8th month of oct was a false-flag operation, instaurated under zioisraeli auspices and their billionaire supporters in the US and UK, using phoney-baloney mercenaries cloaked in palestinian garb and speaking an odd dialect of arabic in order to implement that false-flag operation. it is why the hostages have never been released, as it would neutralize the zionists' already etiolated justification for perpetuating their genocide against the impuissant palestinians,
We are living through yet another paradox, a country using the law against its citizens on behalf of a foreign terrorist organisation. Our leaders side with a military machine designed to kill, mutilate, starve and terrorise its neighbours in the most sadistic experiment ever seen, with the help of Western tech corporations and governments. “Israel has the right to defend herself” parrots our PM. “Palantir stands with Israel, and is here to disrupt [...] and to scare enemies and on occasion kill them”, threatens Alex Karp the CEO of the corporation holding our NHS records.
“Kill the IDF” chanted Bob Vylan, “Calling for the killing of Israeli forces” distorts the BiBiC, redefining the chant as "antisemitic sentiment”. “Toxic Jew-hatred is a threat to our entire society” screams the Chief Rabbi. Sir Ephraim also condemns “outright incitement to violence and hatred”, using the Jewish people as human shields. This is a man just back from Israel who has passionately supported the genocide of Palestinians. The pillars of our society lied to deploy their pro-Israel offensive on the British people.
The more the elite trample on humanity, the more banal their discourse resonates. More and more people can decode their Newspeak and this time they stand naked. Elected politicians and state-hired corporations are loyal to a foreign power and act against the people they are supposed to represent.
The Nazis criminalised the Jews, the Gypsies and the Communists before exterminating them. History tells us this was a massive wrong. Gestapo is now a nasty word and nobody wants to resuscitate it. Our politicians’ support of the IDF has put them firmly on the wrong side of history. Our political elite refuse to learn from history and support terrorism against their own citizens. One day they came for the Palestinians and now they are coming for us.
Channel 4 tonight (2nd July) at 10pm will air programme BBC commissioned but doesn't dare broadcast about plight of doctors in Gaza.
Incidental point: antisemitism. The only Semitic people in so-called Israel are the Palestinians. Most of those Settlers and Israelis don't have any trace of Semitic blood in them. So it's the Israelis who are antisemitic as they are killing the Semitic people.
So many laws being broken; international law, humanitarian law, national laws but the one we focus on is just the one that criticizes Israel; "hate law" and its lethal army.. you know, the one that is the "most moral army in the world" Apparently the reason that it remains "ambiguous" that Israel has nuclear weapons is because it violates US law to supply weapons to any state that has nuclear weapons. So we all have to pretend that Israel doesn't have them and focus on Iran and our outrage on those who would call out genocide rather than the genocide itself.
Great article. But talking about % of GNP is not clarifying for most people. Tell them the % of the national budget instead, quite different figures and easier to understand (and protest about)
So true. Where I come from we call them red herrings -- things to distract us from what the powers that be don't want us to see.
Thanks for another excellent post, Jonathan.
As I read this, it occurred to me that I'd love to see a daily summary of war crimes committed by Israel and the complicity of other countries supporting this genocide.
As usual, I truly appreciate your insight and your work. MacGuffin is brilliant.
I can't afford to subscribe but, l'd just like to thank you for your honest reporting.
Headline?
The real crimes are taking place in ...
Gaza, Tel Aviv, London, Washington DC, and .... (refer Francesca Albanese)
Politics has one objective, and only one objective: Misdirection.
Misdirection like the slyness of a pickpocket is more harmful and hateful than the boldness of direct lie.
You chose the political subject or context ... imperialism, ethnic cleanings, genocide ... Misdirection.
No more; no less.
dennis hanna
So many truth bombs. Thank you for your dedication in support of the oppressed people of Palestine who have no voice.
Thanks for that, Jonathan. It’s true that the attempts of the government and its media supporters to assert its looking-glass view of the world are becoming increasingly shrill and absurd. Credibility was stretched to its utmost when Netanyahu, fulminating against the “existential threat “ posed by Iran, cried “And they would do it!”, ie. drop the nuclear bomb. A moment’s thought would lead any sane person to conclude that any such weapon could only be for defensive purposes. The timing of the IAEA’s warning that Iran was in breach of its obligations seemed intended to provide cover for Israel’s attack. Only a satirist such as Jonathan Swift (I think of “A Modest Proposal “) could do justice to the grotesque media landscape we are confronted with now.
Yes, it is convenient for the demagogues and their lackeys and propaganda machines to demonise those who come even a step or two towards emulating the blatant nastiness, hypocrisy and hurt that they cause each and every day.
My only crticism of Bob Vylan is that the name is just too close to that of one of the greatest poets, lyricists and musicians of our time and so, given the appalling diction of so many reporteres and presenters and/or poor communication links or transmission, in the endless reports of the Glastonbury event the name often sounds to be: 'Bob Dylan' rather than Bob Vylan.
As Dylan was both a brilliant satirist and voice against injustice of all kinds but in a non abusive yet unmistakable and strong way, I find that confusion unfortunate.
Deaf deaf deaf to the IDF crimes…and our government’s crimes …BDSbarb
Bob Vylan for Prime Minister!
Let’s not compare the Russian army in Ukraine to the Nazi Waffen SS (as done earlier in the article). Recall please that it’s neoNazi paramilitary groups that are the backbone of the Ukrainian army, who have been documented mutilating Russian prisoners.
Israel “facilitated” transfer of weapons [etcetera] to Hamas, according to former IDF soldier Benzi Sanders. Why?
Arab nations can't trust Israel under Netanyahu — let alone his claim that Iran is/was building a nuclear bomb, and with Netanyahu not even being his real name — who has repeatedly proven himself to be a slithering snake in the grass.
I don’t at all support the brutal callousness of Hamas. Nonetheless, the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel conveniently enabled the Netanyahu government to justify extreme emergency war measures, then force through his/its ‘democratic reforms’ and do who-knows-what-more to Palestine — including cleansing, food-starving and mass slaughtering its long-time Palestinian non-combatants.
It's also convenient for other Israeli power interests — particularly with western world governments and mainstream news-media basically falling into line and towing it.
It's difficult to believe that the 10/7 ‘surprise’ attack on Israel was truly unexpected (albeit it may have been deadlier than the hypothetical Israeli insiders had anticipated). Regardless of the increasingly corrupt Western mainstream news-media (unlike genuinely independent news outlets) basically deeming it as a part of All the News That's Un-Fit to Print, it's no real secret that they were warned by at least one credible source.
Perhaps those Israeli lives lost, however tragic, were/are considered by the increasingly immorally opportunistic prime minister, and ilk, as a 'good investment' -- i.e. the future mass cleansing of Palestinians from their land, followed by its annexation with plentiful natural resources. And who's going to be able to stop the Israel Defense Forces with their state-of-the-art American-taxpayer-supplied weaponry?
Also not widely known by the outside world is that Netanyahu's military-officer brother was killed during an attack against Palestinian and German hostage-takers in 1976 by Israeli forces. The prime minister may still want more Palestinian blood for that, however innocent.
may i burst your bubble, sir sterle, but the 7th of the 8th month of oct was a false-flag operation, instaurated under zioisraeli auspices and their billionaire supporters in the US and UK, using phoney-baloney mercenaries cloaked in palestinian garb and speaking an odd dialect of arabic in order to implement that false-flag operation. it is why the hostages have never been released, as it would neutralize the zionists' already etiolated justification for perpetuating their genocide against the impuissant palestinians,
We are living through yet another paradox, a country using the law against its citizens on behalf of a foreign terrorist organisation. Our leaders side with a military machine designed to kill, mutilate, starve and terrorise its neighbours in the most sadistic experiment ever seen, with the help of Western tech corporations and governments. “Israel has the right to defend herself” parrots our PM. “Palantir stands with Israel, and is here to disrupt [...] and to scare enemies and on occasion kill them”, threatens Alex Karp the CEO of the corporation holding our NHS records.
“Kill the IDF” chanted Bob Vylan, “Calling for the killing of Israeli forces” distorts the BiBiC, redefining the chant as "antisemitic sentiment”. “Toxic Jew-hatred is a threat to our entire society” screams the Chief Rabbi. Sir Ephraim also condemns “outright incitement to violence and hatred”, using the Jewish people as human shields. This is a man just back from Israel who has passionately supported the genocide of Palestinians. The pillars of our society lied to deploy their pro-Israel offensive on the British people.
The more the elite trample on humanity, the more banal their discourse resonates. More and more people can decode their Newspeak and this time they stand naked. Elected politicians and state-hired corporations are loyal to a foreign power and act against the people they are supposed to represent.
The Nazis criminalised the Jews, the Gypsies and the Communists before exterminating them. History tells us this was a massive wrong. Gestapo is now a nasty word and nobody wants to resuscitate it. Our politicians’ support of the IDF has put them firmly on the wrong side of history. Our political elite refuse to learn from history and support terrorism against their own citizens. One day they came for the Palestinians and now they are coming for us.
Channel 4 tonight (2nd July) at 10pm will air programme BBC commissioned but doesn't dare broadcast about plight of doctors in Gaza.
Incidental point: antisemitism. The only Semitic people in so-called Israel are the Palestinians. Most of those Settlers and Israelis don't have any trace of Semitic blood in them. So it's the Israelis who are antisemitic as they are killing the Semitic people.
So many laws being broken; international law, humanitarian law, national laws but the one we focus on is just the one that criticizes Israel; "hate law" and its lethal army.. you know, the one that is the "most moral army in the world" Apparently the reason that it remains "ambiguous" that Israel has nuclear weapons is because it violates US law to supply weapons to any state that has nuclear weapons. So we all have to pretend that Israel doesn't have them and focus on Iran and our outrage on those who would call out genocide rather than the genocide itself.
Great article. But talking about % of GNP is not clarifying for most people. Tell them the % of the national budget instead, quite different figures and easier to understand (and protest about)
So true. Where I come from we call them red herrings -- things to distract us from what the powers that be don't want us to see.
Thanks for another excellent post, Jonathan.
As I read this, it occurred to me that I'd love to see a daily summary of war crimes committed by Israel and the complicity of other countries supporting this genocide.