generalspeaking

Guilty: No Free Pass: Head Directly To Perdition

There, in living technicolour, exists the world's scapegoat. A country and a nation which exemplifies the struggle to be as responsible, reasonable and resolute as any collective of human beings can be, attempting to be all things to all people. Fully egalitarian, guarantors of civil rights, of all manner of social, religious, economic freedoms; stick-handling accusations of favouritism toward its own, yet rigorously upholding the lawful rights of others holding citizenship, it seems Israel can do no right.

In the eyes of the world, that is. A world whose eyes have been veiled in a pre-existing state of Jew-suspicion, heralding a headlong plunge into anti-Semitism cloaked by the miasma of 'legitimate' criticism of the State of Israel. Enlightened beings understand that one may critique the actions of a nation, without having to be burdened with the accusation that one is anti-Semitic. And it is extremely useful in this paradigm that the tutelage of Palestinian propaganda lends itself to the entire process, giving it its required legitimacy.

For liberal democracies and social academics and free-trade unions know social injustice when they see it. The irony in the situation where liberalism and democracy has no place in the world of Islam and in the Palestinian world, nor do unions freely represent workers there, as they do in Israel is entirely irrelevant. Even gay communities come out resolutely against the fearsome indignities brought upon the Palestinians by Israel, while it would be extremely instructive to witness how they would fare flaunting their gayness in the Palestinian Territories.

Anti-Jewish sentiments trump all. So that when bloody violence is visited upon the Jewish state and the Jewish people, authorized by a religion that instructs toward jihad, internationally respected bodies like the Red Cross and the United Nations gently deplore suicide attacks, but resoundingly and blisteringly accuse Israel of human rights violations when it undertakes the obligation of any state; that of protection of its people and its, and their right to existence.

The de-legitimization of Israel is the matter at hand, with boycotts and ideological shunning, and isolation seen as weapons of mass instruction. When world-famed entertainers seek to perform in Israel they are denounced as being complicit in war-mongering, agreeable to the apartheid regime of a conscienceless nation. Madonna whose recent appearance in Tel Aviv at several concerts gained her the repugnant denunciation as an enabler of genocide, declared Israel innocent, in her deluded opinion, of anything but psychic energy.

Now Leonard Cohen will be appearing in Israel for a series of concerts whose proceeds are set to benefit the struggle for a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict: "A Concert for Reconciliation Tolerance and Peace", will fund a mission "to provide financial support for organizations and individuals working to achieve reconciliation, tolerance and peace between Israelis and Palestinians and thereby advance the recognition and full expression of human rights in the region".

That intolerable agenda of interference and misguided intervention has garnered him the rage of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, which claims, "this ill-conceived project is clearly intended to whitewash Israel's violations of international law and human rights". This position is defended and supported whole-heartedly by a roster of British university professors. As it is by those who seek to boycott the City to City highlighting of Tel Aviv during the Toronto International Film Festival.

Leonard Cohen has two options. He may continue with his plans to entertain in Israel and receive the incendiary condemnation he deserves as a defender of the existence of the State of Israel. Or he may decline to honour his current itinerary and appear instead solely in the West Bank, to the acclaim of Palestinians, the world of Islam, and the social-justice-sensitive academics and trade unions, gay groups and Israel-bashers world-wide.

Labels: Human Relations, Human Rights, Israel, Political Realities

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, September 08, 2009